Vincent Scotti Eirene

“To share life with the poor is not some type of option. Although it’s often reserved for nuns or those running missions, we have to understand that, biblically, the responsibility of the poor is for every Christian…I think a radical Christian lifestyle has to be rooted in a fundamental faith that will weather what comes when we open our hearts to the love of God and try to preserve the creation and care for the broken.”

Byron’s Expression interview with Vincent Eirene (December 1989)

On Thursday September 11, 2025, a voice for the poor and non-violence fell silent.  Vincent Scotti Eirene died in his home in the Manchester neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He is preceded in death by his parents, Vivian (Delli Gatti) Scotti and Adolph Scotti. Beloved father to his two daughters, Caitlin and Chenoa, who were his heart and soul. He loved to surprise them with an excursion to Colangelo’s Bakery in the Strip or some art supplies.  He was a fiercely dedicated father. He was the Loving brother of David Scotti of Pittsburgh, PA, his sister Genevieve Schroeder of St. Petersburg, FL and the late Victor Scotti.

Vincent Scotti Eirene was born on March 27, 1952, in Brookline, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Upper Saint Clair High School in 1970 and attended Ohio State University.  Vincent was always rebellious but by his junior year at Upper St. Clair, he had become active in Young Life, a Christian fellowship organization and had found a path of Christian faith, non-violence and helping the poor that he would follow for the rest of his life.   A fervent opponent to war, when he married, he and his wife together took a new surname of “Eirene,” an ancient Greek word for “peace.”  Inspired by his Catholic faith, Vincent spent his days and nights advocating for the poor, oppressed, homeless, and disenfranchised. 

In 1977, Eirene founded Duncan and Porter House, a hospitality house that was part of the Catholic Worker movement. He opened his home to the homeless, a mission he pursued until his passing. He helped Sister Liguori when she was setting up the Jubilee Soup Kitchen in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.  To him, homelessness and militarism were inseparably connected.   In the late 1970s and early 1980s, with Christian Peacemakers, Vincent protested against Rockwell International’s participation in the nuclear arms race with acts of nonviolent civil disobedience at the US Steel Building in downtown Pittsburgh, headquarters of Rockwell.  Vincent began protesting Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute when it was founded in 1984, opposed to the University’s connection to the Department of Defense. He continued this protest throughout the 1990s and beyond.  In 2004, Vincent traveled to Iraq to witness the atrocities of the war on terror, returning to the US and sharing his experiences with activists in Pittsburgh and beyond. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Vince traveled to New Orleans to help with the recovery.  He also traveled to West Virginia to help challenge mountaintop removal.  

He was involved in the fight against nuclear arms, the environmental justice movement, the anti-globalization protests, and more. Vincent was arrested at least 8 times in the 70’s and 80’s and spent lengthy time in jail for peaceful civil disobedience. Through all of this, he was the consummate peacemaker.  With a heart as big as the world, and a phenomenal sense of humor, he was disarming.  The humor was not just some fun aspect of Vince’s personality; it was an essential tool by which he creatively and effectively engaged people, especially opponents.

For example, in the 1990s Vince was falsely accused of assaulting a police officer. The charges were serious, and he faced a jury trial. The crucial character witness testifying on his behalf was the retired Head of Security of a downtown building. The two had developed such a mutually respectful and genuine relationship over the years that he was delighted to testify. One of his more notable supporters, actor Martin Sheen, also served as a character witness, as did Phil Berrigan, his dear friend and mentor. The jury rightly declared Vincent innocent of the trumped-up charges.

In addition to Phillip Berrigan and Martin Sheen, writer Naomi Klein, musician Bruce Cockburn, and so many others went with him in the search for peace and healing.  Happy to be notorious, Vince also proudly boasted of the “archive” that CMU kept on him.  

Vincent was the author of several books, including Night Flight to Baghdad, The Day The Empire Fell, Good Friday Fish Fries, and The Further Writings of Blast Furnace Radio. He was the founder and host of Blast Furnace Radio, one of the first internet radio stations, built in the basement of Duncan and Porter House as well as the founder of the website NoToWar.com. 

Vince was injured in two car accidents and in a fall that left him with mounting health problems.  He could no longer travel and had to struggle to get into and out of his home.  He took to growing tomatoes and strawberries in his backyard and keeping up communications over the internet with the many people he had come to know.  Despite an unyielding spirit and a firm belief that there was still so much that needed to be done, his injuries and health issues finally got the better of him. 

Vince’s life was materially poor but indescribably rich.  There has been no one like him.  He leaves behind a legacy of family and friends, of real-world peacemaking, of love and of creative witness to the truth and an ever-present sense of humor.   He was greatly loved and admired and will be missed by many. 

Family and friends are welcome on Friday, September 26, 2025, at St. Bernard Church (St. Michael the Archangel Parish) 311 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15216, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be private to the family.

Following mass, a memorial reception will be held at The Union Project, at 801 N Negley Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. This space can hold over 100 people and is easily accessible by bus and is also handicap accessible. A microphone and speaker system will be available at the facility for those who wish to share a song or speak in memory of Vincent.

Upon the family’s request, they will be putting together a slide show of pictures of Vincent and his family, especially his girls.  Please send any photos you may have to the following Google Drive. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13S52R9k6YeBL7zquE2_6QvI2X944MWQh?usp=sharing

Thank you in advance to all who can come together to contribute to making this day possible and more importantly, to celebrate the life of Vincent.

www.laughlinfuneralhome.com
 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Vincent Scotti Eirene, please visit our floral store.