Celebrations of Peace: July 22, 2023

Peace Pilgrim’s spirit shone brightly in her birth town of Egg Harbor City, NJ, during gatherings in her honor on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Friends of Peace Pilgrim (FoPP) partnered with the local non-profit Chacra de Paz to host morning and evening celebrations.

The morning event kicked off with a one-mile Peace Walk, followed by a beautiful meditation led by FoPP Board Member Bruce Nichols under a gorgeous blue sky in the pine grove in Peace Pilgrim Park. “We rely on Peace Pilgrim and Helene [her younger sister] for the weather,” Bruce quipped before inviting participants to “get in touch with the peace alive in you this moment and allow that flame to grow brighter.”

More than two dozen in the morning circle shared what brought them to the gathering and how Peace Pilgrim’s wisdom continues to inspire their lives. Then Bruce played Peace Pilgrim’s last interview, recorded the day before she died in Knox, IN, on July 6, 1981. (The interview is also available as a video on the FoPP YouTube channel with a collage of Peace Pilgrim photos.) Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Peace Pilgrim and enjoyed cupcakes after hearing a Peace Pilgrim poem written and recited by Peace’s nephew Dale Young. For many years before her passing in 2021 at age 105, Dale’s mother, Helene Young, carried on her sister’s message of peace and was a central spark of light at the annual Peace Pilgrim celebrations.

The evening gathering, hosted by Chacra de Paz, included food, a drum circle interspersed with impromptu sharing about Peace Pilgrim, a stunning sunset, and a wonderful bonfire as it got dark.

“It truly was a beautiful day,” said FoPP Board Member Barbara Reynolds. “So many of us have been deeply touched by Peace Pilgrim, and it is wonderful to share time with others inspired by her words.”

Between the Gatherings

For the break between the morning and twilight gatherings, here are some ideas and activities in or near beautiful Egg Harbor City: