A flame that has been burning for hundreds of years made its way to Ellijay once again during last Saturday’s Bethlehem Peace Light ceremony. It’s a harbinger of Christmas that is becoming a local tradition.
This year’s organizer, Jack Planchard, explained at Good Samaritan Catholic Church that the Peace Light is initially lit from oil lamps that have been burning continuously in the grotto below the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (the supposed birthplace of Jesus) for 1,000 years.
“The Peace Light, symbolic of the Light of Christ, especially evident at Christmas, is meant to promote peace, harmony and unity among all people of the world regardless of race, ethnicity or creed,” according to a press release.
Each year in late November, Boy Scouts light a lantern from a candle in the Church of the Nativity, then transport it by airplane in explosion-proof containers to Vienna, Austria. From there, it is distributed throughout Europe to houses of worship, hospitals, homeless shelters, nursing homes and other places of “public, cultural and political importance — to anyone who appreciates the significance of the gift,” the release states.
Earlier this month, the flame was transported overseas and debarked at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. After a ceremony at Our Lady of the Skies Chapel, around 150 adults and children began to take the flame back to their regions in the U.S. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts alike are among the volunteers.
In Ellijay, around 20 people, including pastors and parishioners of local churches, brought candles and lanterns to carry the flame to their homes and/or respective churches. Monsignor Jaime Barona, a retired priest from Gainesville, offered a prayer and blessing to begin the ceremony. Planchard believes the brief, but spirit-filled ceremony, is significant.
“I think it’s just another opportunity to share an ecumenical effort with other churches, and to bring to light the fact that we have a very common set of beliefs when it comes to Jesus Christ and what He represents,” he said. “I think it’s the same in all of our hearts. We’ve talked about keeping Christ in Christmas, and this is a fun way to do that.”
Planchard credited the Rev. David Smedley of Hope Lutheran Church for bringing the Peace Light to Ellijay initially a few years ago. Hopes are that attendance at the ceremony will improve in 2022 after the last two years of Covid transmission concerns.