September 2008

The Agape Community, in the woods about 35 miles from Worcester, has been more-or-less closed for the past year, while core members and residents Suzanne Belote Shanley and Brayton Shanley have been on sabbatical (their first in decades).

That sabbatical officially ends this Saturday with the annual St. Francis Day celebration.

The Raging Grannies at St. Francis Day in 2006

“Breaking the Silence: Unheard Voices in an Election Year”

Saturday Oct. 4, 2008
Promptly at 10 A.M. – 4 P.M. rain or shine

Multicultural Voices: Youth Panel on Hope and Faith

Community Dialogue: Women of Faith and Election Year Politics

Demonstrations–solar energy, vegetable oil fueled car, straw-bale house, compost toilet, and organic garden.

Bring your lunch and a dish for the Pot Luck dinner.

Tribute to Tom Lewis – artist and member of Catonsville 9

Agape Community 2062 Greenwich Rd, Ware
413-967-9369 www.agapecommunity.org
peace@agapecommunity.org

Highly recommended. These folks let me take a retreat there this summer, for which I am very grateful.

River Sims moves his blog
River Sims, of San Francisco’s Temenos Catholic Worker, writes the best Catholic Worker blog out there; it’s moved. This is great news, because the new blog has proper RSS feeds, etc.

River Sims in his apartment, with the infamous “Points for Jesus” t-shirt. Photo: Mike Benedetti.

Unreported story of the week
New Worcester Green Jobs Coalition forms.

Related:

• Thomas Friedman’s Argument For ‘Geo-Greenism’ is a good link to forward to friends who think “green jobs” are hippie nonsense.
• The Cringely Plan is short and provocative.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Bruce Russell, Brendan Melican, and “Diamond Dave” Maciewski.

 

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We discuss Question One, which would eliminate the Massachusetts state income tax, and conclude it’s a bad idea. Question Two would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, and the panel supports it. (Here’s the study Brendan mentioned on “marijuana as a gateway drug.”)

We don’t know much about Question Three.

Next topic: How much can Bruce bench?

Bruce and Mike attempt to share an anecdote about Tom Lewis.

Despite his focus on serious issues, Tom was also known for a fine sense of humor. Just after his codefendant Father Phil Berrigan was sentenced to six years in jail for his part in the Baltimore Four, the judge asked Tom if he had anything to say before sentencing. Tom said, “No, your honor.” The judge pressed him, “These are serious charges, Mr. Lewis. Don’t you have anything to say?” Tom said, “No, I’ve said all I want to in my testimony.” But, when the judge persisted, “You could be sent to jail for years Mr. Lewis, are you absolutely sure there’s nothing you want to add?” Tom began to suspect that the judge wanted to scapegoat Phil as the priest mastermind of the protest and hoped Tom would make a last minute appeal for mercy, so Tom said, “Since you press me your honor, there is one quote which is important to me.” The judge leaned forward and said, “Yes, yes.” Tom straightened up and said soberly, “You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. That’s from Laurel and Hardy, your honor.” The furious judge gave Tom six years too.

Mike talks about his federal trial and WCCA’s funding situation.

Brendan says the new wind turbine is worth checking out.

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For much more info, see: “Rosary” trial verdict: guilty of disobeying orders, not guilty of blocking entrance, $250 fine.

For a higher-quality video, download the mp4. If you’d like to use this video, there are Creative Commons-licensed versions in several formats.

Five Roman Catholics, arrested March 19 in connection with praying for an end to the Iraq War in the lobby of the Worcester federal building, were today found guilty of one petty offense and not guilty of another.

Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman today found all five defendants guilty of failure “to comply with lawful direction of authorized individuals (U.S. Marshals)” and fined them the minimum penalty of $250.

They were not found guilty of the other petty offense, obstructing the entrance and impeding performance of duties by government employees.

The defendants in June 2008: Mike, Sandra, Ken, Scott, Roger

Three of the defendants, Michael Benedetti, Sandra McSweeney, and Roger Stanley, plan to pay the fine. Two others, Ken Hannaford-Ricardi and Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, said they could not pay the fine for reasons of conscience. There will be a hearing on their situation November 6.

• Worcester Telegram & Gazette: Activists fined for unauthorized vigil
• Video of the arrest used as evidence in the trial.
• Somewhat longer Telegram & Gazette article: “Kneelers guilty of minor charge: Two protesters refuse to pay $250 fines”

Update:

• T&G video of people marching to the trial (features the Jagerstatter prayer)
• Short video recapping the trial

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