The Fig Tree Catholic Worker in Hammarkullen
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Swedish

The Fig Tree Catholic Worker in Hammarkullen Sweden

The Fig Tree Catholic Worker is an ecumenical Christian community located in Sweden’s second largest city of Gothenburg.  We are based out of two flats in Hammarkullen (“Hammer Hill”), one of the city’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods.

Our community is rooted in the social teachings of Jesus and inspired by the tradition of the Catholic Worker.  The Catholic Worker originated in New York City in the 1930’s as a radical lay movement devoted to the Works of Mercy and the development of a non-violent, non-statist social order through prayer, direct action and personal transformation.  Today there are nearly 150 Catholic Worker communities around the world which are involved in social ministries ranging from hospitality to homeless and marginalized people, resistance to war and racism, and farming. Most are based in the United States, but they are also found in Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Britain, Scotland, Germany, the Netherlands and now Sweden!

The Fig Tree Catholic Worker seeks to apply the tradition of Catholic Worker personalism (that is, the recognition that all people are loved completely by God and are of infinite value; and that we have a personal responsibility to serve our sisters and brothers in need and work to transform unjust social and political systems) to Gothenburg and the unique Swedish social context.  Currently, our work includes active support for existing programs that assist recent immigrants and addicts, offering hospitality to people in need out of our “Christ room,” hosting a twice-monthly Catholic Worker book study and discussion group, and organizing resistance to the Swedish arms industry.  We also maintain a close connection to the Swedish Plowshares movement, which follows the injunction of Isaiah 2:4 (“they shall hammer their swords into plowshares…”) by directly disarming nuclear weapons and other tools of killing.

Our community currently consists of six people: We welcome you to visit our community or to consider joining us in this “kin-dom” experiment!

Fig Tree Resistance Community disarms military radar

Together with the Fig Tree Community, SAAB Microwave Becoming2 Ploughshares disarmed military radar and parts of Test Range at SAAB Micowaves in Sweden, Thursday June 26, 2008

Per Herngren and Ulla Røder climbed over the fence at SAAB Microwave's test range at Mölndal, Sweden on the evening of June 26, 2008, and planted fig trees in the area around the factory.  Using blacksmith hammers, they started to disarm military radar and parts of the test range.  They spoke to workers and guards about their intent until police arrived and arrested them half an hour later.

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Pictures of the ploughshares action