Teach the Little Children: Nurturing Children for Peace

The children laughed, and listened well. It was a day for peace-making, for learning how to be gentle with one another, respectful of differences among them. The simple gesture of stopping, taking a deep breath rather than lashing out in anger was taught to the children It was a day for non-competitive games and storytelling.  The occasion was the seventh annual Children’s Peace Festival held in West Hartford, CT at the Passionist Monastery. Fr. John Pesce had a dream and Michele Bisaillon dhs and several lay woman have helped him to fulfill that dream of gathering children to teach them how to be peace-makers in this world. Each year children come to learn a different aspect of being peaceful in their interactions with one another as well as with their families. And each year a little more sunshine is spread in our little part of the world. At the end of the afternoon the children plant flowers around the peace pole and then they are invited to “lift-off” doves of peace.
    - Sr. Michele Bisaillon, DHS