Rest in Peace Pat McSweeney

 By her contagious confidence, Pat McSweeney made you aware of a greatness you could realize or "what loving yourself you could accomplish," said friend and fellow advocate for peace and justice, Frances Jeffries. Jill Stein, M.D. former presidential candidate of the Green Party USA said of Pat "She was my teacher and leader and good friend--from the days of relocalization and Peak Oil back decades ago--Pat inspired me on and taught me about Catholic Liberation in the Americas. She knew everybody and connected us. She was a Tree of Life. She coached me on what to wear saying 'You need to embody your hope in your attire.' To this day I think if Pat would approve." 

"Pat was remarkable for her joy, her peace; she was never gloom and doom," said her second cousin Mary Ellen. The families emigrated from Kiloren, County Kerry, Ireland. Mary Ellen's parents, her father a Foley, settled in Roslyndale and then West Roxbury, while Pat's settled in Taunton. Pat would later live in Spain, Japan and Germany, experiences that granted her a wider perspective, a global citizen. For decades she was a force inspiring Catholics. She spent most of her working life with high school students as an English Teacher. She met prominent activists that engaged her faith in action. Later she actively stood with victims of clerical sexual abuse. I first learned of Pat as a local supporter of the peace and nuclear disarmament movement.

Celebrating the Transform Now Plowshares accepting an award from Massachusetts Peace Action

Back row: Pat McSweeney, with plowshares Sr. Megan Rice and Michael Walli (not pictured Greg Bourtje-Obed)

Front row: Elaine Scarry and author Christopher Spicer Hankle

Fran Jeffries met Pat during the protests against the Iraq War. While they had different networks, different approaches, they supported each other. "She would talk about --Fran--you would do this,' not could do it--'you would do this' and you believed it. One time Fran revealed her concern whether she could carry out an activity. "She was astounded. 'I don't know what you're talking about' she said. It never occurred to her that you had any doubt." 

 Shirley, retired faculty at Bridgewater University, agreed she held confidences but spread ideas and inspiration. 

On no official roster as a house of hospitality, her wide network knew her home to be a place to offer those in need. A man who had exchanged home repairs was sipping a glass of wine outside as we arrived.

Another, David, who lived as a guest of Pats in recent years, recalled both her enjoyment of cooking or having a margarita at the local mediterranean restuarant, as well as her weekly participation via zoom in a prayer and study meeting with Ray McGovern. Recently McCovern read a poem from Avide, an Iranian poet, "Sweet Little Girls of Minab" 

“Sweet little girls of Minab, were you fasting, hungry, thirsty when the tomahawk blew you to smithereens, burning you to ashes?

Jack Gilroy, one of several Veterans For Peace members present, described receiving letters from Pat McSweeney while he was a prisoner of conscience for the movement to close the school of the Americas. Judge Faircloth, on seeing he was a teacher, sentenced him to 'Diesel Therapy'. County Jail was no joke, a loud din, and the only comfort would be the mail from a supporter--who was this? He would be shackled arriving at a third Federal Prison and there would be another letter from Pat--only after he was released they met. Pat recently supported Jack's "Reap What You Sow" about a woman drone pilot in conflict with an activist daughter who attends Fordham University and raises questions critiquing Just War Theory. 

Suzanne Belote recalled Pat's correspondence with Fr. Roy Bourgois, a leader of the movement to close the School of the Americas, and advocate for women priests, after he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic church. She drove Sr. Megan (MEE-gan), a prisoner of conscience for the school of the Americas movement, on her visits to New England as a peace and nuclear disarmament educator following the plowshare trial and serving eighteen months of a three-year-sentence.

Pat McSweeney was cherished in the New England peace community with memories tracing back over thirty years from activists including Plowshare John Schuchardt of the Peace House in Ipswich; Cole Harrison, former Executive Director of Massachusetts Peace Action; Kathy Boylan of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House in Washington, DC, Anne Barrett Doyle from Bishop Accountability; Venerable Kato, Sister Claire and Tow Bee of the New England Peace Pagoda.

Schuchardt recalled in the trial preparation for the AVCO plowshares gathering defense witnesses for damaging computer equipment in Massachusetts. Venerable Kato whom he knew from the 1976 walk from San Francisco to the Pentagon suggested Hibakusha (atomic survivor) from Hiroshima, Setsuko Thurlow who had moved to Toronto. Setsuko was denied permission to testify by the Judge who said that the bombing was too long ago, but she shouted out "People are still dying." She later accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Coalition Against Nuclear Weapons. The organizing to provided court support and action promotion was a role Pat McSweeney would later play for the Transform Now Plowshares.

