Drought, bushfires and God’s presence among us

On Christmas Eve we will hear the words of Titus reminding us of the goodness and loving kindness of our God, who saved us ‘so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life’ (Titus 3:4-7). We welcome the Christ Child, we sing praises with the angels and rejoice in their message to the shepherds, that message of hope, mercy and grace.

This year in our Diocese, and indeed across Queensland, we have witnessed devastating bushfires, the continuance of the drought that has decimated our crops and stock and caused incredible hardship to our families who work on the land and the towns that support them. It has truly been another difficult year.

 In the midst of the difficulties and suffering, there have been many moments that testify to the resilience of our people. Ordinary people support our farmers with donations and practical help. Mary Bell in Longreach prepares packages for those on the land to help them through the tough times; Catholic Education waives fees for families; Shirley Hopkins collects clothing and household goods for those in need, especially the community at Woorabinda. And many, many more. Our coastal communities raise funds and our communities are supported by our lay leaders, Sisters and priests. The ministries of the West are difficult, and those who minister often struggle as they deal with the demands of looking after the people.

The bushfires have disfigured our landscape and robbed some of their homes and livelihood. Our firefighters, police and support organisations do a magnificent job in keeping people and property safe, working long hours in terrible conditions. We owe them a great debt for their resilience and persistence.

The Christmas story gives us hope – hope that we can stand together and live our faith through all adversity and be encouraged by our brothers and sisters who generation upon generation stood up and were counted as life-affirming followers of Jesus.”

 As I travel around the Diocese, I meet good folk going about their daily lives living their Christmas message knowing that God is with us. It’s the people who keep the faith alive.

 We are strengthened by the sure hope that the Christ Child brings the Good News that our loving God gives us his grace to see us through these times of difficulty.  My prayer this Christmas is that those who are suffering great hardships will find in the Christmas story a rich source of mercy and love to comfort them. Listening to the Christmas story, may those who have lost their homes or livelihoods through the drought and bushfires be assured of His presence and grace. The Christ Child brings renewal to our spirit and raises us up.

As we pray for rain this Christmas, may we remember that God, Emmanuel is with us.

The young people from different cultural communities in Rockhampton gathered at the Holy Family Church, in July and October 2019, to get to know more about their church community and how to become more involved in parish life. On the invitation of Bishop Michael McCarthy, the Youth & Networking Coordinator for the St Columbans Mission Society, Ryan Epondulan, spoke with the young people of the diocese about having a voice and role to play in today’s Church.

The initial meeting was an opportunity to get to know one another, participate in team building games, and listen to the interests of young people in the Church. Bishop Michael invited the participants to speak about their expectations of the Church. And the discussions evolved around the young people’s role in various ministries such as Liturgy, Music and Youth Activities. The group decided to continue meeting and let these ideas gel.

The meeting in October was blessed by the presence of His Excellency, Papal Nuncio Adolfo Tito Yllana, who shared his insights on the importance of one’s presence in the community and the contribution that each individual can make in today’s society. It was a chance for young people to share their experiences as a Catholic youth in Rockhampton and to discuss ways the youth can flourish in Church.

The group came up with a list of roles and responsibilities from their chosen ministry and collaboratively set out to encourage other youth members to become involved. These activities include various roles during Masses as welcomers, readers, collectors and choir members.

The plan for 2020 and beyond is to get more involved in Church life, including youth retreats and devotion activities. A regular Prayer Encounter will commence in January which will focus on sharing their faith experiences.

A core group was nominated representing the various cultural communities. They are tasked to assist the Diocese in disseminating information and following through with their action plans.

The parents, parish staff and friends who provided support, advice and guidance were acknowledged in making this project possible.

The young people were grateful to Father Marcel Kujur for opening the Holy Family Hall for such undertaking; and to Bishop Michael McCarthy for encouraging the young people from diverse background to find their role in the Church.

Saying Farewell to the Marist Fathers in Gladstone

On the weekend of 23-24 November the Gladstone parish community said ‘farewell’ to the Marist Fathers who have served in the parish for 118 years. Since 1901 there have been a succession of priests who have ministered to the people of the city and the outlying towns and communities.

On Friday morning Bishop Michael McCarthy, many priests of the Diocese, Fr Ben McKenna, representative of the Superior General in Rome, Fr Paul Corcoran, Provincial of the Marist Brothers gathered in the Star of the Sea Church for a concelebrated Mass of Thanksgiving for all the Priests and Religious who have worked in Gladstone.  Also present were many Marist Fathers, Marist Brothers and Marist Sisters as well as many parishioners. Fr Kevin Redmond, the current parish priest thanked the parishioners for all the support, encouragement and patience they had contributed over the last six years. 

