A few hundred spectators were on hand in Caroline County Wednesday evening as the venerable monks, on their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, D.C., turned off Ladysmith Road onto the grounds of Wright’s Chapel United Methodist Church, where they would sleep overnight.
However, by the time lead monk Bhikkhu Pannakara began his peace talk a little more than an hour later, a few thousand had gathered, leaving the monks a bit taken aback.
“I didn’t see that many people when we turned into this church earlier,” Pannakara said. “But now, so much people here tonight. Look around us.”
The crowd included a diverse group of individuals from various faith communities, racial makeup, and political ideologies. They included a woman from London, England, a law enforcement officer from Macon, Georgia, and many others from Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg region.
“We come from different backgrounds and different beliefs, but we all can gather here in front of the church and listen to the Buddhist monk talk,” Pannakara said. “This is something very rare in the history of America … It means what? It means all pastors and all venerable monks, and all faith and all religions are on the same mission for peace.”
PHOTOS: Venerable Monks trek through Caroline, Spotsylvania on the Walk for Peace
Visitors handed monks flowers when they walked by. Monks and their peace dog, Aloka, posed for photographs with local officials.
Stafford County resident Connie Burrow said she’s followed the monks’ trek on Facebook and was inspired by their message. She was visiting downtown Fredericksburg when she decided to take a trip down the highway and see them up close.
“The way that they are living day-to-day in such a humble and peaceful way, it’s very appreciated,” Burrow said. “It’s a needed characteristic and message these days, and I just wanted to be here to witness it.”
Tonya Scott lives in D.C. but was unsure of how crowded and convenient it would be to see the monks once they reach the nation’s capital. She figured rural Caroline would be easier to traverse.
Parking lots of the businesses surrounding Wright’s Chapel quickly reached capacity, but the county arranged for school buses to serve as shuttles from Madison Elementary School, approximately a mile-and-a-half away.
“I’ve been tracking the monks since they’ve been on this journey,” Scott said. “I just think it is an absolutely awesome thing to see. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I’m sure I won’t see anything like this again and to be so up close and personal, it’s just peaceful. When they come by, you just feel a sense of peace and tranquility.”
County officials and Wright’s Chapel Pastor Charles Tillapaugh addressed Pannakara prior to his speech.
Tillapaugh said his prayer is that the monks will have peace during their visit as they bring calm to the nation. He thanked them for helping “stir up in all of us a desire for compassion and for peace.”
“We all have these gifts within us, and they are always there for us, but we so often, as I’ve heard you say, we become distracted and fear and hate and bitterness rise up in us,” Tillapaugh said to Pannakara. “We thank you for this peace walk and for shaking us up and helping us to focus once again on the things that matter most — kindness and goodness and mercy and peace.”
Caroline Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Jeff Sili said he’s honored to have the monks walk through the county. He presented Pannakara a memento of famous racehorse and county native Secretariat.
Sheriff Scott Moser pinned his office’s badge onto Pannakara and spoke of the positive impact the peace walk is making on the nation.
Maj. Travis Nutter, who was in constant contact with the monks’ representatives leading up to the visit, handed Pannakara a beanie with the sheriff’s office logo on it. Nutter said he witnessed hope in the community as the monks entered Caroline from the Hanover County border and trekked up U.S. Route 1.
“Regardless of one’s religious or political beliefs, one thing is very obvious from what I saw today in Caroline County, and that’s a lot of people are longing and desiring peace,” Nutter said. “I saw a lot of tears and a lot of joy … So, for that, we thank you very much for taking your journey through here.”
The monks departed Wright’s Chapel at approximately 7 a.m. Thursday morning and more well-wishers provided encouragement along Route 1 into Spotsylvania County.
Volunteers Jaimie Ashton and Troy Skebo, both of Spotsylvania, are assisting the monks during their stay in the Fredericksburg area.
Ashton, who was on duty at Wright’s Chapel along with Skebo, said volunteering is a rewarding experience. She’s especially looking forward to the monks walking past the memorial park for Spotsylvania students that she spearheaded at the school administrative building on Route 1.
“I was able to give the venerables (a title in Buddhism) one of the blue flower buttons that we gave to the families of the children represented at the park,” Ashton said. “So, I’m hoping that message gets out to the families and it gives them a little bit of comfort.”
The monks had lunch at the fire station in Thornburg. Their Thursday will conclude with an overnight stop at Lee Hill Building 1, located at 10300 Spotsylvania Avenue. There will be an opportunity for public engagement, and attendees are encouraged to park in front of the building.
On Friday, the monks are planning to walk north on Spotsylvania Avenue, cross Mine Road, and continue to Falcon Drive, where the Fredericksburg Police Department will take over as escorts. The procession will then turn right on Lafayette Boulevard, left on Sophia Street and right on the Chatham Bridge into Stafford County.
Stafford officials are planning to announce the county’s plan for the visit later Thursday.