Nancy Groom, a Quaker reminised meeting Pat at the Cambridge Quaker House thirty years before at a talk by Michael Clare about the need for nonviolence not gun violence. Groom read a letter of appreciation aloud from filmmaker David Rothauser known for Hibakusha, Our Life to Live (2010) and The Diary of Sacco and Vanzetti (2004) describing Pat McSweeney as a far-sighted angel.

 Suzanne Belote and Brayton Shanley of the Agape Community led all in attendance to circle, clasping hands in a song.  involved in offering hospitality for the annual prayer walks for a new spring and seven word chant of Buddhist monks--Venerable Kato described as "the sound of the universe"-- which they led with drums.

Pat McSweeney (Left) welcoming monks from New England Leverett Peace Pagoda to her home in Taunton, monks left to right: Venerable Kato Shonin, Sr. Claire, and Tow-bee Keyes

For her extensive network she provided a sustained rally cry. She took stock of news and compiled sources on a near-daily topic. Cole Harrison of MAPA sought to be on her email list. Fran Jeffries warned him, "You might be puzzled--you'll find she gives homework." He laughed--he was seeking the aid of someone who had vetted the chatter so he could form an opinion. Kathy Boylan recalled her not agreeing with the Pharamaceutical companies during the epidemic. 

"She had some dated opinions" Fran said, but she was a lifelong learner. She hired a private tech consultant. "She refused to let new technology leave her behind." 

Two of her classmates from Emmanuel College were in attendance and, like Pat, both were in their 97th year. 

A thick leatherbound Holy Bible lay stacked beneath a lamp. Troy, a local minister, opened the remembrance with an invocation reading from the Gospel of St. John, chapter 11 in the faith that Jesus is the one way to everlasting life. 

"One way" a participant said.

"One way" another agreed.

I had contemplated participating in the Transform Now Plowshares, attending five meetings, supporting the direct action itself as a nonindicted co-conspirator for dropping off Sr. Megan and Michael and Greg. One question I had for Sister Megan was why the blood, why use the blood of the cup, in the direct action. I wanted to participate--I profess the symbols as Eucharistic symbols--and yet, I had just shifted my position from a definite participant to a supporter, and I wanted to hear Sr. Megan. She answered that the blood is life--ancient, her forty years in Africa roundly taught her this in addition to her Ph.D. in physics--she saw that life must resist the force of death. Part of the life, certainly for Megan, was the life of connection she shared through her religious community and the church, and so many threads, so many invisible laborers in the vinyard, like Pat, who worked as a collaborator behind the scenes, low profile, but in a role critical to movements, the convener, host, angel, booster and distributor, even humble driver, all roles Pat played with courage--a woman for all seasons--without the clutter of personality.

Later I heard how close a companion Pat McSweeney was with Sister. There is a kind of goodness we understand to transcend an individual, a binding force of life that unites the beloved community in a shared vision.

Three hours after gathering, guests lingered. The catering took away the trays of sandwiches, the tortellini and left over salad, the near empty coffee decanter and desserts. I was in a twist over an option of blueberry pie, lemon meringue pie and a bowl of cookies. Fran Jeffries shared several photos of Pat cutting cakes--and I'm sure she would have been pleased I took a generous helping of the lemon meringue. 

Included in the circle by Suzanne, I heard the conversation of context "we're at the edge of tactical weapons" someone said. The March 28 No Kings protest was only two weeks away and getting organizers to expand the platform to peace was an uphill push Cole Harrison had been pushing all week. The conspiracy of peace was plotting,  "I have fervor, though less capacity to organize," said Sister Claire of the Peace Pagoda who raised for discussion the Fellowship of Reconciliation's call to convene faith communities.  "I can put definite energy to this."

On my way by train to Taunton, I was enjoying "Oceanscapes" a collection of photographs made by Debra Bloomfield over seven years from the same vantage point. Her pictures do more than describe the limit of sight that is the finite line we sometimes call the horizon. They do more than capture the moods and shifting thrilling color of sky and water, hued raspberry, or nutmeg, snow ash, prussian blue. Her artistic statement could speak to the community vision anticipating change for peace and justice:

 "...Alchemy of the work here is the combination of the palette of colors and light I have learned to anticipate through experience, the sight and insight one gains with age and maturity, and the unswerving dedication to a singularview, a kind of adventure in monogamy."

As Massachusetts State House advocate

at The Embrace

photos courtesy of Frances Jeffries