Approximately 150 parishioners gathered at the Yaralla Sports Club on Saturday night for the Parish dinner.  Many priests who have served in Gladstone in recent years were able to attend, along with their Society leaders.

Sr Beryl Amedee rsm said that “The atmosphere of the night was experienced as one of love, joy, hospitality and friendliness.  Speeches were made by the Mayor Matthew Burnett, Bishop Michael Mc Carthy, Fr Anthony Corcoran sm, Warren Fellowes and Fr Kevin Redmond.” 

 Fr Corcoran said, “Seventy five priests have served in the Gladstone Parish over the 118 years and all of them spoke so affectionately of the parishioners.  He thanked the people for all they had been and done for the Marist Fathers and apologised for any scandal or betrayal they may have witnessed.   Mr Warren Fellowes gave a brief history of the Parish and thanked the Marists for their presence, dedication and self-sacrifice in their service over the years.

 The evening also featured a slide show of significant moments for many of the priests and parishioners which was well received. Sr Beryl said that “The spirit of happiness and joy permeated the atmosphere and an enjoyable night was held by all.”

 Bishop Michael related some of the history of the presence of the Marist Fathers in the Diocese, noting that in the early years of the 1900s life was very difficult for the pioneering families and the priests alike. The priests travelled the region on horseback, spending many hours in the saddle to reach far-flung parts of the parish. The history of the Church in Gladstone, and indeed the history of the Marist Priests, Brothers and Sisters is a vital part of the history of the city itself. Gladstone would indeed be a different place without the Marist presence over so many years. Their pastoral work, their administrative talents, their deep spirituality carried on until 2019 has left an indelible imprint on this community, and the Diocese. They will be fondly remembered.”

Rev Dr Andrew Chase, a Diocesan priest recently returned from study in Rome will take up the responsibilities of Parish Priest of Gladstone Parish in January 2020.

Joy and good tidings were in abundance at McAuley Place Residential Aged Care in Rockhampton recently as 40 Year 1 students from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School recreated the first Christmas in story and song.  McAuley residents were delighted to see the Christmas pageant unfold complete with colourful angels, shepherds, kings and their camels, the stable animals and of course Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

The beautiful Range Chapel provided the perfect backdrop for the performance as the St Mary’s children spread their Christmas spirit, making some new friends along the way.

Mercy Health and Aged Care Mission Coordinator Phillip Bauman was present at the performance and said the event typified Mercy in Action.

“To see the enjoyment of the children as they performed, the pride of their parents and teachers and the smiles on the faces of the residents was an absolute heartwarming experience,” Mr Bauman said.

St Mary’s Assistant Principal Religious Education Chris Murphy said the play was a long-held St Mary’s tradition that never failed to delight audience members.

“There’s a lot of children who have performed in this play over the past 15 years. It’s just perfect,” Ms Murphy said.

Ms Murphy said as well as spreading the Christmas spirit with some older members of the community it was a perfect way to focus children’s attention on the spirituality of Christmas rather than the commercial aspect.

“It’s very important to us that the students know the true meaning of Christmas and when they open their presents on Christmas Day, they know that it’s Jesus birthday we are celebrating,” Ms Murphy said.

The students also performed the play for parents and St Mary’s community at the school’s end of year Christmas celebration evening.

On Sunday the 24^th November, Sr Dolores rsm was presented with a Papal Blessing at the Parish Mass.  Paul Eckel gave the following address as he presented the framed certificate.

‘Ladies and Gentleman,

On behalf of the Parish Pastoral Council and St Mary’s Parish I would like to thank Sr Dolores for the wonderful contribution that sister has made to our school, parish and wider North Rockhampton Catholic Community.

Sister, you have been a tireless worker in so many area: a teacher and mentor at St Mary’s School, a Eucharistic Minister bringing the Eucharist to the housebound, and a loyal choir member.

Fr Marcel speaks of you as being an inspiration to him as you both filled the role of ministering to the inmates at the prison.  All of us admire the dedication and constancy you have brought to your various apostolates and have been a wonderful role model of Christian endeavours.

Though we do not see as much of you at St Mary’s as in former times, you are always welcome at St Mary’s and will always remain an honoured member of the St Mary’s parish community.  Please accept this Papal Blessing as a small token of our gratitude.’ 

