The Peace Light comes to Notre Dame of Bethlehem Church!
On December 8th at the School Mass, Rev. Msgr. Thomas Baddick, Pastor of Notre Dame Church, received the “Peace Light.”
What a journey it took, traveling from Bethlehem in the Holy Land--- to Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem, PA. Since 2002, a child from Austria gets the “Peace Light” from the Grotto of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The light is carried in two blast-proof miners lamps on an Austrian Airlines jet from Tel Aviv, Israel to Vienna, Austria. From there, it is distributed across Europe, and eventually to New York City.
From there it is distributed to various organizations, especially the Boy Scouts of America, who then spread the light throughout the country leading up to Christmas. Notre Dame has received the Peace Light the last 10 yrs thanks to Jim Sorenson, a Scout Leader and father of Notre Dame Science teacher Cathy Schneible. He faithfully makes the journey to New York, to receive the Light.
At the School Mass, Ethan Whalen, a 3rd grade student at Notre Dame and a Cub Scout, had the honors of carrying the Peace Light in the entrance processional. At the altar, all the altar lights and the Advent Wreath were lighted. After Mass, all the vigil candles burning in the Mary Shrine room were put out, and then re-lighted with the flame of the Peace Light. So--- for the remainder of the year--- the Peace Light will continue to burn brightly at Notre Dame of Bethlehem Church in all the candles in the Shrine Room! The Austrians ask that all recipients of the Peace Light embrace this simple challenge: “We gladly receive this light as a sign of our willingness to be channels of peace, by our words and actions.” Notre Dame of Bethlehem Church and School gladly has accepted this challenge!