Sisters of Francis living at the provincial headquarters at Mt. Assisi Convent in Bellevue will be joined on June 29 by Franciscans living throughout western and eastern Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey, for a blessing ceremony commemorating the recently installed peace pole located at the entrance to the convent grounds.

Sister Elaine Hromulak, one of the organizers of the project, said that the convent had a peace pole, but that it had been wooden and had deteriorated over the years.

"One day I said to our council, 'We're Franciscans. We need a new pole and we need it in front where people will see it.'"

The Franciscan reference was to the order's patron, St. Francis, known as the Patron of Peace.

The slender granite obelisk stands just over 10 feet tall and was designed by John Diogardi of Rome Monuments.

A message to Mt Assisi alumnae explains, "The Peace Pole Project was started in Japan in 1955 by Masahisa Goi, who dedicated his life to spreading the message, 'May Peace Prevail on Earth' in response to the bombing of Hiroshima."

Father Richard Lelomis will officiate at the ceremony.

"So many Franciscans will be attending because it is the chapter meeting of our entire religious community. The service will be short and the public is cordially invited to attend," Sister Elaine said.