  In the following week, Sr Dolores visited the classrooms of St Mary’s School with the Blessing and gave a ‘show and tell’. She has been a significant presence in the school over many years and she ensures that they continue to have strong links to the Sisters of Mercy.

Fr Peter’s Back!

It was like finding a present under the Christmas tree when we came to work on Thursday, 5^th December, and found Fr Peter sitting behind his desk. The Wise One had travelled afar and returned from the West, not the East! Fr Peter has yet to regale us with stories of his western ministry experience but, in this technological age, we were never far from his thoughts and suggestions.

We were concerned for a moment that he had stepped into another time and place after seeing the Western Evangelisation Bus provided for him, adorned with a southern state’s cat. Photos of the bus appeared from everywhere around Longreach. Our concern lasted all of an hour after closer inspection of the vehicle. LOL! It is good that he is back for the last day of school break-ups.

Good News: We Care

Our annual parish magazine “Good News” is now available to read online on our website home page: www.bundabergcatholic.net.au. Now in its 13^th year, this year’s Good News has, as its subtitle, “We Care”. This year we’ve printed paragraphs from Pope Francis letter “Laudato Si: Care for Our Common Home” each week in the bulletin to raise awareness that caring for God’s creation is more than looking after the environment. It involves a bigger social, political and economic care for all living creatures.

Each ministry group, school, and leader were asked to reflect on how they have shown care for God’s creation in their service to others and in the life of this parish. Our schools in particular do a mighty job of caring for their environment and the people who live within it.  It’s a good read. I hope you get the chance to read it too.

The Pageant of Lights

The magic of Christmas came to life in the Bundaberg CBD on Thursday night, 5^th December, as the annual Pageant of Lights parade took over Bourbong Street. Hundreds of families lined the streets to watch as the more than 70 floats passed by, decked in all things festive.

For the second year running, The Catholic Parish of Bundaberg was one of the winning parade entries, taking out the Open Category. 

 Bundaberg Parish Stewardship Council Chair Trish Mears said she was so proud of the team that put the winning float together. “For many years the Catholic Parish of Bundaberg Pageant float has been put together by an amazing team led by Trish and Peter Byrne. While they gave us valuable guidance this year, the mantle was passed onto younger members of our Parish Stewardship Council, led my Maddison Devine. I couldn’t be prouder of the hard work Maddison and the team put in over many months. Special thanks to the children who were our angels, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, cows and sheep on our float, complete with the nativity scene, beautiful lighting, Christmas music and enthusiastic walking group; and their families who supported them.

Bethlehem Live

This ecumenical event, now in its fourth year, is again part of the parish calendar. Our team are preparing to set up tent in “Bethlehem”, the grounds of the Central State School, for this 4-day event from December 17-20^th.

Part of the preparation includes the patient work of the Blanket Buddies who crotched thousands of Christmas trees, angels and snowflakes to give to the crowds who visit Jesse’s Spices tent, our parish home for four days. Pauline Merefield is gathering her group of storytellers who tell the Old Testament stories attached to the Jesse Tree to the children who come and listen.

From our town to yours, a holy and happy Christmas be with you, and may the gift of rain be yours to enjoy soon.

Anne Sheehan

Bundaberg Students Sew Scrunchies to Fight Poverty in Thailand

This week, Year 6 students from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bundaberg raised over $70 in support of education in Thailand. The students made scrunchies to sell to their school community and they were so popular that they sold out. The students have now started taking orders for those who missed out.

 Their current teacher, Liz O’ Sullivan, will be taking up a two-year teaching placement in Umphang, Thailand with Palms Australia at the beginning of 2020. Umphang is a neighbourhood on the Thai-Burma border that is home to Thai residents and members of ethnic minorities from Myanmar who have fled to the Nu Po refugee camp in Thailand. Liz will be mentoring local teachers to strengthen English language programs that give these Thai and refugee students a comprehensive and high-quality education.

This project is one of two education projects that Palms Australia is implementing on the Thai-Burma border to ensure all children, regardless of location, ethnicity or political status, have access to quality education. Liz will be joined by fellow Australian teacher Christine Bennett who will be teaching at St Joseph’s School in nearby Mae Remat.

Palms Australia is grateful to the students of St Mary’s for their support for their teacher and a school community overseas. For more information and to support Palms’ projects in Thailand visit palms.org.au.

