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Born Mildred Lisette Norman (Ryder) on July 18, 1908, "The Peace Pilgrim" was an amazing woman who walked more
than 25,000 miles in the name of peace. She said with great faith and certainty that she would "remain a wanderer until
mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food."
She was born to a poor but well respected family, the oldest of three children. Her parents were Josephine Marie and Ernest
Norman and they lived in Harbor City, New Jersey.
Her father was a carpenter and her mother a homemaker.
In 1938 Mildred felt strongly that she was being called to devote her life to peace.
She started her first cross country pilgrimage from Pasadena, Ca. This began a 28 year walk for peace. She had no financing
and set out to prove that one small woman could, indeed, make a difference in the world.
She taught that peace started within the self and then would manifest out into the world. That we achieve peace one person,
one cause at a time until it spreads outwards. She spoke of the mind, body and emotions as insturments that may either be
used for the 'self centered' or the 'God centered' nature and much of her work directs the nuturing and growth of personal
peace through self discipline and perseverence..
Her commitment was unceasing and in 1954 she fasted for forty five days.
Finally in 1964 she completed 25,000 miles and stopped counting but continued to walk on.
On July 7, 1981, near Knox, In. at the age of 72, on her way to begin her seventh pilgrimage she was in a car accident
and passed away. Mildred Lisette Norman Ryder, the Peace Pilgrim, left a legacy, built of courage, faith, endurance and her
story will go into history as an amazing life given wholly to the cause of peace.
Thanks to Mary6 for the bio
Some Quotes by The Peace Pilgrim:
When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.
One little person, giving all of her time to peace, makes news. Many people, giving some of their time, can make history.
We have all the light we need, we just need to put it in practice.
We are all cells in the same body of humanity.
Most of us fall short much more by omission than by commission. While the world perishes we go our way: purposeless, passionless,
day after day.
I pray without ceasing now. My personal prayer is: Make me an instrument which only truth can speak.
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