New England Peace Pagoda is a walking Buddhist community dedicated to compassion, peace, and justice. Since 2016 these monks have held 5 walks called “Listening the Call of Great Spirit: Facing 400 Years of Colonization”
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THE 2021 WALK is being held on NOVEMBER 14-21
Daily schedule:
- Sun. Nov 14: New England Peace Pagoda (opening ceremony), Leverett Congregational Church, Mt Toby Friends Meeting, Sugarloaf Mountain, walk through Turners Falls to Unity Park on the Connecticut River near the site of Great Falls Massacre.
- Mon. Nov. 15: from Pequot Museum to the site of the 1637 Mystic Massacre
- Tues. Nov 16: 10am Great Swamp Walk (S. Kingston RI), 1pm Mt Hope (Bristol RI), 3pm Burrs Hill-Sowans (Warren RI)
- Wed. Nov 17: 9an Provincetown (1st Encounter Beach), 1pm Mashpee, toMuseum, Church & graveyard, Tribal Council Center
- Thurs Nov 18: 9am Taunton Ctr, noon Plymouth Plantation, 2pm walk to Plymouth Landing
- Friday Nov 19: Day of Reflection
- Sat. Nov 18 9am Ipswich, to North Shore Sun. Nov 21: 10am near Harvard Square T station walking to 2pm Boston Common
“The 2020 Commemoration which is already in the planning stages on both sides of the Atlantic, definitely must not be an occasion of self congratulations…but will have to be a time of deep introspection and reflection by the society that was transplanted here on Indian land! If this isn’t understood…then we will be losing for all our future generations the extremely vital teaching moment the Creator is giving us at these extremely troubled times we are living in.”
– Tall Oak, Elder, Historian, Pequot-Wampanoag.
– Tall Oak, Elder, Historian, Pequot-Wampanoag.
The pagoda began its 2020 “Listening to the Call” walk going from Florence through Amherst, Leverett, Montague and Greenfield ending at the Connecticut riverside in Unity Park in Turners Falls, during the 3 days leading up to the 400 Years virtual gathering held on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18th.
Day One: Thursday, October 15th
- Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue in Florence: Reflections & prayers – Wendy Sinton, Sr. Clare Carter, Rabbi Riqi Kosovske (hosted by Beit Ahavah synagogue)
- Pulaski Park: Reflections & prayers by Rev. Michael McSherry, Rev. Janet Bush, Becky Jones, Rev. Andrea Ayvazian
- Prayers at Goodwin AME Zion Church
- Prayers & reflections at First Church – Rev. Vicki Kemper
- Closing prayers & reflections at Jewish Community of Amherst
Day Two: Friday, October 16th
- Reflections & prayers at Mt Toby Friends Meeting in Leverett MA
- Leverett Congregational Church Prayers & reflections: Pastor Lee Barstow & members of congregation
- New England Peace Pagoda Prayers & reflections, lunch
- First Congregational Church of Montague Closing prayers & reflections
Day Three: Saturday, October 17th
- Montague Common for opening prayers (we then drove to Woolman Hill)
- Prayers and reflection at Woolman Hill Quaker Retreat Center
- 2nd Congregational Church of Greenfield
- Episcopal Church of Saints James & Andrews – lunch provided by Stone Soup
- Temple Israel: Reflections & prayers, led by Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener
- Unity Park in Turners Falls – recalling and reflecting on the 1676 massacre at Great Falls and the 2004 Reconciliation Ceremony: David Brule of Nolumbeka Project, Sr. Clare Carter, John Sheldon
Sunday, October 18th: 400 Years Program
Remainder of 2020 Walk
- Monday, Oct. 19th: Old Deerfield Village to Mt Sugarloaf in South Deerfield MA
- Tuesday, Oct. 20th: Ashfield to Plainfield MA
- Saturday, Oct. 24th: Lancaster, Natick, Boston
- Sunday, Oct. 25th: Parish UU Church in Dorchester to Boston Commons
- Monday, Oct. 26: United First Parish Church, Quincy MA thru Weymouth to Hingham MA
- Tuesday, Oct 27: Rockland MA to North Community Church, Marshfield-Duxbury MA
- Wednesday, Oct 28: Provincetown U-U Church, Prayer circle on Corn Hill Beach, 1st Encounter Beach, Eastham MA
- Thursday, Oct 29: Old Colony History Museum in Taunton MA to Murray U-U Church in Attleboro MA
- Friday, Oct 30: North Stonington CT for a sacred circle, walk to Mystic for prayer ceremony at peace tree at the site of the Pequot Massacre in 1637
- Saturday, Oct 31st: Plimoth Plantation, walk to Plymouth Center for closing ceremony at the statue of Massasoit.
Note: In previous walks, the pagoda monks have stayed in homes along the way, but they are unable to do so this year due to COVID-19. If you feel led to help them with their expenses en route, there are two ways to donate to walk expenses at: https://www.riseupandsing.org/events/donations-new-england-peace-pagoda The monks want to express their deep gratitude for any help available.