Honoring the late Reverend David McI. Gracie, who passed away Tuesday, May 22, for 36 years of indefatigable leadership and activism in Philadelphia, concerning civil rights, peace, racial and economic justice; and, because he believed that there is some of God's word in each of us.

WHEREAS, Reverend Gracie came from Detroit to Philadelphia in the mid 1960’s to work as an urban missionary and did so for ten years; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Gracie was the Rector at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church at

3

rd & Dauphin Streets; and

WHEREAS, With St. Barnabas Church congregation he actively participated in, and led, many activities and campaigns of the Kensington Joint Action Council; and

WHEREAS, He actively worked to end the Viet Nam War; and

WHEREAS, He was dedicated through his faith to work for the poor and working class, and he worked closely with the welfare rights movement and the Philadelphia Unemployment Project; and

WHEREAS, He maintained throughout all his activism a commitment to non-violence; and

WHEREAS, He was active in the civil rights movement; and

WHEREAS, He worked as the Chaplain of the Temple University campus ministry, and was co-Director of the Church & World Institute, and he co-ministered an Episcopal Church in Elkins Park, PA; and

WHEREAS, He was the full time Director of the Peace Education Division of the American Friends Service Committee from 1990 to 1997; and

WHEREAS, He has worked as an Episcopal Priest for 38 years; and

WHEREAS, He received an Honorary Doctorate from the Episcopal Director School in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, He was a scholar who wrote a book,

Gandhi & Charlie

, about his friend Charles Andrew’s relationship with Mahatma Gandhi; a book entitled

Meditating on the Word

, a translation of German theologian Bonhoeffen’ s work; a biography of Father Paul Washington; and finally, a translation with essays, entitled

Militia Christi

about an early church pacifist, Adolf Harnack; and

WHEREAS, Reverend David McI. Gracie influenced and inspired countless Philadelphians to work for peace, equal rights, economic justice, racial unity and tolerance, and lead so many of us for three and half decades to fight against the large forces of greed, separation, war, and injustice; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Gracie recently fought poor health and leukemia for months, while still meeting with and interacting with colleagues concerning Philadelphia social justice and religious issues; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Philadelphia City Council deeply honors the memory of Reverend David McI. Gracie, his life’s work, his family, and his vision of how our world and City should be.

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