The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids were well represented at the 29th Annual State Conference of Pax Christi Michigan. The 2010 conference was held at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills on March 27, 2010. Attending from the Grand Rapids area were Sisters Maria Goretti Beckman, Mary Pat Beatty, Jude Bloch, Roxanne Dansereau, Teresita Garcia, Marie Rachael Guevara, Barbara Hansen, Jean Reimer, Rena Ruddy, Kateri Schrems and Kathy Sleziak and Associate Gloria Switzer. The theme of the conference was “Active Nonviolence: Building a Peaceful World”. Kathy Kelly, human rights activist, poet, writer (Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison) , feminist, teacher, prophetic leader and co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness gave the keynote address. 

There were nine choices of breakout workshops to attend in the morning and afternoon, along with time to browse the many displays of peace and justice materials from free trade merchandise to material on socially responsible investing. One highlight of the day was the presentation of the Annual Purple Ribbon for Peace Award to our Sister Maria Goretti Beckman , as well as the Annual Young Adult Peacemaker Award to Lydia Wylie-Kellerman. It was heartening to see the number of high school and college-age students in attendance including a busload from Aquinas College .

Pictures from the 2010 conference will be online soon at Pax Christi Michigan . Visit Pax Christi in Grand Rapids for local events, news and information.