Rotarians To Dedicate Peace Pole At Newtown's Peaceable Kingdom Park

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA ? The Rotary Club of Newtown will dedicate a new Peace Pole on Sunday, October 5 during a ceremony at Peaceable Kingdom Park, 199 S. Lincoln Avenue, Newtown.

Taking place from 4 to 5 p.m., the ceremony will celebrate Newtown?s long tradition of peace while connecting the community to a worldwide movement for harmony.

The Peace Pole bears the phrase, ?May Peace Prevail on Earth,? which appears in eight different languages on the sides of the pole, each reflecting Newtown?s cultural diversity and spirit of welcome.

Sunday's dedication, which is open to the public, will feature music by local choirs, prayers, a community sing-along and reflections by leaders of the Newtown-Yardley Ministerium, which represents the community's diverse faith traditions. Neighbors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and join in the celebration.

?With the addition of this Peace Pole, we are not only honoring Newtown?s history ? we are reaffirming our community?s commitment to peace and unity,? said Steve Sabel, Rotary Club of Newtown 2025-26 President. ?This project is a gift from our members to every resident and a call to carry forward the values that define our home.?

The installation answers a call from Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick ? a Pennsylvanian ? who is urging clubs throughout the world to plant Peace Poles in their communities as beacons of goodwill.

?Every Peace Pole planted is a testament to our shared hope for a better, more united world,? said Urchick.

The Newtown Peace Pole will join thousands across the globe ? from Tokyo to Nairobi to Buenos Aires.

A Legacy of Peace in Newtown

Newtown?s dedication to peace reaches back to its Quaker founders in the 17th century, whose values of nonviolence and social justice continue to shape the borough today. That legacy is embodied in the work of Edward Hicks ? Quaker minister, lifelong resident, and painter of The Peaceable Kingdom ? whose mural at the Temperance House remains a lasting and unique symbol of compassion and unity.

The new peace marker will join existing Peace Poles, which have been planted throughout the years at the Newtown Friends Meetinghouse, Roberts Ridge Park, Council Rock North High School, the United Methodist Church of Newtown, and Chandler Hall.

For more than a century, Rotary International has advanced peace worldwide through service, education, and fellowship. The recent opening of a new Rotary Peace Center in Istanbul, Turkey, expands training opportunities for leaders in conflict resolution.

The Rotary Club of Newtown is fully funding and coordinating the project in partnership with the borough, which approved the planting of the Peace Pole at Peaceable Kingdom Park.