Sampling of the Baltimore Religious Leaders – “From Hope to Wholeness” Interfaith Prayer Service

Twenty-seven of our friars from Our Lady of the Angels Province serve the people of the Archdiocese of Baltimore through over 20 ministries. On Monday, April 25, 2016, several of these friars were on hand, as a large group of faith leaders from multiple religious communities who serve specifically in the Baltimore City area, participated in an interfaith prayer service “From Hope to Wholeness,” on the one year anniversary of the nationally spotlighted Baltimore unrest, held at America’s First Cathedral – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Baltimore, Maryland. The service brought together people of all faiths to pray for peace, healing and unity in Baltimore City, including (but not limited to) faith leaders and congregants from the United Church of Christ, the Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore, the Temple Oheb Shalom, the Union Baptist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church Delaware-Maryland Synod, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The Rev. Dr. John Deckenback, United Church of Christ – Imam Earl El-Amin, Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore – Rabbi Dr. Steven Fink, Temple Oheb Shalom – Reverend Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway, Sr., Union Baptist Church – Reverend Wolf gang Herz-Lane, Evangelical Lutheran Church Delaware-Maryland Synod – Most Reverend William E. Lori, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore – Most Reverend Denis J. Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore – Rev. Dr. Frank Reid, III, Bethel AME – and – Rev. Fr. Donald A. Sterling, D. Min., New All Saints Catholic Church ( first African American priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore) organized the event. Most of these leaders traveled to Rome together last month in a pilgrimage to meet with Pope Francis and to pray for peace in Baltimore. The group has been in regular dialogue over the past year to discuss ways to work together to promote peace and to address underlying problems on behalf of the City. Leaders, ministers and congregations of all faiths were invited to participate and the friars from our province were please to participate.

Article in the Catholic Review

Please take a moment to view this video on the ongoing interfaith work of the Baltimore City religious leaders as presented by the Racial Justice Ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Delaware-Maryland Synod