DELPHOS, OH (WLIO) - An extraordinary lantern is currently here in west central Ohio that has origins to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Organizers in Delphos have worked with the Peace Light North America organization to bring the burning lantern to Ohio, and its journey to the Buckeye State is quite remarkable. Every year in late November, a young kid from Austria lights the lantern from the continuously burning flame of the Peace Light Candle inside the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Once the flame has been transferred, the burning lantern travels from Tel Aviv in Israel to Vienna in Austria. Once in Austria, the Austrian Airlines transport the light to New York City where volunteers then meet, share, and give each other the lantern so it can travel across the continent to spread peace and harmony throughout the world.
"Sometimes, you feel like the world is just, there's so much bad going on in the world, what can I do? And for me, this light symbolizes a prayer, and how one person can pass this light on, and we've probably have passed it on to 30 people. And then, you have those people passing it on, and it's, to me, it's symbolic of how one little prayer can spread," said Pam Hickey, volunteer and retired teacher.
If you would like to see the lantern and light your own candle from the flame of the peace light, the lantern will be located inside Delphos St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, in front of the St. Joseph statue.
