Father John Dear is a priest of the Monterey (California) Diocese and outreach coordinator for Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, an independent, nondenominational 501(c)(3) organization founded by the Franciscan Friars of California in 1989. Calling himself a “pilgrim of peacemaking, ” the 58-year-old activist, lecturer, and author/editor of some 30 books on peace and nonviolence has been twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.