My Dragon's Lair Sharing is the reason for my being...: JULY 4: Pentacle Headstone Dedication & Memorial with Selena Fox in D.C.

Circle Times circletimes@circlesanctuary.org wrote:
Join Pagans from many paths and places at these special events next week in Washington, DC & vicinity:
Wednesday, JULY 4: Pentacle Headstone Dedication & Memorial for Jan O'Rourke at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, across from Washington, DC
Welcome at 9 am; Ceremony begins at 9:30 am.
Interfaith service facilitated by Selena Fox, assisted by Paula Johnson, Margot Adler, Marci Drewry, some members of Order of the Pentacle, and others.
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle/4jul07dedication.htm
Pentacle headstone photo:
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle/jorourke.htm
Wednesday, JULY 4: Pagan Religious Rights Rally in Lafayette Park, Washington, DC directly across from the White House & VA headquarters
Rally begins at Noon includes presentations, ritual, & drumming.
http://www.paganreligiousrights.org lead article at: http://www.witchvox.com
JULY 5-8: Ancestors, Runes, & Trance Chesapeake Pagan Community Summer Gathering at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, Maryland with Diana Paxson, Steve McNallen, & Selena Fox at door registrations welcome http://www.chesapeakepagans.org

Circle Times: Thursday, June 28, 2007
4th of July Pentacle Headstone Dedication & Memorial for Jan Deanna O'Rourke
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia

9 - 9:30 am: Gathering In
Sign the book of remembrance. Visit with others who are gathering for this special event.

9:30 am - 10:30 am: Memorial Service & Headstone Dedication
Interfaith ceremony conducted by Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister of Circle Sanctuary, with eulogy by Wiccan priestess Rev. Paula Johnson of Florida, colleague and friend of Jan O'Rourke. They will be assisted by some members of the Order of the Pentacle, a national Wiccan/Pagan veterans association, and others.

Participants are invited to bring a red, white, and/or blue flower to place at the base of the headstone in memory of Jan and her life of service.

Open to the public. Veterans and those on active duty in the US Armed Forces are invited to wear uniforms and/or dress hats.

About Jan O'Rourke:
Jan Deanna O'Rourke was born on March 4, 1958. Her adult life was one of service. A few days before she died, she expressed her last wish ... to be buried with her veteran husband, Captain O'Rourke, and to have the pentacle, the symbol of the Wiccan religion she practiced, inlcuded on her side. She died on February 24, 2005. Her request to have the pentacle on her headstone was at last fulfilled on May 1, 2007, as a result of the settlement of the Circle Sanctuary vs. Nicholson federal lawsuit: LINK: http://www.au.org/

About this Pentacle Headstone:
This headstone is the first VA-issued headstone at a national veterans cemetery that includes a pentacle along with another religious system. Jan's husband, Captain William O'Rourke, was a Christian veteran and his side of the stone has a Christian cross. She was Wiccan and her faith is represented by the pentacle on her side of the stone.

Location of O'Rourke Headstone: 60 7491

Directions to Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/directions.html

Visitor Information for Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/visitor_information/index.html

History of Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/index.html

For more info, contact Circle Sanctuary: email: events@circlesanctuary.org (608) 924-2216

Back to Veteran Pentacle page (Circle Sanctuary)

Online: 10 years, 5 months and 8 days

This Week at Witchvox...

4th of July Pagan Religious Rights Rally and Ritual

by Caroline Kenner [Wvox Sponsor] [1,991 reads]

Pagan religious rights advocates spent more than ten years in a struggle to achieve the Veterans’ Pentacle victory. As we celebrate, we must ponder our next move in the quest for religious freedom. The Veterans’ Pentacle is a wonderful victory, but the longer campaign for universal religious freedom continues. And so, what should our next steps be? We have seen how long it took to get the Pentacle. Surely we can manifest continued focus on Pagan religious rights issues, so that we don’t wait another ten years for our next victory. We need to voice a further agenda for Pagan religious ri... [more]

Labels: Circle Sanctuary, Memorial, Pagan, Pentagram, Selena Fox, WitchVox