From Palms Australia

We celebrated a Multicultural Mass at Sacred Heart Church on

November 17^th. It was a feast for the senses – joyful music, elaborate and colourful costumes, and a delicious display of food which quickly vanished. The Mass was filled with wonderful hymns sung by the Filipino choir. The Liturgy of the Word was proclaimed by the Group.

We recently celebrated our final Masses for all four schools in our area. We wish staff, students and families, God’s blessings of love, joy and peace during this joyous season. We wish you safe travels and look forward to seeing you all next year.

We farewelled Fr Andrew Chase last Sunday December 1^st, as he heads out to minister to Longreach and the surrounding areas for the month of December. Fr Andrew will then take up his new posting in Gladstone. We wish him all the very best and thank him for his wonderful ministry and friendship he has shared with us, during his stay on the Capricorn Coast. He will be greatly missed.

 As December 1^st was the first Sunday of Advent, Fr Andrew blessed our Advent Wreath and we heard God’s word challenging us to wake up, to stand ready and to prepare.

On Sunday 8^th the Emu Park combined churches came together as one at Mary Immaculate Church, Emu Park. Children from the church performed a Nativity Play for the audience and this was followed by the singing of Christmas Carols, led by Keppel Bay Community Choir with Mary Loch on the keyboard. Ministers from each of the churches either welcomed, read scripture or gave a blessing to the gathered people. Thank you to all who were involved in organising this ecumenical event.

Our final “Get Together in the Middle” was held December 9^th commencing at 10am. A wonderful time was had as usual as we came together to share stories and a few laughs. See you next February!!

From Seminarian Peter Doherty

After my first year of formation at Holy Spirit Seminary, I have come to the Capricorn Coast Catholic Parish for an end of year Pastoral Placement. I have fully participated in the four dimensions of formation at the Seminary; academic, pastoral, spiritual and human. This end of year placement primarily constitutes a continuing part of the pastoral and human formation dimensions.

Having spent a week here on the Capricorn Coast at the end of 2018, prior to my departure for a tour of parishes all around the Diocese, from out west to Longreach, north to Mackay, and all in between, I am pleased to be able to spend six weeks now among the people of the Capricorn Coast. I am looking forward to refreshing existing friendships and to making new connections right along the Coast at Masses, during visitations to schools and nursing homes, and throughout the busy dynamics of Parish life.

I am grateful for the happy welcome I have already received from Fr Matthew Moloney and Fr Andrew Chase and from the parishioners I have already encountered in my first week. I am grateful to Bishop Michael McCarthy and the Seminary Formators for this additional opportunity for discernment, and know that it is made possible through the prayerful support of all people across the Diocese of Rockhampton.

May God bless you and those you love as we enter Advent and prepare for the birth of the Christ-Child among us.

Peter Doherty

Seminarian – Diocese of Rockhampton

Notes from the Catholic Parishes of North Mackay and Farleigh

Fr Stephen celebrates 30 years as a priest

Fr Stephen Hanly celebrated a special mass at St Joseph’s church, North Mackay to mark his 30 years in the priesthood this November.  The Holy Spirit College choir lifted their voices in beautiful harmony at the mass. The mass was followed by supper in the parish centre.

Giving Tree

A Giving Tree has been set up at St Joseph’s church as an appeal to support the St Vincent de Paul. Parishioners are invited to select a tag from the tree then buy an appropriate gift for people in need in the community. The unwrapped gifts must be placed under the tree by Sunday, December 15 when volunteers will collect and distribute the gifts.

Holy Spirit College hampers

Holy Spirit College held an Advent prayer service on Friday, November 29 at which 200 hamper packs were donated to the North Mackay St Vincent de Paul Conference. The hampers contained non-perishable food items and toys for families in need to enjoy at Christmas. A monetary donation was also given with the proceeds coming from various fundraisers held within HSC.

Paul Vanderloos

South Mackay Parishes

Catholic Men’s Club Dinner

 Seminarian Ashwin Acharya  Fr James Ezocha, St Joseph’s  Peter Zahra

Members of the Mackay Catholic Mens club enjoyed another monthly dinner, the last for this year.  Our guest speaker for the night was Fr James Ezocha from the St Josephs Parish Nth Mackay.

Fr James spoke about his journey to become a Priest. From the days at Secondary school to the studies at the seminary in his home parish.

He also spoke about his home country Nigeria, how the country was divided into various states and spoke about the lifestyle. He also spoke about why he chose to come to Australia when asked by a member during question time, his reply was most interesting.

Fr James arrived in Australia in August 2018 and after spending some time in the Rockhampton area, he came to St Josephs in January this year.

