Sister Anne Montgomery, an American nun who gave more than 30 years of her life to protesting against nuclear weapons, has died at the age of 85.
Sister Anne, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, took part in the so-called Plowshares actions from 1980 until 2009. From 1980 she was in full-time ministry as a peace advocate.
She also became involved with the Christian Peacemaker Teams, a nonviolent, ecumenical anti-war organisation, serving as a witness for peace in Iraq, the Balkans and the West Bank.
Her last Plowshares involvement — at a United States Navy facility in Washington state where more than 2300 nuclear warheads are believed to be stored — cost her two months in a federal prison.
After being indicted at the age 83 for the 2009 protest, Sister Anne said she felt called to continue protesting against nuclear weapons and would do so in one way or another until her last days.
“I have been involved since 1980 in Plowshares movements, which are really saying we as human beings, as Christians, as citizens of a country which is supposed to be governed by its citizens, we are responsible to eliminate these weapons,” she said.
Oblate Father Carl Kabat, another Plowshares participant, said Sister Anne held firm to her beliefs about the danger of nuclear war and was prepared to face the consequences of her actions even if it meant she was to be imprisoned.
“She was very strong,” he said. “She was a very good person, very wonderful, [who was] motivated by faith.”
International protests under the Plowshares banner included the action of Father Peter Murnane, Adrian Leason and Sam Land against the Waihopai communications base near Blenheim in 2008.
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Image: Next Left Notes