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A few days before her death, Sr. Ita was asked to read a quote from martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero, "...he who is committed to the poor must share the same fate as the poor...to disappear, to be tortured...and to be found dead by the side of the road." On December 2, 1980, this became the fate of four women; Maryknoll sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke, lay missioner Jean Donovan, and Ursuline sister Dorothy Kazel. In this icon, they stand as reminders of the dignity and beauty of all those innocent victims of greed and oppression. The Advent wreath serves to commemorate not only when they died, but also to remind us of this season of hopeful expectancy, yearning for the arrival of Christ's presence on Earth. A reflection.

The largest international conference on nuclear disarmament since the Nuclear Ban Treaty was adopted this summer was recently held at the Vatican. Out of this conference came Pope Francis's condemnation of nuclear weapons. He said, "Weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, create nothing but a false sense of security. They cannot constitute the basis for peaceful coexistence between members of the human family." Prayer/Study/Action Guide. 

December 14, 2017 marks the 5 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy. Since that heartbreaking day five years ago, half a million Americans have been killed or injured by guns. We have witnessed mass shootings in churches, schools, at workplaces, in a nightclub, at an outdoor concert festival and elsewhere. It has to stop. The Newtown Foundation in partnership with Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and other groups will host the annual national vigil service of mourning and loving remembrance for all who have fallen victim to the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in America on December 6 with nationwide vigils continuing through December 17. Learn more/get involved.