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Peace House
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
Fifteen years ago, on October 17, 1985, Rose Tillemans, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, opened Peace House in a storefront on Franklin Avenue in the inner city of Minneapolis. Rose died suddenly on July 5, 2002, but Peace House continues to flourish with the help of many generous volunteers and community members.
This summer, many artists and workers from the Peace House and artistic communities spent a month creating a beautiful mural on the west wall of the building at 510 E. Franklin. Learn more about that project here.
 Peace House is a unique and caring community of people who are poor and and/or living on the street in a violent neighborhood. It provides in a committed and personal way, what most service providers avoid. Peace House is one answer to the seldom looked-at question of what do the poor and disadvantaged do after they have some food, clothing and shelter? Peace House follows the deeper call of the Gospel to renew and restore human dignity and well being to the people who struggle to live in this neighborhood. People who are surviving on the edges in an unstable and fearful area can find a gathering place off the streets at Peace House and become part of a safe group for shared community. Here, five days each week, everyone is welcomed, affirmed, listened to, laughed with, valued and empowered to explore the hidden spiritual dimensions of their lives.
Those at Peace House share wisdom, fun, laughter and song. Coffee, lunch and daily meditation raise the spirits of those in the Peace House Community.
Rose Tillemans once shared an example of what the meditation time is like:
Etty Hillesum writes from a concentration camp during WWII in her journal, An Interrupted Life:
"All disasters stem from us. Why is there war? Perhaps because now and then I might be included to snap at my neighbor. Because I and my neighbor and everyone else do not have enough love." She continues "There would be no war if all of us could release each day the love that is shackled inside us, giving ourselves a chance to love."
We reflected on these words during one of our meditations at Peace House. From Etty's thought we extended into our own anger, grudges and resentments. Angie, our Buddhist, asked, "If neighbor cannot reconcile with neighbor, how could we expect nations to reconcile?" Jack, a street man, added, "Don't our private wars come from the same kinds of hate which nations have: jealousy, resentments and greed, lack of forgiveness, even religious views? I think many of us spar here and out on the streets." We will see lots of wars out on Franklin Avenue when we leave here. Several agreed that they were estranged from someone: family member, former friend, or a partner whom they were trying to forgive.
Alicia, a volunteer, told about her constant anger toward drivers who scoot in front of her on the freeway and won't let her get into another lane. Yet this woman abounds in kindness for so many. It was open confession day.
Bill, who sleeps under a bridge, shared that it was so hard to forgive his father for beating him when he was a child. "I just can't go home to visit him," he said punching his fist into his other hand.
Sarah wondered if she should go to communion when she'd felt like striking her partner in the nose all week. We did not answer for her, but Loretta suggested that she and her partner might need a third person to help the two work out their differences.
Andrew told us he had read that many of our physical aliments develop because we have not dealt with our anger. We've let ourselves be controlled by someone; we've hung on to grudges for years; we don't channel our rage into productive actions.
We sat silently together in our circle and blessed our feelings at this moment, asking help to forgive others. Then Lucy played a short tape on settling the heart and mind to find peace at the center of our being, to welcome God into our personal agonies. It ended with a soft-voiced woman saying, "Let all disturbing thoughts, angers and anxieties, fears, flow through you like leaves in a stream. Let them go, Let them go."
Gentle flute music from the tape quieted us. We sat for a few moments after the music stopped. Then the cook of the day stood up and announced, "Whether you are angry or not, would two people volunteer to wash the dishes." We all laughed. Two hands went up.
Peace House has need of volunteers and donations. Can you help? Click here to see our wish list. | |
