International Peace Light arrives in Mahoning Valley

YOUNGSTOWN – Scouts and Cubs from St. Christine’s Church will bring the international light of peace to the JMJ Spiritual Connection store, 3434 Canfield Road, Thursday.

Scouts will hold an outdoor ceremony at 5 p.m.

For more than 30 years, the Light of Peace of Bethlehem has been broadcast throughout Europe thanks to the cooperation of the Austrian broadcasting company – ORF (Linz), Austrian Airlines and Austrian Scouts and Guides.

In 2000, he flew to the United States and was transported to Ground Zero in New York City in 2002.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the 2021 Bethlehem International Peace Light cannot be transported to the United States. However, scouts from the Great Trail Council and Northeast Ohio have maintained the International Peace Light, keeping the flame alive since 2015, according to a press release.

The light of peace is a continuous flame and originates from the cave where baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the statement said. Each year it is delivered by a young Austrian child to Austrian Airlines and transported from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna, Austria.

The light is then distributed to 20 European and overseas countries, including North America, via land routes and Austrian Airlines as a symbol of peace.

JMJ Spiritual Connection will organize the Peace Light so that the public will receive the flame until January 8th.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sunday.

Anyone wishing to receive the Light of Peace at the store should bring a windproof candle or lantern. A new candle can be used by burning it a few minutes before extinguishing it. It can then be sent to loved ones who then relight the candle to share the message of peace.

More information can be found here.