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July 3, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
During the past year and a half I have been a student in the Beloved Community’s Seminary of Spiritual Peacemaking with James Twyman. I am passionately committed to this endeavor.
During the two-year program there are two required retreats. I was deeply moved last November, when I went to Israel and had the profound experience of singing Silent Night in the manger of Christ’s birth at the exact time of Arafat’s funeral 20 miles away. We were not expected to be able to enter Bethlehem, let alone the Church of the Nativity, but every door opened to us, with ease, making this experience a truly holy event.
This September, I am being called to attend a retreat in Assisi, home of St. Francis. After the retreat, we are going to celebrate an 8-day, 100 mile Peace Walk to Rome where we will have a Papal Audience and a Peace concert.
I would like to offer an invitation for you to participate in the walk with me. I plan to create a prayer bead necklace with a bead representing each person who is interested in having their energy and their special prayers go with me during this pilgrimage. You may send me a bead of you choosing or instruct me on what you would like to represent you. I will wear the necklace each day, keeping you in my prayers as well as receiving your good thoughts and prayers.
This is a huge undertaking for me. For years I have been threatening to get into shape and have been presented with this wonderful reason to do just that. I am spending five days a week training, so you see the benefits are multiple.
As a group and individually, we believe Gandhi’s “Peace is the Way”. We want to represent the deep feeling that dwells within each person’s heart, PEACE.
I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to participate in this walk, the same walk that St. Francis made to Rome to speak with the Pope that began the Renaissance. I hope that you want to participate in this adventure with me.
If you do, please let me hear from you by August 1st. I have heard rumors of a web cam transmission during our walk, so if you want to “see”, let me know and I will forward the information when it becomes available.
If you would like to make a financial contribution, it would be greatly appreciated and well used. I cannot import all of the bottled water and power bars that I will need and I have no idea of the cost of these items in Italy.
Blessings of Peace,
Mary Sue
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