A Month for Marches

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Sr. Jean Leahy reports on two walks

March for Peace

On March 19, the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, several Sisters joined with thousands of others not only in Nathan Phillips Square but all around the world in protest of this war. After listening to impassioned speeches, we marched up University Avenue, past the U.S. Consulate, up to College, across to Yonge Street, down Yonge to Queen and then returned to Nathan Phillips Square where more protests to the war and calls for PEACE were heard. May this call grow stronger and stronger!

Ecumenical Good Friday Walk - Violence Against Women

On Good Friday, March 25, Sisters again joined other Torontonians for the annual Ecumenical Good Friday Walk. This year's theme was "Violence Against Women". At the Church of the Holy Trinity by the Eaton Centre, we received a PowerPoint presentation on the various themes we encountered during our walk:

• The violence in the media against women, Amnesty International's enactment pointing out forms of violence against women;
• The violence against Aboriginal Women was presented with special reference to the "Sisters In Spirit" campaign concerning the disappearance of 500 "forgotten" aboriginal women;
• The economic violence towards women — A reflection on a variety of issues connected with HIV/AIDS.

The highlight of the afternoon was the performance by the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda - a choir made up of children who had lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. This choir spreads a message of hope, and to experience them on the stage is certainly to experience a "death - resurrection story". What a beautiful preparation for Easter!