Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Commitment to Peace Written in Stone

Commitment to Peace Written in Stone

McSorley, S.J., Students Bring Memorial to GU

By Andreas Andrea Hoya Staff Writer

A memorial stone commemorating unknown civilians killed in war will temporarily reside at Georgetown’s Observatory Gardens at the Center for Peace Studies, due in part to the work of retired Jesuit Richard McSorley, S.J. Four Georgetown students and other volunteers brought the stone, which was created by the Sherborn, Mass.-based organization Peace Abbey, to the university Saturday from the Memorial Bridge at Arlington National Cemetery.

The stone, which is inscribed “Unknown Civilians Killed in War,” was taken this past summer from Peace Abbey’s headquarters in Sherborne to Arlington, with hopes that it would be placed there. It was transported by foot by a group called the “Stonewalkers,” composed of Peace Abbey workers and other volunteers. The walk took 33 days and covered about 500 miles.

However, Congress never approved its placement in Arlington, so the U.S. Park Police impounded the stone and the caisson carrying it.

Although no direct petition was made by Peace Abbey to Congress, many of the people who took part in the Stonewalk did contact their representatives.

“Congress was well aware of the fact that the stone was coming to Washington but no one stepped forward,” Special Project Coordinator for Peace Abbey Dot Walsh said.

Congress heard of the existence of the memorial stone on Aug. 6, when Rep. John W. Oliver, D- Mass. commended the Stonewalkers before Congress. This was the only time the Stonewalk was mentioned in Congress this year.

“The upcoming end of the millenium prompted the stone and there is no such memorial that remembers those civilians that were killed in war and conflict, most of whom were women and children, who outnumber soldiers,” Walsh said. “They say the ratio is 10 civilians killed for every one soldier.”

According to Walsh, the Peace Abbey is pleased with the Memorial Stone’s new home. “It’s a wonderful fit for it to be in the Peace Garden. The public will be able to visit it there, which is really important,” she said.

The goal of the Peace Abbey is that the stone will help increase awareness of the ultimate price paid by many civilians due to wars, Walsh said.

“The average American citizen still has no awareness of how many civilians are killed,” she said. “We watch wars through the comfort of our own living rooms. I think young people especially are very far removed from the horrors of war.”

The Memorial Stone will stay on campus until next summer, when it will be taken to various places. The Stonewalkers hope that by moving the stone they will gather support and publicity so that it may eventually be placed in Arlington.

The stone will first be walked to Baltimore. Then, it will be shipped to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and then walked to Dublin. The memorial stone will then be shipped to Liverpool, England on its way to Oxford. Then, the stone will be taken to Europe, Asia and Indochina.

Due to his assistance in this campaign and his previous work on behalf of pacifist causes, the Peace Abbey gave McSorley the Courage of Conscience award at the ceremony Saturday. Former recipients include the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. McSorley was contacted directly by Peace Abbey because of his experience and position as director of the Center for Peace Studies here at Georgetown.

“I feel happy about the award,” McSorley said. “I often had to decide about doing things that were difficult and unpopular, like preaching about the law of God that ‘Thou Shalt not Kill.’ I was arrested about eight times during the Vietnam War.”

McSorley spent three years and three months in Japanese concentration camps in the Philippines during World War II and believes that it was mainly his faith, but also his experience, that helped shape his views while in the campus.

“We are living in a culture of death and that makes it very difficult for people to realize that killing is wrong,” McSorley said. “We kill in war, abortion and the death penalty. Our greatest industry is weapons.”

Kay Parish (SFS ’02) helped organize the event on Saturday morning when the Memorial Stone was placed in the Peace Garden. The three students other than Parish who attended were Jennifer Eggleston (SFS ’02), Ian Palko (MSB ’03) and Steve Feiler (COL ’02).

According to Parish, it was difficult to gather people to take part in the event, because she only knew about it two days in advance.

“I thought it was a really good cause and if it is going to be on Georgetown’s campus it is definitely something students should be involved in and know about,” Parish said.

Eggleston said the walk to the Peace Garden was an interesting experience.

“We attracted a lot of attention and had a police escort. It was intriguing to see people’s reactions as we walked by,” Eggleston said.

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