In the June edition of the diocesan e-newsletter Bishop Michael wrote that having begun in Bundaberg, the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation over the following months would take place in various other venues around the diocese including Blackall, Tambo, North Rockhampton, the Valleys parishes, Emerald, Springsure, Mackay, the Capricorn Coast, Gladstone, the Peak Downs Cluster and Blackwater.  As I look at the photo of the 15 children of St. Mary’s Clermont who celebrated the Sacrament with Bishop Michael in October (November newsletter), I am reminded of my own Confirmation and the differences in the way our church now celebrates. Although I was not quite 7 years old when I made my First Communion, it was another five years before my class mates and I at our local Catholic school, were permitted to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. This took place after our Bishop visited the school to question us and to ensure that we were well prepared. We were rather nervous about this!  As understanding of our faith develops so the church’s theology is modified and now it is common to celebrate Confirmation and Eucharist together.

For the girls and boys who live on properties here in the western part of the diocese and who are unable to attend a school, Catholic or State, it is not so easy to prepare for the sacraments. The pattern of life for children as well as their parents is less predictable. It can be subject to change with little or no warning. This makes it difficult to arrange for lessons and to cover the programme within a set time. Rather than being face-to-face, most lessons are via the telephone although over the period of two or three or however many months it takes us to cover the lessons preparing for Confirmation and First Communion (Eucharist) I plan to visit the properties three or four times. 

Again as I look back to my own childhood, I recall that I was one of perhaps thirty or forty girls and boys when I received each of these sacraments. It was very different for Toby. On Sunday, December 1^st in St. John’s church at Alpha, some months after we had begun the programme, he and his family gathered with the community take this next step in his faith journey. Just as it is not easy to organise times for talking (phone or face-to-face) so it is challenging to organise a time when Bishop Michael can travel the long distance involved - requiring him to stay overnight - and be sure that the one candidate or small group of children will be present. On this occasion, Father Peter Tonti who had been ministering in the west for the past month was delegated by Bishop Michael as celebrant. May our loving God bless Toby and his family who will nurture his continued growth in faith.

Sr. Mary Farrelly

The preparation for the plenary Council has been going strong in our Diocese.

We have had three months of thematic approaches and this month as we prepare for Christmas we are examining the theme of Eucharist.

It is appropriate that we explore the richness of Christ's coming in Eucharist as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child anew in our hearts at Christmas.

The New year will be upon us very soon and then Ash Wednesday is in February.

In January we have left the month with no particular theme as families are busy celebrating together and preparing for the year ahead.

However, as Lent approaches in 2020, we are blessed with the Plenary council Team of the Brisbane Archdiocese, having prepared a Lenten programme for us that is based on the Plenary Council themes. It actually concludes with the Easter celebrations.

The overall theme for the programme is BE OPENED and calls us to

  Be Opened ..

• to be led by the Spirit
• to listen
• to the the living water
• to see
• to believe 
• to death
• to new life

The Gospel reflections for 2020 have been written and presented by 2  popular speakers

Dr Michelle Connolly rsj from the Catholic Institute of Sydney and 

Dr Ian Elmer from the Australian Catholic University

Their presentations are in the book on DVD, CD's USB card and the App for mobiles and tablets.

There are also prayer packs for Staff.

To inquire further please contact

 Evangelisation Brisbane  ph: 07 3324 3440  email:  eb@bne.catholic.net.au

As you plan for 2020, may every blessing of the Christmas Season be upon you and all those you love.

Sr Noreen Dunne smsm

'Across Faiths Journey'

Something rather beautiful happened on Saturday 19 October 2019 in Rockhampton. Approximately 40 people of different faith beliefs came together to walk a common path which took them on a journey that resulted in a greater understanding of each other’s religions. This was Interfaith CQ's inaugural 'Journey Across Faiths' tour of various places of worship across the city.

The diverse group gathered at The Cathedral College car park for an approximate 10:00 -10.30 am departure. The group included people from Christian (Catholic, Uniting), Islamic, Hinduism, Buddhism and Baha'i faiths. Due to the generosity of The Cathedral and Emmaus Colleges, the group was able to travel together by way of mini bus and coach. Of course, coaches don't drive themselves so a big 'Thank you!' goes out to Claire Stitt and Mick Lunny for their kind commitment to driving the group from venue to venue with grace and much good humour.

At each place of worship, we were greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality. There presented among the group a gentle thirst for learning and understanding. Questions were encouraged and answered.

