Author Archives: admin

Boston.com: Have you visited the Peace Abbey?

The Peace Abbey is a spiritual oasis that’s tucked away in the wooded hamlet of Sherborn. The multi-faith retreat center is home to the Pacifist Living History Museum and Emily the Sacred Cow, and over the years has hosted well-known visitors like Mother Teresa, Howard Zinn, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, and, most recently, Joan Baez. But the future of the Peace Abbey is up in the air. Faced with mounting bills, the cash-strapped nonprofit is appealing to the public and hoping that an angel investor can save the place. Peace Abbey supporters are doing whatever they can to help. On […]

Prayer for U.S. Military Killed in Iraq

Peace Abbey volunteer Madeline Champagne had been recording the total number of U.S. war deaths in Iraq on a sign outside the Peace Abbey, but during the winter of 2007 she decided these men and women deserved more recognition than just a number. In the Peace Abbey Coffeehouse room in the lower level of the Conference Center Madeline began building a memorial consisting of a wrist band with the name of each of the U.S. service member killed in action in Iraq. The wristbands are linked in a series of hanging chains that extend for many feet along the walls. […]

Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award Presentation to Nelson Mandela

Remarks by Dot Walsh at the presentation ceremony in South Africa October 6, 2011 It is an honor to be here tonight to present the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award to Nelson Mandela. I would like to thank Karen Beransche and all who helped make the global summit possible. In the United States the Department of Peace was first presented to Congress by US Representative Dennis Kucinich. Although it has never been adopted there have been many people who are still working to promote this concept. We have a dept. of war why not a dept. of peace? Representative […]

Dover-Sherborn Press: Roots and Wings holding benefit for Sherborn’s Peace Abbey

By Staff reports Sherborn –Faced with foreclosure again, the Peace Abbey in Sherborn is hosting a yoga and bodywork event at Roots and Wings in Natick on Sunday, Nov. 6. The event lasts from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and will feature various sessions, including yoga, an information session about the Abbey and an art sale. Long-time Abbey volunteer Dan Dick, and others like him, would hate to see it go away. “This is a place that brings all aspects of nonviolence together,” he said. The Abbey serves as a haven for vegetarians, pacifists, conscientious objectors and any one who seeks peace, […]

SouthCoast Today: By any definition, kindness matters

By Susan Pawlak-seaman Live and Learn October 28, 2011 12:00 AM Maybe because I spend a lot of time waiting in traffic, bumper stickers catch my eye. Such as the one I saw last weekend when I was heading to the Dartmouth Mall: “Remember to be kind,” it said in large letters. Then, in smaller print, it noted “Peace Abbey in Sherborn, Mass.” Since I wasn’t familiar with the Abbey, I did a quick Google search and learned that “Peace Abbey is dedicated to creating innovative models for society that empower individuals on the paths of nonviolence, peacemaking, and cruelty-free […]

CounterPunch: Occupy Boston – The Closing of the American Mind

by VIJAY PRASHAD I. That Strange Brown Man, Gandhi. Gandhi is standing in the bustle of Occupy Boston. The wry smile, the flapping ears, and the walking stick in hand. A sign flags near his knees, “The world holds enough for everyone’s NEED, but not enough for everyone’s GREED.” People rush past him, walking on the wooden planks that work as the walkways between tents in Dewey Square. These people are temporary heroes, the people who have walked away from their ordinary lives to seek shelter together in the public square. Some of these people are happy, pleased to be […]

Yoga and Bodywork Benefit on November 6th!

Roots & Wings Yoga and Healing Arts in Natick, is generously offering a Yoga and Bodywork benefit for the Peace Abbey on November 6th, Sunday, from 9 am-3 pm. All proceeds of the classes that day will go to the Peace Abbey! Yoga, art, massage, information sharing and some good old down home mingling! The fun starts at 9 am. 9:00 – 10:30 am Breathwork with Mare Tomaski, suggested donation $25-35 10:45 -11:45 am Feel Your Bliss with Svaroopa Yoga with Melissa Fountain and Annette Bongiorno, suggested donation $15-20 11:00 – 3:00 pm Artisan Sale, all artisans will donate an […]

Dot Walsh: South Africa Journal, Part 2

Day Five 10/2 St. George’s Cathedral St. George’s Cathedral was the parish of Archbishop Desmond Tutu until his recent retirement. We attended the liturgy in this beautiful cathedral where Tutu would celebrate his 80th birthday two days later. Rev. Michael Weeder, a priest from Ghana, gave the homily speaking about his negative feelings towards the United States after 9/11. He found that this was his own personal struggle and needed to ask for forgiveness for his first reaction. Andrea and I spoke to him after the service and found him to be quite an interesting person and from here we […]

Dot Walsh: South Africa Journal

Day One Leaving 9/28 Left Boston for Atlanta with the Courage of Conscience Award statue being cared for by airline stewards. At the Atlanta terminal I asked for Mandela’s new book “Conversations with Myself” At first the clerk said”no” and then ran after me to say if had just come in. Woman beside me from Ireland lived half year in S.Africa and loves it! From Atlanta to Johnnesburg the statue was watched over once again by airline staff. Conversations with the stewardess about capital punishment and the Troy Davis execution were interesting. She had visited Cape Town with her mother […]