Julia Butterfly Hill

When the time of our particular sunset comes — our thing, our accomplishment won’t really matter a great deal. But the clarity and care with which we have loved others will speak with vitality of the great gift of life we have been for each other. – Gregory Norbert, O.S.B.

AN OVERVIEW

What an experience this has been for The Life Experience School, which over a quarter of a century ago, embarked upon an extraordinary peacemaking mission that began following the passing of a young student named Norman Nylund who lost his battle with cancer. Norman was autistic and saw the World through a lens quite different than most. As we spent time with him, we grew to appreciate the beauty, joy and love his world offered him, and through him, all of us at the Life Experience School. Sharing the same birthday as St. Francis of Assisi, it was decided that upon his passing, a portion of his cremation remains be brought to the cloistered garden of San Damiano in Assisi, Italy in 1986.

My trip to Assisi with his ashes happened to coincide with the UN International Day of Prayer for Peace. Upon my return to the School, I shared the prayers with our students who found special meaning in their recitation and began, as a school project, sharing them through what they called Peace Seeds. Then on June 4, 1988, the 20th anniversary of Bobby Kennedy’s assassination, (the School is dedicated to RFK), Mother Teresa visited the Life Experience School in support of our peace work … and the rest is history.

The contents of the library and many of the extraordinary holdings of the Peace Abbey have been donated to Harvard Divinity School, BU School of Theology, UMASS Boston, Greyhound Friends, Holy Family Church and numerous other schools and centers around the Boston area.

We have so many people to thank, especially Dot Walsh who gave so much of herself to the Peace Abbey, and volunteers Dan Dick, Madeline Champagne, Brian Cron, Leo Waters and many others. We are so grateful to all those who cared for the Guesthouse and our visitors from around the world, maintained and help operate the Conference Center, fed and cared for the animals in sanctuary, and all those who supported the Peace Abbey and Life Experience School, without ever being asked.

It is important to note that the Gandhi statue and plaques at the Pacifist Memorial, the Emily statue and plaques at the Sacred Cow Animal Rights Memorial and CO Hill and the granite CO Memorial Stone will continue to be owned and cared for by the Life Experience School as restrictions are in place for it to remain in perpetuity. Though the land will be owned by a new entity, it will be open to the public so that others may continue to benefit from its message. The new owner is a local resident who loves the historic buildings and the community of Sherborn and sees the importance of the message of peace at the Memorials. We wish him the very best as he moves forward with renovations.

Peace,

Lewis and Meg Randa

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