Merrimack Valley People for Peace Serving the communities of the Merrimack Valley
Stand with Standing Rock
COMING
EVENTS
Weekly Vigils
Recent Events
30
Year History
NEWS/INFORMATION
Links to Resources
Radio
ACTION
Contact Government
Submit News or Events
Register to vote
Defend the Environment
ABOUT
MVPP
Contact MVPP
Join/Renew!
Why we still vigil
Letters to Editors
Officers
Newsletter (in
pdf)
Press Release 2/12/2016
Interfaith Prayer Vigil to Be Held in Solidarity with Standing Rock
Clergy from Andover and North Andover have planned an Interfaith Vigil in Solidarity with Standing Rock at the North Parish church in North Andover December 4 noon till 1 PM. The prayer vigil is meant as a show of solidarity in the ongoing struggle to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline from endangering the water of the Standing Rock Sioux. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a $3.7 billion project to deliver crude oil from the Bakken field in western North Dakota southward to Illinois. In recent months, there has been a militarized police response to the water protectors who are protesting the placement of the pipeline through Standing Rock Sioux heritage lands.
Chief Arvol Looking
Horse, Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, has called for an Interfaith
Day of Prayer in solidarity with the nonviolent water protectors of Standing
Rock on December 4. “Many clergy and lay leaders will travel to Standing
Rock for the day, but for those of who can’t make the trip to North
Dakota, we can be in solidarity closer to home,” Said Rev. M. Lara
Hoke of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Andover. “That’s
why Andover and North Andover clergy decided to hold a local vigil.”
The interfaith vigil will take place on Sunday, December 4 at noon outside
North Parish in North Andover (190 Academy Road).
Merrimack Valley People for Peace (MVPP) will hold a vigil at the same
time at Shawsheen Square in Andover. “It
is past the time the US and big companies stop their aggression against
Native Americans,” says MVPP President Brian Quirk. “The Standing
Rock people are protecting, not only their own sovereignty, but white
people's water downstream. Besides being fair, it is in our interest to
stand with them. I wish the Federal government would do the right thing,”
said Quirk.
Rev. Will Green of Ballard Vale United Church in Andover said, “Psalm 24 teaches us that ‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.’ Therefore, our covenant with God calls on us to protect water, to defend land and to be respectful stewards of all creation. But in addition to the witness of sacred scripture, like the Psalms, we also learn what to do and how to act from the witness of people like the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. We have been invited to participate in this vigil of solidarity by people whose leadership we follow and whose example we respect. All who are able to respond to this call are welcome to join us.”
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation in Andover
Contact: Rev. M. Lara Hoke
Telephone: 508-615-1686 (cell)
E-mail: minister@uuandover.org
North Parish, North
Andover
Contact: Rev. Lee Bluemel
Telephone: 978-204-1535 (cell)
E-mail: minister@northparish.org
Merrimack Valley
People for Peace (MVPP)
Contact: Brian Quirk
Telephone: 978-685-1389
E-mail: brian@quirk.ws
___________________________________________________
Merrimack Valley
People for Peace meets monthly, on the fourth Tuesday,
at 7:30 pm, at
North Parish Church, North Andover.
(NOT DECEMBER)
Contact
Merrimack Valley People for Peace (978) 685-1389
P.O. Box 573
North Andover, MA 01845
Send material to post on the website to brian@quirk.ws