zNewsletter Sunday

Worshippers pray for unity

About 150 worshippers filled the pews of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church for the 92nd annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service eager to hear messages of peace, healing and unity ahead of the holiday season.

Following the processional hymn and call to worship, Sacred Heart's the Rev. Lubomir "Lubo" Strecok said that when they gather on Thanksgiving in gratitude for God's blessings, they also need to remember families around the world wounded by terror and wars.

"It is our duty to pray that peace will begin right here, in our hearts, and that the power of our prayer will help spread peace throughout the world," Strecok said. "United with our brothers and sisters in Israel, Ukraine and every nation experiencing unrest, we pray this evening for repairing this world."

The Rev. Drew McCaffery of Bethany Lutheran Church gave the main sermon and, like Strecok, touched on the wars in Ukraine and Mideast. He said that while those assembled might not be able to solve all of the world's problems, they are "hopefully able to change one life."

"For when we find that sense of peace, we are distancing ourselves from brokenness and are bringing together the beautiful life that we each have," McCaffery said.

He also spoke of the commonalities between various groups and how they unify us.

"We so crave the very same thing together: a world filled with peace and healing," McCaffery said. "We look into our various communities, our various traditions, we look in the mirror and we struggle with the same comments in Jesus's own Beatitudes."

A representative from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Blair County was on hand for the first time and took the opportunity to not only comment on peace but explain the religion.

"To begin with, we come from the far left region; we're a very liberal religion focused on social justice and kindness, without dogma or doctrine," Kathrine Muller said of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. "Because of this, we draw text from many religious traditions, noting that there are common threads of meaning that unites all this would include words from Native Americans, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity and humanism."

She then quoted Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, saying that if there has to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations.

"If there has to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart," Muller said.

Prior to the end of the service, the offering was introduced by Mickey Port of the Greater Altoona Jewish Federation.

The money gathered during the offering benefited Family Services Inc., in memory of the late Rev. Denise Arpino, and would go toward building another shelter, Port said.

"Family Services provides an array of social services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, runaway and homeless youth, homeless individuals and individuals in need of counseling and persons with intellectual disabilities," Port said. "And if you know and remember Denise, with that big smile and warm welcoming persona, she would want you to be extremely generous."

During the offering, Greater Altoona Jewish Federation President Michael Cohen read a proclamation by Altoona Mayor Matt Pacifico declaring Nov. 16, 2023, a "day of peace and healing in the city of Altoona."

Strecok called the service "very good," saying it was "well organized" and that all of the participants were pleased. He said that he hoped the service opened more people to pray for peace and that prayer is the only weapon they need.

Strecok also said that while gathering with families for the holidays, remember those who have had their families torn apart by conflict, even if they aren't in Ukraine or Israel.

"Pray for peace," Strecok said. "We hear about Ukraine and Israel, but there is so much more going on."

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.