Feast of Bl Franz Jägerstätter
Thursday 21 May is the feast of Bl Franz Jägerstätter. Bl Franz, an Austrian peasant farmer, was executed for refusing to fight in Hitler’s army. A devout Catholic, Franz believed he could not be faithful to Jesus and fight for the Nazis.
Below are some resources to help celebrate the feast of Bl Franz in schools.
Assembly
The Importance of Disobedience is an assembly about Bl Franz as part of the Peace Education Network’s Teach Peace Pack.
Workshop
Franz Jägerstätter: A Story of Remarkable Faith explores Franz’s story, his witness, and what he can teach us about the Christian vocation to peacemaking.
Lesson
As part of our General RE scheme of work there is a lesson examining the life and witness of Franz Jägerstätter which considers whether there is a difference between neutrality and active nonviolence.
Prayer
Dear God
You filled the blessed martyr and father of a family,
Franz Jägerstätter, with a great love for you, his family, and all people.
In a time of violence and political contempt for humanity
he formed for himself an unerring and clear judgement.
You gave him the grace to resist evil.
In closeness to your Son, and by following his conscience,
he said a decisive ‘No’ to the denial of your presence,
to the disregard for human dignity, and to the unjust war.
Trusting in you, he sacrificed his life
because he loved you above everything.
With the power of your Spirit, and the intercession of blessed Franz,
strengthen our love for you and for all people.
Help us to stand up for justice, peace, and human dignity,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day Ceremony
On 15 May about 150 people – including visitors from New Zealand and Australia – gathered by the Conscientious Objectors’ stone in Tavistock Square to commemorate COs worldwide. Pax Christi is one of the organisations behind the annual event, which this year focussed especially on the contribution of women war resisters and peacemakers.
In this centenary year of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Sheila Triggs spoke about the difficulties which had to be overcome by the women who planned the 1200-strong international Women’s Congress in The Hague in 1915. Afterwards they had visited political leaders in both neutral and belligerent countries, proposing a negotiated end to the First World War. No warring nation accepted this challenge, believing that they might still gain the military advantage. The women laid the foundations for the League of Nations, and campaigned for welfare reforms. In April 2015 women from 80 countries took part in an anniversary conference in The Hague to map out the ongoing work of WILPF.
Another speaker was Mia Tamarin, who in 2008 joined the growing number of Israeli teenagers who refuse to perform the compulsory military service required after leaving school. Mia served several months in prison. The purpose of the movement is an end to the Occupation of Palestine (rather than pacifism as such). Even amongst conscientious objectors, the stand taken by female COs was regarded as of lower value than that of their male colleagues. However refusal attracts abuse and controversy, with lasting consequences for all of their lives and careers.
Flowers were laid on the memorial stone as names of 70 representative conscientious objectors from different countries and centuries were read out.
Peace Education Newsletter – May 2015
Dear friends,
Tomorrow (Friday 15 May) is International Conscientious Objectors’ Day. We have produced an assembly/short liturgy to help schools to commemorate this day.
On Thursday 21 May we celebrate the feast of Bl Franz Jägerstätter – our resource, Holy Disobedience, helps students to reflect on the life and witness of this great man of peace.
I have availability on Tuesday 23 June in North West England/North Wales. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity for Pax Christi peace education workshops in your school or college please get in touch before Friday 22 May.
I also have availability in the North East or Yorkshire on 7 and 9 July.
There is a little under a month to enter the CND Peace Education Creative writing competition
Exploring the reality of military life – a Peace Education Network skills share workshop led by Veterans for Peace UK. Thursday 18 June in Sheffield.
Full details and registration
The Pax Christi Annual General Meeting takes place in London on Saturday 6 June where Fr Ziad Hilal will speak about his experiences working for Jesuit Refugee Services in Syria.
In peace
Matt
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day 2015
15 May each year is designated International Conscientious Objectors’ Day. A day when people all over the world pay tribute to those who have resisted—and continue to resist—war.
100 years after the International Congress of Women in The Hague, the focus of commemorations in 2015 is on the role of women war resistors.
This assembly reflects on the story of the women peacemakers who assembled in The Hague a century ago, reflects on their efforts to bring an end to the carnage of the First World War, and invites students to think about how they can work for peace today.
Download the Assembly Script (pdf)
Download Assembly Slideshow (pptx)