Location(s)

Bush Protest at St. Vincent College
Latrobe, PA
Friday May 11th
10am-1:00pm

(If you need transportation from the Erie area, call Barbara Roseborough, 868-0129 or 882-5972).

President Bush is scheduled to give the commencement address at St. Vincent College (Latrobe, PA), this Friday, May 11.

A protest and vigil are planned for that day at St. Vincent College, 10 a.m.-1p.m.

The following is from the Thomas Merton center website:

Members of the Thomas Merton Center Anti-War Committee, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, CodePink, Green Party, American Friends Service Committee, Call to Action, Benedictines for Peace, Network of Spiritual Progressives, Roots of Promise and others will be gathering at St. Vincent College on Friday, May 11th to oppose George Bush’s presence at the 2007 commencement.

There will be a permitted rally at St. Vincent College (SVC) beginning around 10am, and lasting until 1pm.

There will be designated parking near SVC, off St. Xavier Rd, across from Wimmerton, a housing development. (See directions below.)

Participants from Pittsburgh traveling to Friday’s event have the option of meeting at 8am sharp in one of two locations (north and in the city) to carpool to SVC. The carpooling is designed to provide transportation in the absence of public transit and to ease congestion at the parking site (St. Xavier Rd.) However you travel to the rally, allow an hour to get from Pittsburgh to SVC. Please plan to arrive at St. Xavier Rd. by 9:30am. We will then make our way over to SVC, arriving around 10am. Commencement begins at 11am.

CARPOOLING: If you need transportation, please contact the carpooling coordinator for the location closest to you so that we know who to expect, and how many. To be ensured of a place, please call or email by Thursday night!

Pittsburgh: We will be meeting at the East Liberty Staples parking lot (next to Trader Joe’s), close to Penn Ave, at 8am sharp. The contact person is Elizabeth Donohoe (shiatsuworks@care2.com, 412/242-3985 until Thursday afternoon. Thursday evening & Friday, please phone 412/491-7868.) If you need transportation, call or email to confirm a spot by Thursday night. (We need volunteer drivers, please.)

North: We will be meeting at the Waterworks, near Pier1, at 8am sharp, and the contact person is Francine Porter (francineporter@aol.com, 412/389-3216.) If you need transportation, call or email to confirm a spot by Thursday night. (We need volunteer drivers, please.)

DIRECTIONS from Pittsburgh to St. Xavier Rd parking area:
Note: Allow a good hour to make this trip from Oakland/town.
St. Xavier Rd. is a RIGHT turn off Rt. 30E, less than one mile
before SVC.
Via Turnpike: Take turnpike from Monroeville EAST towards Harrisburg for 11 miles until the Irwin exit (67). EXIT at Irwin, taking Rt. 30 EAST for 16 miles. (As a reality check, Westmoreland Mall will be on the right at 11 miles, and at 13.5 miles, the Mt. View Inn will be on the left.) Pass a “Firestone Sweet Corn” sign. At 16 miles from the Irwin exit, there is a housing plan called "Wimmerton" on the left, and a sign for St. Xavier Rd. on the right. Turn RIGHT onto St. Xavier Rd. (The entrance to St. Vincent College is .7 mile further on down Rt. 30E, on the left.)

From New Stanton: Take Rt. 119 North for 5.5 miles (9-10 traffic lights) to Rt. 30. (McDonald’s and BK will be on the right.) Take the left ramp onto Rt. 30 EAST. Travel 8.2 miles on Rt. 30E (6 traffic lights), passing a “Firestone Sweet Corn” sign. Turn RIGHT onto St. Xavier Rd. (The entrance to St. Vincent College is .7 mile further on down Rt. 30E, on the left.)

Parking will be off St. Xavier Rd. (which is a public throughway), past the one visible house (on the right), on a small loop of road to the left. Please don't block any of the road. The Sisters of Mercy own this property and we are parking there with their permission (Srs. Of Mercy Pat McCann & Jean Murrin.) Thank you very much in advance for leaving the grounds as you found them.

Location: St. Vincent's, Latrobe

Contact: Till 2:00 pm Thurs.412/242-3985, after that 412/491-7868

Created at 5/4/2007 2:38 PM by ThomasMerton

Last modified at 5/7/2007 9:55 AM by ThomasMerton