Our formation was truly blessed with a number of incredibly devoted disciples of the nonviolent Jesus who have inspired us on this journey by their lived example.
First and foremost is Fr. Jim Gower, who was the very first PCUSA Ambassador of Peace. He was a Navy veteran who served in WW II. His military service confirmed for him that war was evil and a crime against humanity. As a diocesan priest, he took a two year leave of absence from a Waterville Parish. He travelled across the country from parish to parish to promote the formation of Pax Christi local groups, the very foundation of our movement. Along with two other gentleman, Fr. Jim co-founded a Peace College in 1968 which evolved into the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, his home town. COA has a focus on human ecology, the relationship of the human & the environment… a topic of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si. Fr. Jim was our chaplain in Maine for 30 years until he passed in 2012 at age of 90. An admirer once said of him,
“His homilies often focused on Gospel nonviolence, discomforting the comfortable. Requests to Jim from pastors to substitute as celebrant on Sundays, often came with pleas not to rile the folks in the pews.”
Francis & Elaine McGillicuddy – Francis was a former diocesan priest who served at the Waterville parish alongside Fr. Jim. Together they initiated the formation of Pax Christi in Maine in 1980. Elaine, a former Ursuline nun met & married Francis in 1972. They both worked in various capacities with disenfranchised people in the Portland area, they owned a yoga studio and brought the practice of yoga to inmates in jail for several years. When still an active priest, Francis helped a young Catholic man win conscientious objector status in Maine. In addition to Pax Christi, Francis & Elaine were very active in progressive Catholic groups such as Call to Action, Voice of the Faithful and CORPUS. Francis passed away in 2010. Francis was and Elaine continues to be an enduring model of Christ’s love, mercy and compassion for all of us.
Bill & Ursula Slavick – Bill was the first state coordinator for PC Maine and held that position for over 20 years. Bill has always been a champion for human rights and outspoken advocate for a just society. His long career in academia complemented his interest in studying and writing about war, injustice & social concerns through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. He did not shy away from political discourse and he ran for U.S. Senate seat in 2006. Bill & Ursula, both lifelong educators, founded and supported a grade school for girls in Haiti for decades. Bill & Ursula were responsible for bringing well known Christian nonviolence practitioners and modern day prophets to Maine for retreats over the years such as Fr. Charlie McCarthy, Dan Berrigan SJ, Fr. Richard Rohr, Miquel D’Escoto, Sr. Joan Chittister, Fr. John Dear and many others.
PC Maine remains grounded, thanks to the robust foundation that these folks built and nurtured. We are very grateful to them and to all our members who continue to work toward a more sustainable, just and nonviolent world by following the teachings of Jesus.
