The Cloister Hall at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta recently served as a meeting place for people whose prayers, customs, and stories may differ, but whose longing for peace is shared. Source: Catholic Outlook.
The Multifaith Gathering for Peace, held on October 27 under the theme “Unarmed and Disarming Peace”, brought together members of Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities, alongside Indigenous voices, music, reflection and conversation.
The evening marked 40 years since religious leaders gathered in Assisi, in Italy, at the invitation of Pope John Paul II, for the World Day of Prayer for Peace.
That landmark meeting demonstrated that people can remain faithful to their own traditions while standing together for the good of humanity.
After each faith presentation at Cloister Hall, participants were invited to begin a conversation with someone from another tradition or someone they did not know.
These brief encounters were followed by silent reflection. This rhythm was incredibly successful. Presentation, conversation and reflection created space not only to hear information about another faith, but to encounter a person of another faith. In an age when difference is often reduced to a slogan or stereotype, a face-to-face exchange can be a simple act of peacebuilding.
The program opened with an Acknowledgement of Country, by Diane Van Aken, and a presentation by the Jannawi Dance Clan from Catherine McAuley College.
From there, the evening moved through distinctive expressions of faith. A Buddhist presentation and video, a Christian performance of the Peace Prayer of St Francis, a Jewish psalm chanted by a Rabbi, Sikh contributions and Islamic devotional music each offered a window into a living tradition.
Music gave the gathering another language. Cousin Zakaria Partoredjo, of the Three Rivers Ensemble, performed the Arabic devotional song Talama Ashku Gharami and a Freedom Song whose verses refer to prophets honoured across the Abrahamic faiths.
Two “Trees of Light and Hope” stood at the heart of the celebration. On arrival, each person received a paper dove. Before the evening ended, participants wrote a prayer, question, reflection or source of hope on their dove and placed it on one of the trees. This simple act turned private thought into a visible, collective promise.
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Many faiths gather for the shared goal of peace (Catholic Outlook)
