New York City Arrival
Each year, Wolfgang Kerndler, a representative of Austrian Airlines, brings the Peace Light to the US on a date of his choosing. There are many factors involved in when the Peace Light arrives: arrival of the flame in Austria, work and personal schedules for himself and a traveling companion, and availability of space on an Austrian Airlines flight to New York City. Wolfgang brings the Peace Light out of the goodness of his heart, and we are grateful for his dedication to sharing the flame with us.
The Catholic Committee for Scouting, Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, hosts a distribution ceremony when the Peace Light arrives in New York City. Typically, the ceremony is open to anyone who can attend and is held at Our Lady of the Skies Chapel in Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy International Airport. Peace Light North America livestreamed the arrival ceremony for the first time in 2021.
The Middle East conflict has made it impossible for the 2024 Peace Light to be retrieved from the grotto of Jesus' birth.
The Peace Light will be spread this year from Keepers of the Light who have maintained the flame from years past.