Louis Vitale Explained

Type:catholic friar
Honorific-Prefix:Friar
Louis Vitale
Honorific-Suffix:OFM
Friar
Diocese:Santa Barbara, San Francisco
Birth Date:1 June 1932
Birth Place:San Gabriel, California, U.S.
Death Place:Oakland, California, U.S.
Religion:Catholic
Occupation:Friar of the Franciscan order
Alma Mater:Loyola, PhD UCLA

Louis Vitale, OFM, (June 1, 1932 – September 6, 2023) was an American Franciscan friar, peace activist, and a co-founder of Nevada Desert Experience.[1] His religious beliefs led him to participate in civil disobedience actions at peace demonstrations and acts of religious witness over 40 years. In the name of peace, Vitale has been arrested more than 400 times.[2] Vitale stated that Francis of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. provided him with inspiration.[3]

Early life and education

Louis Vitale was born on June 1, 1932, in San Gabriel, California.[4] His family operated a lucrative fish processing business.[5] After graduating in 1954 from Loyola University, now Loyola Marymount University, Vitale enlisted in the US Air Force. Vitale's main role in the Air Force was that of an intercept officer, in charge of radio communications.[6] Vitale took his vows as a Franciscan friar in 1960 when he was 28 years old.[7] He was awarded a PhD for original research in sociology in September 1972, from University of California, Los Angeles. From 1979 to 1988, Vitale served as the provincial superior of the Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. Barbara. He served as the pastor at St. Boniface Catholic Church for 12 years in the Tenderloin of San Francisco, California.[8]

Pace e Bene

Louis Vitale was one of the founders of Pace e Bene, a nonviolence service, in 1989.[9] The name means Peace and all good. Other founders included: Sr. Rosemary Lynch, Alain Richard, Peter Ediger and Julia Occhiogrosso[<ref>{{cite web | url=https://paceebene.org/our-team | title=Our Team }}</ref>], who were all experienced peace activists. Pace e Bene developed educational programs for nonviolent living with an emphasis on spirituality.[10] [11] In 2005, Pace e Bene published a book, Engage, which described Pace e Bene's programs. The programs, as described in the book, were designed to encourage "the discovery, internalization and use of the power of nonviolence for personal and social change".[10] Hundreds of nonviolence study groups were organized by Pace e Bene between 1989 and 2010.[12]

Nevada Desert Experience

In 1981, Vitale received a letter from Rome asking Franciscans to do something creative in 1982 to honor the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis. Vitale took this to heart.[13] The First Nevada Lenten Experience was held at the Nevada test site, a series of witness and protest actions held at the atomic bomb test site near Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the precursor to the Nevada Desert Experience. Louis Vitale with Anne Bucher, Michael Affleck, Duncan MacMurdy, and two Franciscan friars, Ed Dunn and Terry Symens, founded the Nevada Desert Experience in 1984.[14] Over the years, Corbin Harney and the Shundahai Network[15] worked with NDE, holding many protests of the government's continued nuclear weapons work. NDE worked with Corbin Harney in protests against establishing a repository for radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, 100 mi (160 km) from Las Vegas.[16]

Arrests and protests

Vitale participated in numerous protests and was arrested hundreds of times. Examples include:

Death

Louis Vitale died in Oakland, California, on September 6, 2023, at the age of 91.[29]

