Peace Pole at St. Mary’s in Johannesburg-SOUTH AFRICA

February 2, 2024

The Peace Pole is planted at:

Saint Mary’s Village, 19a Melville Rd, Hyde Park, Sandton, 2196, at 10 north of Johannesburg’s city center in SOUTH AFRICA

The Missionary Dominicans are mainly represented in South Africa.

Subsequently, one of the leading nuns in South Africa had visited the Schlehdor Monastery located in Bavaria and had seen the Peace Pole there and really liked the idea.

Sr. Francesca is part of the Missionary Dominicans and runs a monastery in Bavaria.

READ BELOW-Sr. Francesca’s message to ALL at the Peace Pole planting ceremony.

Blessing of our Peace Pole at St. Mary’s.

“The idea of the Peace Poles goes back to the Japanese Masahisa Goi, who was shaken by the events and consequences of the two atomic bombs dropped in Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki towards the end of the Second World War. The approximately 2.50-meter-high wooden Peace Poles bear the inscription “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in several languages on all sides. Since 1946, more than 250,000 of these Peace Poles have been erected in almost every country in the world.

The aim of the Peace Pole is to unite the people of all countries with the words MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH. These words are both a message of peace and a prayer for peace.  It is the lowest common denominator that members of all nations, traditions and religions can agree on. Projects such as the Peace Poles help to spread the message of peace in all countries, to visualize it and to keep it possible.

They can be found in temples, churches, monasteries, city centers, universities, schools, gardens, but also at the United Nations, in the Pentagon, at OPEC, at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, at the Arab League in Cairo, in Jerusalem and many other places.

And now also in the front garden of St. Mary’s, visible to all passers-by!

What is this Peace Pole, which is relatively narrow and towers upwards, is all about?

“This Peace Pole could also be something like an acupuncture needle. Small and fine – and precisely placed here at the entrance of the St. Mary’s. 

And if you might know an acupuncture needle is always placed at central point in the body so that it can be effectful, can change so to say the body system.

Placed at a meridian, at a central point on our earth, where a special effect can be achieved so that our earth can be healed again, and a peaceful coexistence can be lived.”

With the Peace Pole that we are blessing today, we want to say to all people who pass by here:

We wish you peace, we wish and ask for peace for all people in this city, in this country, in the countries in which we as Dominican Sisters are present on this earth. We want to pass on what we live and experience.” With this peace pole, we want to make a statement:  We are messengers of peace.”

Submitted by Dagmar Berkenberg, MPPOEI, Europe Office