Though
Sr. Mary Lampard is 85 years old, she keeps quite busy living
her missionary charism through her commitment for Justice
and Peace. She writes letters to politicians, goes to meetings
in the House of Lords and in Parliament and participates
in demonstrations for peace. In all that, she has had a
share of experiences in the courtroom and police cell. Her
courage and dynamism spur on those who meet her. She has
been for many years an inspiring presence in Africa-Europe
Faith and Justice Network.
Sr.
Mary Lampard has been actively involved in Peace and Justice
movements these last years. She has tasted the "hard
side" of the British police and has been taken to the
police station and to court, on more than one occasion,
just for demonstrating or writing with charcoal against
the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
She tells us about the meeting of the Christian Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament (CCND).
The Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CCND) had
the imaginative idea of holding their Annual General Meeting
in Whitby under the shadow of the ruined Monastery. It is
a place that has been kept in the memory specially for the
intervention of St. Hilda of Whitby, Abbess of a double
monastery of monks and nuns, in the early 7th century is
remembered especially for her reconciling wisdom at the
Synod of Whitby, where prelates and churchmen from two Christian
traditions - the Celtic and the Roman - met to put an end
to their differences.
The
protagonists of the meeting were very different from those
of St. Hilda's time. They were the military on one-hand
and peace activists on the other.
The
supporters of the "Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament"
visited the Fylingdale camp, at least outside its perimeter,
which Britain has allowed the U.S. to use as a base for
their Nuclear Defence system - supposed to be a shield,
not an offensive weapon, but it risks leading to an arms
race; Russia and China have already threatened to build
more nuclear war-heads to counter this "Son of Star
Wars").
They
erected banners and prayed together there. They also planted
bulbs which will flower in Spring. Two of the members, as
representatives of CCND, were allowed inside the base to
speak to the Royal Air Force Wing-Commander and hand him
a letter we had all signed, calling for a withdrawal of
all nuclear personnel and equipment from the Yorkshire moors.
In spite
of the Wing-Commander's courtesy while receiving our representatives,
we have certainly not been as successful as St. Hilda, nor
obtained the desired reconciliation.
When
will Whitby and the whole nation turn wholeheartedly to
prayer and non-violent resistance in order to obtain world
peace?
