My Path to Peace and Justice

Richard T. McSorley, S. J. (1914 - 2002) led an extraordinary life. He survived a World War II prison camp to become one of the great peacemakers of the twentieth century. From struggles against segregation in the late forties to Vietnam War protests in the sixties to condemnation of nuclear weapons in the eighties, McSorley has been on the cutting edge of the great social justice movements of the last half-century. His life crossed paths with many of the world's most notable figures: Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Daniel and Philip Berrigan; the Kennedy family; Bill Clinton; Don Helder Camara; and a host of peace leaders from throughout the world. In this autobiography published six years before his death, McSorley documents his life, his travels throughout Europe, South American, Central America and the Middle East. His descriptions of these events form a backdrop of the real story - his spiritual journey toward active peacemaking and unswerving pacifism. Through it all he weaves the thread of the theology of peace. He applies gospel principles to our social and government structures. McSorley may be best known for his ability to cut through academic arguments to state the truth in the most basic of terms. He counters the justification of war with the biblical call to love enemies. This book is an account of a life devoted to God and of service to the community.