Everybody knows the world needs peace in this day and age. But what are you doing about it? Mary, the Queen of Peace, in Medjugorje, Fatima and Cuapa, has given us a recipe for worldwide peace: Prayer, conversion and penance. Apante, the Mountain of Peace is a project that we believe is inspired by the Lord to help bring peace to our world.Apante, the Mountain of Peace, has two goals: 1) to visually and symbolically mark the Americas as belonging to Jesus Christ, by placing a monumental cross in the very center of the Americas, and 2) to provide a beautiful setting where people can put into practice Mary Queen of Peace’ recipe for drawing closer to Jesus and thus bringing peace in the world.

To be frank, my Franciscan brothers and I have been trying to avoid this project for 4 years. It was not our idea. We have plenty to do already, working at the local prison, and the regional hospital, amongst many other things. But through much prayer, good spiritual direction and a multitude of outside confirmations from trusted prayer warriors, we have all come to understand that this project is of the Lord. Both bishops who have had this diocese over these 4 years have tapped us to execute the project. We believe that Our Lady, who has been beckoning the world to conversion to her son Jesus, desires to make this a place of pilgrimage for peace because the world is spinning further away from what makes for peace. It is true that people should follow her recipe for peace in their homes, but often people need a place to go to get out of our comfort zones to get us started or to inspire us to go deeper, a place of pilgrimage.

At present we are ready to begin construction on the first phase of the project, The Cross of Peace. We have permission from the MARENA (the local environmental agency) and from the Mayor’s office. We have finalized the plans we have been working on for 2 years, and we believe we have what will be a beautiful, captivating and durable monument to Our Lord Jesus and Mary. Our goal is to break ground in early December, hopefully December 12th. We currently have about half of the funds we need to complete the 33 meter (108 foot) cross. Thus, we need your help.

Your donations will go to various elements in the building of the cross. It will help us with labor costs, and with the rental of mules that will move the materials up the last 200 yards of the trail to the top of the mountain. It will purchase the steel infrastructure and the exterior panels. Also you will be purchasing the translucent polycarbonate panels that will make it a capable of lighting up from within. And finally you will be helping us to put the 12 meter or 40 foot tall image of Our Lady at the base of the cross.

St Francis when he begged for stones to rebuild the Church of San Damiano, said “for one stone God will give you one blessing, for two He will give you two.” Jesus spoke of a 100 fold return for those who give for the Lord’s work. Whatever your donation, I assure you, you can’t out give God.

Thank you for your time and attention.

In Christ and Francis,

Rev. John Anthony Boughton, CFR
www.reynadelapaz.org