Maryknoller honored for leading charge against Army training school

Published: 2004-06-09

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Maryknoll Father Roy L. Bourgeois received the Eileen Egan National Peacemaker Award from the metro New York chapter of Pax Christi June 5 for leading the effort to close the Army school at Fort Benning, Ga., where Latin American military officers are trained. The award, named for a founder of Pax Christi USA, was presented at a concert for peace that featured singers Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow at Holy Family Church. The area covered by the parish includes the United Nations. In an event that brought together much of the Catholic pacifist community of New York, the Pax Christi chapter also gave awards to Frida Berrigan, daughter of Elizabeth McAllister and the late Philip Berrigan; Father Coman V. Brady, pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer Church in the Diocese of Brooklyn; and George Horton, social and community development director for the New York archdiocesan Catholic Charities. Singer Pete Seeger presented the award to Father Bourgeois. Seeger, who participated in the annual protest at Fort Benning last year and has been there in other years, spoke particularly about Father Bourgeois' ability to get protesters to be committed to keeping their actions peaceful.

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