University of Virginia Library

Sensitivity To Social Conditions

One of his favorite examples for this point is
the pictures in most Sunday school books,
which rarely show smiling faces. "Don't let the
children see these," he says.

"Peace" to Father Stickle, or "the peace
movement," or whatever you want to call it, is
a part of the gospel. Therefore it is in the
foundation of the church.

As for the Vietnam war, he can't understand
how we hope to achieve the goals we claim to
want. The way we are doing it now is morally
wrong, find he feels there are many more
effective economic, cultural, and political ways
of achieving the peace we desire.

"If indeed our goal is to provide an
opportunity for freedom, it would be less
expensive to deal with the problem on its own
terms." At the same time, he is not "after
peace," for this is to him just another kind of
war.

It is such concerns about how to achieve the
essence of peace in the world that led Father
Stickle to activities such as the Selma March,
and to be instrumental informations of the
"Candlelight Procession" here at the University
last year.

Father Stickle

Sports Added Growth On Face Now

At Selma he became more sensitive to social
conditions, and had vivid reactions which he
had never felt before. This he feels is a positive
influence, and he wishes more people could
experience an awakening such as this.

Father Stickle has some encouraging
thoughts about how the University has changed
since he came here. He sees the most significant
change in the fact that the University
community as a whole has become more aware
of social problems than it has ever been.

He feels that the Good Neighbor Pledge
Campaign in 1967-68 was a major influence in
this change. The campaign was conducted by
the Fair Housing Committee which grew out of
the Council on Human Relations and involved
about 700 people, mostly from the University
Community. Every house in Charlottesville was
canvassed and there were more people involved
from St. Thomas' than all of the other churches
combined.