On Sunday, Oct. 4, 1998, two priests and a religious writer entered the
enclosure around the war memorial at St. Paul's Anglican Church on Bloor St.
E. in Toronto and urgently invited all churches to renounce the "Just War"
doctrine. St. Paul's officials called in the city police to remove the three
men who were then arrested and charged with trespass.

Those arrested were Rev. Don Heap, Anglican priest and former
Member of Parliament, Rev. Bob Holmes, Catholic priest and director of the One
World Program for youth, and Mr. Len Desroches, Catholic author and non-
violence trainer. Desroches is a long-time friend of CPT and taught the
sessions on non-violent direct action during CPT's regional training in
Ontario in April 1998.

CPT's Ontario Coordinator Doug Pritchard and his wife Jane led a group of
supporters in prayers and songs on the sidewalk outside the war memorial which
is called the Sword of Sacrifice and features a bronze sword set in the middle
of a large stone cross.

The witnesses in their press statement noted the huge cost of the current war
economy: the number of lives lost every year and the diversion of money to
weapons instead of basic human needs. They say the church is in denial about
its own deep complicity in our permanent war culture.

They seek to engage all the mainline churches. But to start
somewhere, they came to this particular war memorial on the grounds of St.
Paul's Anglican Church, the Queen's Own Rifles' "garrison church". It may be
the only such war memorial on a church's property, and it is one of the few
times when Christians have questioned church leaders, instead of armies or
governments, about their commitment to war.

The three men had met earlier this year with the rector and
officials at St. Paul's and offered to replace the sword on the war memorial
with a ploughshare as a public symbol of
the church's renunciation of all war. The offer was declined.

As they entered the grounds around the monument, the men called on the church
to break with its habit of turning to the state and its police to protect the
sword. Despite the ensuing arrests, the three men have pledged to hold monthly
public witnesses through to Good Friday, Apr. 2, 1999.

The next vigil at the "Sword and the Cross" will be on Thursday, Nov. 5 from
noon to 1 p.m. These witnesses would appreciate your prayers and encouragement
as they prepare themselves for this encounter. For more information contact
Len Desroches, 407 Bleecker St., Toronto ON M4X 1W2, phone 416-975-4897 or
Doug Pritchard, phone 416-421-7079, e-mail cpto [at] web [dot] net