INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE, PEACE
AND CARE OF CREATION OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS

Santa Sabina - Rome, 13th January, 2006

Sisters Ardeth Platte, OP, Carol Gilbert,OP and Jackie Hudson, OP Jonah House, 1301 Moreland Ave. Baltimore, MD 21216 - U.S.A.

"The sprit we have, not the work we do,
is what makes us important to the people around us"    (Sister Joan Chittister, OSB)

Dear Sisters Ardeth, Carol and Jackie,

As members of your Dominican family, we want to tell you how grateful we are to you for your witness to truth and how indebted we are to you also for your suffering and imprisonment. We praise and honor you for your heroic actions and noble stand against the development and use of weapons of mass destruction, which by their existence alone threaten weaker nations and impose unjust controls.

We want to commend you for taking seriously our Dominican Mission of Preaching and working for Peace and Justice. We applaud the way you have enfleshed Benedict XVI's Message for the World Day of Peace on January 1, 2006 : "Every community should undertake an extensive process of education and witness aimed at making everyone more aware of the need for a fuller appreciation of the truth of peace."

Your convictions witness to the belief that the only ways to promote and achieve peace are not through violence, bloodshed, destruction of economic structures, and personal property but through dialogue, international consensus and compliance with the decisions of the International Court of Law.

Recognizing that you are not as yet "fully free", we encourage you with all our hearts to continue our mission of peace and justice. We continue to walk with you, confident that Our Father Dominic is with you also on this journey of faith. Our Dominican sisters and brothers are inspired by you and your example and continue to support you with their prayers, confident that the Spirit will continue to guide you in the ways of peace.

Sr. Margaret Ormond OP,
International Coordinator of DSI

Sr. Marie-Therese Perdriault OP and Bro Prakash A. Lohale OP
International Justice and Peace Promoters

Bro Jerry Stookey OP and Bro Joao Xerri OP
Socius for North America and South America

Bro Chrys Mcvey OP
Socius for Apostolic Life and Promoter for Dominican Family

Convento di Santa Sabina - Piazza P. d'llliria, 1 - 00153 Rome (Italy) - Tel. 06 57940656 - Fax 06 5750675
Email: ip@curia.op.org