Awards and recognition

See also

Books

Wittner, Lawrence S, Confronting the Bomb 2009 Stanford University Press

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wittner, Lawrence S.. Confronting the bomb : a short history of the world nuclear disarmament movement. 9780804771245. Stanford, Calif.. 469186910. 2009-05-12.
  2. Book: Riegle, Rosalie G.. Crossing the line : nonviolent resisters speak out for peace. 2013. Cascade Books. 9781610976831. Eugene, Or.. 825735867.
  3. Web site: Protesting priest's path leads repeatedly to jail . . 2009-04-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090412102027/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-protest-priest9-2009apr09,0,5696122,full.story . 2009-04-12 . dead .
  4. Web site: Parish Newsletter, June 5, 2022 . St. Joachim and St. John the Evangelist's Church, Beacon, New York . 9 September 2023 . June 5, 2022 . Social Justice Corner -- Father Louis Vitale OFM, was born 90 years ago this week (June 1, 1932) in San Gabriel, California. He is a Franciscan priest, activist, and a co-founder of Nevada Desert Experience.....
  5. News: Smith . John L. . Life of crime standing up for peace has landed 'Father Louie' in many jails . 9 September 2023 . Las Vegas Review-Journal . 13 April 2009.
  6. News: Evangelization of Peace: The Radical Life of Father Louis Vitale. McGee. Max. 14 May 2019. Nations. 19 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190830012700/https://nationsmedia.org/father-louis-vitale/. 30 August 2019. live.
  7. News: His spirit won't be confined Pursuing evangelization of peace. Paddock. Richard C.. 9 April 2009. Los Angeles Times. 19 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190718154649/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-09-me-protest-priest9-story.html. 18 July 2019. live.
  8. Book: Dear, John. The nonviolent life. 2013-09-15. Pace e Bene Franciscan Nonviolence Center (Las Vegas, Nev.). 978-0966978322. Long Beach, CA. 868026801.
  9. Book: Slattery, Laura. Engage : exploring nonviolent living. 2005. Pace e Bene Press. 0966978315. Oakland. 64179247.
  10. Book: Butigan, Ken. From violence to wholeness. Bruno, Patricia. 0966978307. Las Vegas, Nev.. 43326283. 1999. registration.
  11. Book: Preston-Pile, Cindy. Traveling with the turtle : a small group process in women's spirituality and peacemaking. 2006. Pace e Bene Press. Woodward, Irene. 9780966978377. Oakland, CA. 84622237.
  12. Web site: Notre Dame de Namur University's Catholic Scholar Series with Father Louie Vitale, O.F.M.. 17 March 2009. Notre Dame de Namur University. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191020184612/https://www.ndnu.edu/media-center/press-releases/fr-louie-vitale/. 20 October 2019. 20 October 2019.
  13. Book: Butigan, Ken. Pilgrimage through a burning world : spiritual practice and nonviolent protest at the Nevada Test Site. 2003. State University of New York Press. Nevada Desert Experience (Organization). 1417506695. Albany. 55205572.
  14. Book: Epstein, Barbara. Political protest and cultural revolution : nonviolent direct action in the 1970s and 1980s. 1991. University of California Press. 9780520914469. Berkeley. 44965693.
  15. Web site: Our Founder, Corbin Harney Dies July 2007. July 2007. Shundahai Network. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20100420050559/http://www.shundahai.org/. 2010-04-20.
  16. Book: Harney, Corbin. The nature way. 2009. University of Nevada Press. Purbrick, Alex. 9780874178043. 1st. Reno. 489213600.
  17. Web site: Trinity House Catholic Worker Newsletter. https://web.archive.org/web/20130805122253/http://lovarchy.org/AngelicTroublemakeRoots/stripart.html#3 . 2013-08-05 .
  18. Web site: The Nevada Desert Experience:: Ft. Huachuca Torture Protest Update. nevadadesertexperience.org. 2019-10-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183903/http://nevadadesertexperience.org/issues/2007/huachuca.htm. 2016-03-03. live.
  19. News: US celebrities arrested crusading for causes. Effron. Lauren. 17 March 2012. ABC News. 28 October 2019.
  20. Web site: Resisting the Afghanistan - Pakistan War. Voices for Creative Nonviolence (VCNV.org). Jeff. Leys. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110407101527/http://vcnv.org/resisting-the-afghanistan-pakistan-war. April 10, 2009. April 7, 2011.
  21. Book: Hartsough, David. Waging peace : global adventures of a lifelong activist. Hollyday, Joyce. 1322063133. Oakland, CA. 187. 888349175.
  22. Web site: Trinity Nuclear Abolition News Release.
  23. Web site: Love is what matters. Joyce. Bill. 26 February 2016. Oakland Voices. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191019010254/http://oaklandvoices.us/love-is-what-matters/. 19 October 2019.
  24. News: Two arrested at base protest arrests mark another successful missile launch at Vandenberg. Walter. Nicolas. 25 August 2009. Santa Maria Sun. 18 October 2019.
  25. Web site: Gaza protest planned on Cast Lead anniversary. Egypt Independent. live. https://archive.today/20120730133316/http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/gaza-protest-planned-cast-lead-anniversary. 2012-07-30.
  26. Web site: St. Barbara Province to Honor Activist Louis Vitale. HNP Communications. 23 February 2011. Franciscan Friars of the Holy Name. 20 October 2019.
  27. News: 'Creech 14' found guilty of trespassing, judge says 'go in peace'. Toplikar. Dave. 27 January 2011. Las Vegas Sun.. 29 October 2019.
  28. Web site: At Drone Convention Zero tolerance for peace. Benjamin. Medea. 13 August 2012. Global Exchange. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20181107073443/https://globalexchange.org/2012/08/13/at-drone-convention-zero-tolerance-for-peace/. 7 November 2018.
  29. News: Louis Vitale, Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace, presente! 1932-2023 . 8 September 2023 . Pax Christi USA . 7 September 2023.
  30. Web site: Faith communities stand with immigrants. Lanuza. Magda. Fall 2010. Network Connection. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191026231454/https://networklobby.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Connection2010.02.pdf. 26 October 2019. 26 October 2019.
  31. Web site: Lifetime Achievement Award To Pace e Bene Co-Founder Louie Vitale. Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service. 18 October 2019 . en-US. 2019-10-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20191019005657/https://paceebene.org/events/2019/10/18/lifetime-achievement-award-to-pace-e-bene-co-founder-louie-vitale. 2019-10-19. live.

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