CLOSE THE SOA

Clinton Franciscans Teresa Kunkel osf at a "Close the SOA" rally in Washington.

Dubuque Franciscan sisters Dorothy (seated) and Gwen Hennessey at The Canticle following their release from prison after “crossing the line” at the prayer vigil at the SOA in 2001.

Leadership team, including Jan Cebula, "crossing the line" at Fort Benning

NOVEMBER 17, 2002

Clinton Franciscan Associates, Sisters, friends and students from Mount St. Clare College carried on the tradition of presence at the SOA WATCH prayer vigil before the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. This year the Clinton contingent joined a bus from Dubuque, Iowa, that also bore Sister Dorothy Marie and Sister Gwen Hennessey. In addition to those pictured, there were five other Clinton Franciscans at this year’s vigil.


A Thousand Cranes flew at Mount St. Clare (now Ashford University) in homage to Hiroshima Day and later "flew" to Fort Benning with Clinton Franciscan sisters, associates and Mount St. Clare College students.

Former SOA WATCH director, Carol Richardson, accepted the Clare Award from the Clinton Franciscans.

Dubuque Franciscan Sister Gwen (left) and Dorothy Marie Hennessey (who are also siblings) received The Pacem in Terris Award from the Quad City coalition for Peace in October 2002 for their efforts to close the "School of the Americas" - the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, They each spent six months in prison in 2001-2002 after "crossing the line" onto US Army property at Fort Benning where the SOA is housed. In September they spoke at The Canticle and at Mount St. Clare College (now Ashford University) as guests of the congregation and its Associates.

Pictures from the 2003 prayer vigil at the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, home of the School of the Americas (Western hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), where 10,000 people of all ages came to pray for the victims of SOA policy and for the closing of the school that trains Latin American military personnel in terrorist techniques for use against their own people.