Pire, from Belgium, escaped the Nazi’s cleansing
While his grandfather died and the family fled to France.
Returning, their small town in ruins, they worked the remains
To rebuild. He took vows as a monk, and grabbed the chance
To wed his pastor’s theology with his strong belief
In helping the displaced and their children, the refugees
Created by the war, aiding the Allies on the ground.
He wrote about camp conditions and soon founded
“Aid to Displaced Persons,” a group that constructed
Homes in villages for refugees to resettle, supported
By a network of sponsors who sent money and clothes, claiming
To resettle persons, who contributed by working, and renting
The small homes in towns that would ground their new life.
He erected “a bridge of light and love high above . . . the strife.”
June Edvenson 