Martin Linnane, of the Cathedral Parish, was amazing in his knowledge of the history of St Joseph's Cathedral. It was the first experience of this magnificent Cathedral for many of the group. One member of the group wanted to know if the Vatican had paid for it! Martin assured them it hadn't. The fact that the stain-glass windows were removed during World War II and buried either at Neerkol or near Alpha certainly reflected the Cathedral's rich history. Alpha was probably the preferred site......probably unlikely the Japanese would have looked that far West. The significance of the Bishop's Chair was another point of great interest. 

Saif, the new President of the Islamic Centre, and other members of his Faith were gracious hosts at the Islamic Centre. Once again it was a first time for many. Saif spoke very well mentioning, in particular, the high esteem they hold Jesus Christ and Mary. He impressed upon the group that anyone can go to the Islamic Centre for quiet reflection or prayer as had previously been said at St Joseph's Cathedral.

The Ananda Buddhist Centre in Rockhampton was the next stop on the journey. Irena spoke to the group about the basics of Buddhism and its history. The 'Four Immeasurable Thoughts' were explored and explained. These 'Thoughts' were:

 May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness;

May they be free from suffering and the cause of suffering;

May they never part from the happiness that knows no suffering;

May they dwell in equanimity free from attachment and aversion to those near and far.

 The Centre itself reflected much of the Buddha's teachings including thoughts and photos of the present Dalai Lama. Irena too encouraged those interested in meditation to come along to the 'Calm Abiding' meditation sessions that they offer to the community. Once again, a first visit to a Buddhist 'Temple' for many. 

The group then journeyed to the North Rockhampton Uniting Church in Berserker Street and was greeted there by Margery who introduced us to Pastor Matt. A little of the history of the Uniting Church was shared as well as an explanation of some of their religious services including the use of ' unfermented grape juice' instead of 'wine' when Communion is celebrated. The Church also offers Community activities ranging from Bible Study, Chaplaincy support, social gatherings etc.

The Uniting Church hall was our venue for the group's BYO lunch. Tea and coffee, dips, crackers and fruit provided by the Uniting Church made for a very convivial breaking of bread together. The Church hall was open and airy and after the group had finished lunch it was the turn of the Hindu representative, Dr Neeraj Moran, to share some of the Hindu practices and beliefs. During the quite comprehensive talk, many Hindu beliefs were explained to the group. Some of these included that Hindus only believed in one God which they refer to as Brahman. The gods of the Hindu faith represent different forms of Brahman. Hinduism has no founder, single teacher nor any prophets. The word, Hindu, comes from the name of the Indus River which flows from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the sea. The group was told that there is not a Hindu Temple in Rockhampton but there is one in Mt Morgan. An open invitation was extended to the group to visit. The knowledge shared about Hinduism was most enlightening and a visit to their Temple next year would further increase people's knowledge of this ancient religion.

The Baha'i was to be the group's host for the conclusion of our 'Journey Across Faiths'. As it is a special year for this Faith, the group had been invited to join the Baha'i at one of their members’ homes. By this time, the group was now about 45 in number and our hosts, Iran and Parvin Rad, had made a special effort to supply chairs for all and accommodated us in their large dining/lounge area. The atmosphere for our final session was truly one of friendship through our Faiths, reflecting the Spirit of Oneness that makes us One Family. The group joined the Baha'i in gentle prayers that were sung to the accompaniment of a guitar. The first prayer was written by their founder 'Baha'u'llah':

 'Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place,

and the city, and the heart, and the mountain,

and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land,

and the sea, and the island, and the meadow

where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.'

The Baha'i religion was quite new to many of the group and the speaker from the Baha'i, Troy, helped many in the group to a better understanding of the Baha'i Faith. This year in October the Baha'i celebrated 200 years since the birth of the Bab. The latter was a forerunner to their founder Baha'ullah whom the Baha'i believe was sent by God to unite all religions. The Baha'i Faith originated in Iran where they were badly persecuted. Baha'u'llah was banished to Israel where he died. Baha'i's teachings reflect the belief that there is but one humanity and all people are equal in the sight of God. As the Baha'i wished the group to celebrate this special occasion with them, cake and pastries had been prepared along with delicious feta, walnut and cumin sandwiches on fresh white bread. Tea, of course was served. A fitting ending to a beautiful day that could be summed up in the last verse of David Haas's stirring hymn, We Are Called:

Sing! Sing a new song!

Sing of that great day when all will be one!

And we'll walk with each other

as sisters and brothers united in love!

Joy Williamson

Interfaith CQ