International Peace Light coming to the Mahoning Valley

YOUNGSTOWN — Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from St. Christine's Church will bring the International Peace Light to the JMJ Spiritual Connection store, 3434 Canfield Road, on Thursday.

The Scouts will conduct an outdoor ceremony at 5 p.m.

For more than 30 years, the Peace Light from Bethlehem has been spread throughout Europe by the cooperation of the Austrian Broadcasting Company — ORF (Linz), Austrian Airlines and the Austrian Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.

In 2000, it has been flown to the United States and was taken to ground zero in New York in 2002.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the 2021 International Peace Light from Bethlehem cannot be flown to the United States. However, Scouts across the Great Trail Council and Northeast Ohio have maintained the International Peace Light, keeping vigil over the flame since 2015, a news release states.

The Peace Light is a continuous flame and originates in the grotto where the Christ child was born in Bethlehem, the release states. Each year, it is delivered by a young Austrian child to Austrian Airlines and flown from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna, Austria.

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

JMJ Spiritual Connection will host the Peace Light for the public to receive the flame through Jan. 8.

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

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

More information can be found here.

This story was originally published December 7, 2021 at 4:24 AM with the headline "International Peace Light coming to the Mahoning Valley."