THE STORY OF FRIEDENSAAL'S PEACE POLE, Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania-USA

Sunday, July 17, 2011

An International Peace Pole was planted at Friedensaal Evangelical Lutheran Church, Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania (which is located in southern York County) as part of their 2011 Vacation Bible School. The Peace Pole was dedicated on Sunday, July 17th, 2011 as part of the Sunday worship.

The theme of the 2011 Vacation Bible School was “God Loves All the Children of the World.” The truth taught was: God loves each one of us; therefore we are to love one another and live in peace with one another. Being peacemakers was encouraged among all the age-groups of the children. They are the generation that gives us all hope for peace in this world.

The four message plaques on our Peace Pole bear the prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in four languages:
ENGLISH – the language of our nation
GERMAN – in honor of the language of the German immigrant forefathers and foremothers who founded Friedensaal Church
(“Friedensaal” means Hall of Peace in German)
SWAHILI – in honor of our sister Lutheran Synod, the Konde Diocese in Tanzania
JAPANESE – in honor of Ryan George Degucci, his Japanese-American grandson who was born in Japan, by George Scoufalos

The Peace Pole at Friedensaal is planted in a prominent place adjacent to the Hall of Hope, the new large Social Hall of the congregation.
It stands in the middle of a new flower garden in which the children of the Vacation Bible School planted the flowers.

The Peace Pole was hand-crafted and constructed for longevity by one of the congregations members, Mr. Hans Breden.

May Peace Prevail On Earth.
The Reverend Margareta M. Breden

Photo by Jennifer Horan.