Sister Ardeth Platte passes at 84

Dominican Sister, Ardeth Platte, an inveterate campaigner against nuclear weapons, died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of September 30, in her home at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker house in Washington, DC. A native of Grand Rapids, MI, an obituary on Community Ways, a website of the Dominican Sisters-Grand Rapids, said of Sister Ardeth:

"Sr. Ardeth carried the burdens of the world willingly, preaching love, peace, and human dignity always. She stood for restorative justice and rehabilitation against a broken criminal justice system, even if it meant being imprisoned herself. Her commitment to universal human rights meant living her life fully dedicated to peace and the abolishment of nuclear weapons."

Her commitment to peace endured over her lifetime, including last weekend, just days before her unexpected death, when she stood on a street corner with an "Abolish Nuclear Weapons NOW!" sign, as part of a Cries from Every Corner action to commemorate the UN International Day to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. She was unafraid to risk arrest and jail time and especially loved speaking to -- and inspiring -- young people.

You can read more about Sister Ardeth and her life and work here. (Photo of Sister Ardeth Platte speaking to the commander of the Büchel Air Base in Germany and handing him a copy of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, by Susan Crane.)