A group of Buddhist monks walked through Newton County last week as part of a cross-country pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., aimed at promoting peace, kindness, and compassion.
“We walk not in protest, but to remind Americans that peace is not a destination,” and “that peace resides within each of us,” Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace, wrote on the group’s Facebook page.
The walk began Oct. 26, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to conclude in mid-February 2026 at the U.S. Capitol. The monks’ journey, known as the Walk for Peace, spans approximately 2,300 miles over 120 days.
Traveling primarily along Highway 80 through Mississippi, with occasional detours, the group passed through Newton County on Saturday, Dec. 13. During their time in the county, the monks took a midday break at the Mississippi Department of Transportation office in Newton, walked through downtown Newton, and later rested overnight at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery near Hickory before continuing east the following morning.
