A Loney vigil

Among participants in a vigil held Thursday night for James Loney were three youths who spent time with Loney at summer camp.

Alex Dugan, Megan Murphy and Adam Proulx (shown around Rita Murphy) shared their experiences and impressions of the abducted Saultite.

"I remember going to a CPT [Christian Peacemaker Team] presentation that a man named Bob Holmes did with James," Proulx said. "James just sort of sat in the back the whole time and Bob kept saying 'just jump in any time.'"

"I remember looking at [Loney] every once in a while and he was smiling at the pictures," Proulx said. "Whenever he said something it was very meaningful, even though it wasn't much."

Proulx and Dugan recalled being at an Ontario Catholic Youth Leadership Camp with Loney in August 2005.

Murphy was in Loney's environmental interest group at a similar camp in summer 2003.

"We composted in the rain and did other activities around environmental awareness," Murphy said. "He is very strong and a very passionate person. He was very influential in my life."

Dugan remembered Loney as a silent camp leader who led and taught by example.

The vigil at Algoma University College last night was organized in large part by Gerry Kirk, leader of Vision for a Renewed Earth.

The locally-based spiritual group wants to bring about social change, said Kirk.

"We organize events like tonight's vigil so we can come together as a community and support each other," he said.

Kirk began his comments by calling attention to recent American acts of aggression in Iraq and appealing for people to look beyond news headlines to see that there are other ways to do things.

"The only way we are going to end the cycle of violence is through compassion and through nonviolent means," he said. "The work that the Christian Peacemaker Teams do has touched me on a personal level."

Kirk said the evening's vigil was to offer people a chance to come together and pray for the 14,000 Iraqis detained without cause, for Loney and the other Christian Peacemaker Team members being held in Iraq and for world leaders to turn away from violence.

Christian Peacemaker Teams was aware of and supported last night's vigil, Kirk said.