Columban co-worker presented with Pax Christi Peace Award

Jun 25, 2021

Columban JPIC expert Ellen Teague has been presented with this year’s Pax Christi Peace Award in recognition of her many commitments to justice and peace.

Pax Christi has presented this award to those who have shown a commitment for peace and justice bi-annually since 2001.

Ellen has worked for the Columbans since 1990, and has established links with charities and other organisations that strive to promote justice, peace and creation across Britain but also in Ireland.

Nominating Ellen for the award, Valerie Flessati and Nan Saeki said, “Others may share our view that Ellen has done more than any other individual to bring together the strands of ‘justice and peace’ – by which we mean human rights and justice for the global poor, peace, disarmament and nonviolence, and environmental issues, particularly climate change.”

They noted her work with CAFOD and her role with the Missionary Society of St Columban’s media for the British region’s JPIC team.

Ellen is also editor of the Columban magazine ‘Vocation for Justice’, which sent out to subscribers three times a year and was described as “a model of inclusivity”. The nomination highlighted how “passionate advocates all too often only follow their own particular causes, but Ellen has kept the big picture before us all”.

Learn more about Vocation for Justice here: https://columbans.co.uk/how-you-can-help/subscribe/vocation-for-justice/

Pax Christi highlighted her “sheer hard work, responsiveness, commitment, skill, and efficiency” as well as her honesty, warmth and encouraging friendship.

Besides editing ‘Vocation for Justice’, Ellen writes occasionally for the Far East magazine and contributes regular JPIC updates on Columban work around the world. She is one of the organisers of the annual Columban Schools Media Competition which aims to engage young people to have their voices heard with respect to important issues affecting their communities and ‘our common home’.

You can learn more about the Columban Schools Media competition here: www.columbancompetition.com

Accepting her award Ellen reflected on some of her experiences with Pax Christi since 1990, including editing the 1995 publication ‘A Taste for Peace’, taking part in a delegation to Palestine in 2015, kneeling outside the Ministry of Defence on Ash Wednesdays and playing the guitar at various Pax Christi liturgies.

She thanked the Columbans for having her in their Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation team in Britain for more than three decades, and “giving me the freedom and resources to pursue that agenda”.

Congratulations Ellen from the Columbans in Ireland!

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