A steady stream of honks hung in the air Oct. 2 as cars drove down North University Avenue in Little Rock during rush hour.
The sounds were not made in annoyance over traffic, but in support of signs like “Pray for peace, work for justice” and “Honk if you want your country back!” held by roughly 50 members of Pax Christi Little Rock and other social justice advocates in Central Arkansas. They were gathered near Rep. French Hill’s office for the 32nd week in a row to promote peaceful resolutions to government policies not morally in line with Catholic social teaching.
On Oct. 16, the 35th week of demonstrations was held.
“Even though we’re upset with several of the policies Congressman Hill is backing, we do not consider this a political action. It’s rooted in disagreements with policy, and we see it as a moral action,” said Pax Christi USA chairwoman, Dr. Sherry Simon.
The member of Christ the King Church in Little Rock founded Pax Christi Little Rock and was organizing and attending the demonstrations as a member of the chapter.
“All sorts of people have shown up to demonstrate with us,” she said. “We are not backing a candidate or a party. We’re discussing the policies in some part based on whether they support or go against Catholic social teaching. We encourage all people to come together — Republicans, Democrats — to speak out against all aspects of the administration’s agenda that do not respect the dignity of the human person.”
How it started
Rep. Hill, who has served in Arkansas’ second congressional district since 2015, is a member of the Cathedral of St. Andrew Church in Little Rock. He has supported President Donald Trump’s agendas regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns on undocumented immigrants, rescinding financial support to aid agencies across the globe and is an opponent of gun control measures.
He voted in favor of H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke out against July 3 stating in part, “The final version of the bill includes unconscionable cuts to health care and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation. The bill, as passed, will cause the greatest harm to those who are especially vulnerable in our society.”
Simon said her friend, Caroline Stevenson, a 90-year-old social justice advocate who attends St. Michael Episcopal Church in Little Rock, posed the idea of protesting in front of Rep. Hill’s office in early 2025.
“All I wanted to do is have a demonstration in front of his office one time, and it has become a weekly thing,” Stevenson said.
The first demonstration took place in February. They have held demonstrations in the mornings and afternoons every Thursday, but due to construction in their usual spot on University Avenue, they have relocated to the busy corner of Markham and University in front of Chipotle. The protests have averaged about 20 people in the morning and 40 people in the afternoons. Simon said they plan to continue only with the afternoon protests for now in the new location.
While there are several demonstrators with more pointed political messages, Pax Christi Catholics focus on moral issues with the administration and policies that are in conflict with Catholic social teachings.
“Initially, we were asking for a town hall. We just wanted Congressman Hill to talk to us,” Simon said, explaining Rep. Hill holds phone call town halls, with his staff screening who gets to speak. “We’re not people who will cause a big scene. We truly wanted to have a civil discussion, a straightforward, peaceable conversation where perhaps he can help us understand why he isn’t standing up more strongly to some of the issues put forward by this administration.”
The group has emailed and delivered messages to Rep. Hill via his staff, who have “been quite receptive,” Simon said. He is in Washington, D.C., on Thursdays, as it’s a regular session day for Congress.
The irony is not lost on the Catholic demonstrators protesting policies supported by a Catholic congressman. It gives them hope.
“That’s probably the very core of why we’re there, to remind him as a Catholic to use his conscience and stand up for those in our country and in our world who do not have a voice,” Simon said. “It all boils down to respecting the dignity of every human person. You can look at any of these issues and determine, rather quickly, whether the dignity of people is being respected or not. Often, it has been the cruel and inhumane way that policies have been implemented that is of most concern.”
Demonstrators have received form letters, pre-written messages tailored to the topic, from Rep. Hill. He has not met or spoken with them personally.
Rep. Hill’s staff did not respond to repeated requests from Arkansas Catholic for comment.
Promoting Catholic teaching
Undeterred by the high 80-degree temperature and the beating sun in early October, protesters, ranging in ages from 50s to 90s, smiled and waved to passersby, marking their nine months of continuous weekly protests that have evolved into more than just Rep. Hill’s voting record.
“The people who gather here to protest are intelligent, informed, caring people who are concerned that their country’s values are changing under this administration and that it will be a far worse place to live for their children and grandchildren,” Simon said.
Don Streit, a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock who has been attending the demonstrations for about three months, said many of these issues arose in the 1970s.
“When people don’t recognize the value of another race or gender, it becomes us versus them. It breeds war, it breeds prejudice,” Streit said.
Holding a sign stating “Immigrants & Refugees Welcome” with an image of a pregnant Virgin Mary on a donkey next to Joseph, Al Adams, who attends St. Bartholomew Church in Little Rock, said he wants to combine his faith with his political activity.
“I feel very strongly the worldview being put forward by the current administration is not consistent with the Jesus Christ that I think I know,” he said. “I want to try to encourage a more general view about what pro-life is, a seamless garment. Certainly, fetal life is important, but there are other pro-life issues French Hill could be addressing, like immigration. They promised us a comprehensive immigration reform. It hasn’t happened, and people are suffering. The majority of Americans prefer some sort of gun control to lessen gun violence, and that majority is not carrying the day now. He can do something about that.”
Cathedral of St. Andrew parishioner Karen DiPippa, retired director of Catholic Charities Medical Clinic, held up a sign stating, “Enough Lies.”
“In health care, they’re gaining support by misinformation, stating that the Democrats want to let undocumented people have health care, and people feel that takes money away from them. But the actuality of it is it’s federal law, passed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, to treat anyone in the emergency room,” she said, adding she’s a registered independent voter who has demonstrated since the early weeks of the protests. Undocumented immigrants pay both income and federal payroll taxes, which helps fund Medicare, but they are not eligible to benefit from it.
“You either believe what we (Catholics) are taught or you don’t,” DiPippa added.
Simon said she has had many fruitful conversations with non-Catholic protesters to share Church teaching. Sherry and John Joyce, members of Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Little Rock, said they have a Pax Christi Little Rock sign in their yard and have been dedicated demonstrators for months despite health issues.
“I coded last year. I was almost dead, and they brought me back. … There’s a reason I’m here, and this is one of them,” John said of the demonstration, holding a sign saying “You are not alone.”
Gary Wheeler, a member of St. Michael Episcopal Church in Little Rock, is working on a plaque to give to Rep. Hill with a quote from Pope Leo XIII, stating: “I would like to urge you this morning to continue to work for a world where power is contained by conscience, and law is at the service of human dignity.”
“I actually believe, like many of the congressmen, that French Hill has got some very strong moral principles. I’ve had conversations with him from time to time, and I really feel like if he had a little extra push, he might be able to oppose some of the things going through Congress right now that are really bad for people,” he said. “I worry he’s been in an enabling mode right now. I thought what Pope Leo had to say was very strong. I just want him to remember that every day.”
Demonstrators have occasionally faced hostility, including a man squirting them with a toy gun out of his car window. But those incidents are rare.
“I don’t think we do any good in trying to battle negativity with negativity,” Stevenson said.
Simon and Stevenson said others are welcome to join the demonstrations, start their own peaceful protests or help someone negatively impacted by current political policies.
Catholics interested in getting involved with the protest or Pax Christi Little Rock can email President Mary Hunt at paxchristilr@gmail.com, visit paxchristilittlerock.org or on Facebook.
