AUDIO Interview with 80 Year Old I.W.W./ Jesuit Fr. Bill Bischel

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Saturday November 01, 2008 08:35 by Ciaron - Catholic Worker/Plowshares

Fr. Bill Bischel SJ has dropped by Ireland to accompany both the Pitstop Ploughshares to court in Dublin and the raytheon 9 to court in Derry. Bill was ordained in Berlin before the wall went up, carries some of Joe Hill's ashes and has spent a number of years in jail for nonviolent resistance. One jail was in view of one of the seminaries he attended!

Reverend Bill Bichsel, or "Bix" as he's known to friends and admirers, has lived an extraordinary life. Born in Tacoma in 1928, he has dedicated his life to education, and peace. An ordained Jesuit Priest, Bill was the dean of students at Gonzaga University from 1963 to 1966, he helped start the Martin Luther King Center of Tacoma for the homeless in 1969, he co-founded the Tacoma Catholic Worker, which houses and provides amenities for the homeless Tacoma. He has also been arrested over 45 times and spent nearly two years of his life in prison for protesting US military force on numerous occasions.

After reading a News Tribune article about Rev. Bichsel http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/457549.html , we at The Melon felt compelled to talk to such a brave and caring individual. After calling Bill, he invited us into his home where we talked about everything from his politics and personal accomplishments to the fall of the Soviet Union and his memories of the great depression.

We've turned the resulting discussion into a two-part interview with Bill that we're very pleased to share with you.

Peacebringer: Interview with Rev. Bill Bichsel - Pt. 1
In part one, we discuss Bill's influences, some of his protests, the fall of the Soviet Union, US interventionism, and more: Part 1: http://themelononline.com/2008/10/peace-bringer-intervi...rt-1/

Peacebringer: Interview with Rev. Bill Bichsel - Pt. 2
In part 2 of our conversation with Reverend Bill Bichsel continues where we left off. We discuss the upcoming election, the future of American warfare, abortion, activism and the Tacoma Catholic Worker Part 2: http://themelononline.com/2008/10/peacebringer-intervie...pt-2/