Monday, February 13, 2023
Greetings of peace!

I had hoped to share this review with folks in January, but after the whirlwind that was 2022 and celebrating our 50th anniversary, it took a little time to pull together a snapshot of highlights from the past year.
I put a high value on monitoring, evaluating and holding ourselves accountable for the work we set out to do each year. It's a responsibility that I think every one of us exercise in our movement -- from staff to council to grassroots leaders and each and every member of our community. Looking back is an opportunity to reflect and learn, as well as to celebrate what we have accomplished while also noting all the places we can grow and do better. I hope you’ll both enjoy and take pride in what we did together during Pax Christi USA’s Jubilee and that it'll give you confidence in continuing to invest your passion, time, gifts and resources in this extraordinary movement.

Click here to look back over the past year with our 2022 Year-in-Review. (And after you've looked back, please keep reading below too.)
I hope looking back at what we did in 2022 (or 2021, or 2020, or any of the past fifty years!) energizes you and gives you hope. For much of the past 3+ years, my eyes were often looking back and fixed on honoring the legacy of all of you who have been dedicated to building Pax Christi USA for the past 50 years. My hope today is that you'll join me now in setting your sights on tomorrow, the next 50 years, and committing ourselves to "seed the future" so that we'll continue to grow and thrive.
We're making an organizational commitment these next few years to identifying, engaging and organizing a generational cohort of people in their twenties, thirties and forties to serve as the engine that sets the agenda and drives direction for Pax Christi USA for the next 50 years, young adults making the same commitment to this movement that many of our long-time members did in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. This is the primary challenge I hear from our members who were so instrumental in building Pax Christi USA over the past 50 years: how can we pass the baton to new generations of peacemakers to continue this transformative work for a more peaceful, just, nonviolent and sustainable world? Our answer: We are making this an organizational priority and we hope you'll support us in assuring the health and vitality of Pax Christi USA for the rising generation in our midst today and those who will come after us in the future. (Pax Christi Young Adult Caucus members at the Museum of African American History and Culture, pictured above; immediately below with a "Bread Not Bombs" banner at the August prayer witness at the Pentagon; further below, at the March for Our Lives anti-gun violence rally in DC in June.)

As you celebrate our 50 years of witnessing to a faith that seeks peace and does justice, I invite you to prayerfully consider one of the ways below (or any other that you can think of and that fits your circumstances), to help us realize our dreams for the next 50 years. Here's some ways you can help:
>> Pledge a special gift today, beyond and in addition to your usual financial support, to Pax Christi USA. Contact me or John Noble, our development director, to let us know of your pledge and answer any questions you might have. John can be reached at jnoble@paxchristiusa.org. You can also make such a gift right now by clicking this link if you would like to give securely and quickly online. Checks can be sent to the Pax Christi USA office, 415 Michigan Ave NE, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20017.

>> Become a monthly sustainer. Or if you are a sustainer, double your gift or recruit another Pax Christi member to match your monthly gift. Giving monthly can be set-up easily, quickly and securely through our online giving platform with CharityWeb. Click here and choose the "Give Monthly" option to set up your donation. If you're already giving, you can change the amount easily through CharityWeb or contact John at jnoble@paxchristiusa.org and he can help facilitate the change.

>> Are you part of a religious community, school, parish, or other organization? Become an institutional member today. We would love to talk to you about what it means to be an institutional member, how it supports our work with young adults, and how we can partner with you in carrying forth our shared charisms for creating a more peaceful and just world. Contact me or John and we're glad to get in touch with you and talk.

>> Include Pax Christi USA in your will. We have been blessed to have a number of members remember us with a bequest. Such gifts have the power to truly transform and expand our capacities. If you're interested in remembering Pax Christi USA in your will, please let us know how we can help and that you plan to do so. Such giving assures us of the future we hope for.
Asking for financial support is NOT what I love most about being Pax Christi USA's executive director (smile), but I trust that you love Pax Christi USA and want to see it thrive for another 50 years as much as I do. I think we've proven ourselves to be a credible witness for the "peace of Christ" in our world today. Your individual witness is evidence of how we are lighting that candle on the street, in the sanctuary, and in the halls of power every day. Thank you so much for reading this and for all you are and all you have done. We are so grateful!
In peace,

Johnny Zokovitch
Pax Christi USA Executive Director
Thanks for your trust and confidence in supporting us! Click the Donate button to the left & make a donation to help set us up for moving this work for peace with justice forward for 50 more years!