News - October 2017 RSS Feed

November 19 (the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time) has been designated the World Day of the Poor by Pope Francis.

Pacem honoree speaks from the heart By Barb Arland-Fye The Catholic Messenger DAVENPORT — As a young child living in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Widad Akreyi survived the Iraqi government’s offensive against the Kurds in the mid-1970s. That and other experiences of persecution convinced her to choose a path toward peace and justice, to which she has committed her life’s mission. Her selfless commitment to human rights for all inspired the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Coalition to select her as the 47th recipient of the award first given in 1964.

Widad Akreyi has a vision of what the future can look like in her home town of Aqrah in Iraqi Kurdistan. Akreyi’s vision is of a sovereign country that will encompass the historic lands of the Kurds and the minorities who live in peace with them. It is a vision of a place of safety for these people. It is a place that will give them a way to escape the genocides that have befallen those people, much as Israel has become a safe haven for the Jewish people. But it will take an involved world, and specifically an involved United States, and an involved Israel to get there, she said.

By Anne Marie Amacher The Catholic Messenger DAVENPORT — Nora Dvorak has devoted her life to helping those in need, both through work and volunteerism. October is Respect Life Month, which seeks to protect the dignity of the person from womb to tomb. For her selfless dedication to the dignity of all persons, Dvorak will receive the first “One Among Us” Award during the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award ceremony Oct. 22. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. in St. Ambrose University’s Christ the King Chapel. All are welcome.

A Kurdish woman who was an eyewitness to Saddam Hussein's chemical attacks in 1988 and now lives in Norway has been named the 2017 winner of the Pacem in Terris Peace & Freedom Award, presented by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. Dr. Widad Akreyi, a social justice activist, joins previous recipients who include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A special mass for Akreyi is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22., at Christ the King Chapel, St. Ambrose University, Davenport. Bishop Thomas Zinkula will preside, and Akreyi will present to accept the honor.

Dr. Widad Akreyi will receive the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award. It will be Presented by Bishop Thomas Zinkula Sunday, October 22, 2017, 2:00 P.M. Christ the King Chapel, St. Ambrose University 518 W. Locust Street, Davenport, Iowa FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC