Holy Innocents   Remembered   -D.C.

At the end of 2001, the annual Feast of the Holy Innocents Faith and Resistance retreat in Washington, D.C., took on a prayerful and reflective spirit, as participants considered the present context for witness against war. An especially large group of ninety adults and thirty children returned after many years to St. Stephen and the Incarnation Church, where some of the adults present had last gathered when they were children attending with their parents. Time was spent grieving, expressing fears, and then rebuilding hope together as a community demanding justice and seeking to practice justice.

Recently released resisters Phil Berrigan, Kenji Warren, and Susan Crane shared a presentation about what it meant to be in prison during the events of September 11 and the beginning of this war.

On Friday, December 28, the Catholic Feast of the Holy Innocents that remembers the victims of Herod's infanticide edict, the retreat attempted a funeral procession to the south entrance of the Pentagon. They vigiled for an hour where a police checkpoint stopped them. Two people carried their witness for peace beyond the checkpoint and were arrested, then later released pending a March 15 court date.

The next day, a vigil was held in front of the White House. Surprisingly, sixteen people who remained stationary for about an hour in the tourist photo zone were not arrested. The rest of the community sang, recited their leaflet aloud, and performed street theater. Children circulated among tourists with a petition they had drafted stating that President Bush should take a time-out because he is hurting people.

On Sunday, the retreat stood vigil outside the National Cathedral during mass. Flyers explained to those attending that there would be people standing inside during mass, because the church should take a stand against war. More than a dozen of the group went inside, and all but one were removed during the service. Some were held by police until mass ended, but all were released without charges.

For more information, contact Jonah House, 1302 Moreland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21216, (410)233-6238.