Paul Jones was born in Pennsylvania in 1880. He became a priest in the Episcopal Church and went to serve in Utah, where he was made Bishop of the Missionary District of Utah.
He was an outspoken pacifist, and when World War I began in 1914, he spoke against it. As the war progressed, and when the United States entered the war in 1917, many Americans were vehement in holding that pursuing the war was a moral duty, and opposition to the war was immoral. In the spring of 1918, yielding to pressure, Bishop Jones resigned as Bishop of Utah.
He continued to speak out for peace and against war until he died in 1941. He was a man after my own heart.
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary.
READINGS:
Psalm 133
Malachi 2:17-3:5
John 8:31-32
PRAYER:
Merciful God, who sent your beloved Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Raise up in this and every land witnesses, who, after he example of your servant Paul Jones, will stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel of the Prince of Peace, our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
UPDATE: I found this article online in Time magazine from 1929, on Bishop Jones. When Bishop Spaulding needed a volunteer from the seminary to send to Utah, [s]tudent Paul Jones echoed Isaiah: "Here I am, send me."
The article gives the account of a specially appointed Commission of the House of Bishops meeting, in which the bishops requested his resignation because of speaking out against war.
This is just beautiful and wonderful to learn. Thank you Grandmere.
ReplyDeleteI love to meet the saints about whom I know very little or nothing and get to know them, seeing them as joined with the "cloud of witnesses" who surround us and lift their voices with us whenever we pray.
ReplyDeleteThanks Grandmère Mimi. I follow the RC calendar and we had some good ones yesterday but I missed Paul Jones.
ReplyDeleteCan you believe the HOB asked him to resign over it! Just goes to prove that we shouldn't let the bishops meet alone... they can't be trusted.
Just goes to prove that we shouldn't let the bishops meet alone... they can't be trusted.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
I just ran across this blog while looking for the feast day of Paul Jones. We have an out-of-date LFF here at the Church, so this blog is what I needed!
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting to see and read about his pacifist stance in a time of war, and I would love to know his responses to WW II. I think what is important to see here is the dissenting voice in a time a turmoil and the importance in listening to these voices despite the loud protests of others.
Thanks again!
Hi Ben, welcome. Jones died a few months before Pearl Harbor. It would be interesting to know if he spoke out on WWII before his death.
ReplyDeleteDuring and leading up to WWII, Jones advocated dialogue between the U.S. and Japan and helped organise resettlement of Jews displaced by the Nazis.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, thank you. When the feast day comes around again, I will incorporate that information into the post.
ReplyDelete