WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Holy Name friar and two staff members were among 24 signatures on a letter to the Franciscan family expressing sorrow for the recent violence in Kenya and encouraging prayer and support for the country’s people. It was sent on the letterhead of the new Franciscan Action Network which is being launched at the 2008 Ecumenical Advocacy Days in March.
Signing the Jan. 14 letter were Joseph Nangle, OFM, a steering committee member, Russell Testa, Holy Name’s director of Justice Peace, Integrity of Creation, an interim staff coordinator, and Frances Eskin-Royer, assistant to Testa, also an interim staff coordinator.
Testa forwarded information last week from the OFM Order’s JPIC office in Rome suggesting a way to “take action to help those in Kenya stop their nation’s further decent into violence and death.” A letter from Vicente Felipe, OFM, recommends reinforcing the efforts of mediators such as Kofi Annan and refusing to recognize any government until it is legitimately established.”
Information about the Ecumenical Advocacy Days appears in another article in this issue of HNP Today.