CIC sponsored the First Annual International Day Of Peace Celebration*

Sunday, September 23, 2007

3:00 p.m.

on the Calvert County Courthouse lawn
Main Street, Prince Frederick.

The theme of the celebration was
“Weave Us Together”.

We “weave together” in the hope of creating a more compassionate community and building a more peaceful world.

The celebration began with a Peace Walk from various churches in Prince Frederick: St. Paul’s Episcopal, Trinity UMC, St. John Vianney and Mount Olive UMC.  The peace walk was organized by Nick Graziano. Peace walkers converged at the courthouse at 3:00 p.m. for the International Day of Peace Celebration.

People of different ages, races, religions and cultures gathered to celebrate unity and the desire for peace in the world.

Peggy Braham from St. John Vianney Catholic Church lead the gathering in song.  Everyone joined in singing, Weave Us Together, Prayer of St. Frances, Peace is Flowing Like A River and Let There Be Peace On Earth.

Rev. Alice Thompson, Chaplain of Calvert Memorial Hospital opened the program.   Commissioner Susan Shaw read a Proclamation from the County Commissioners (picture on the left). Rev. Alice Thompson, Rev. Kay Albury (Brooks UMC), Rev. Wendy Fambro (American Baptist), Rev. Lori Staubitz (Unitarian Universalist) and Fr. Peter Daly (St. John Vianney Catholic Church) are pictured in the picture on the right.  They were among those who participated in offering prayers of peace from their faith traditions.

Amir Zahir from the Southern Maryland Islamic Center offered the Muslim call to prayer (left).  Dr. Heideh Sabet offered a prayer from the Baha'i tradition (right).

Dr. Harriett Nettles offered a prayer from the Hindu tradition(left). Rabbi Arnold Saltzman from Beit Chaverim congregation offered the Jewish prayer for peace.  Rabbi Saltzman shares some thoughts with Fr. Peter Daly after the program (right).

Rev. Alice Thompson and Rev. Sue Shorb-Sterling (one of the organizers of the celebration) are pictured above.  Rev. Sue (from Olivet United Methodist Church) is holding baskets of woven peace bracelets that were distributed by the Girl Scouts.  Other members on the organizing committee for the CIC event were from the Quaker, Catholic, American Baptist, Jewish and Muslim faith traditions.

Girl Scout Troop 4545 from Lusby participated in a candle lighting ceremony (left). Rev. Wendy Fambro and her daughter, Naomi, demonstrated a native blessing (right).  

Weave Us Together yarn bracelets were made by the Daughters of Abraham, the Girl Scouts and individuals in the community.  Everyone who attended the event received a peace bracelet.   At one point in the program, Rev. Wendy Fambro asked the gatherers to exchange their bracelet with someone there that they did not know.  After the exchange, they gave one another the Native American blessing for peace, which had been demonstrated by Rev. Wendy and her daughter Naomi.

Miriam's Sisters from Brooks United Methodist Church performed a liturgical dance.

Miranda Jarnot and Nancy Donley presented a weaving that they called, "a labor of love".   In the picture on the left, it is being cut from the loom. A mixture of colors is present in the striped weaving.  The different colors symbolize gratitude, faith, growth, Spirit, hope, happiness and peace. The weaving will travel to different places of worship throughout Calvert County, caring the message of peace, and continuing the process of "weaving us together". 

Children came carrying a homemade dove of peace over their heads.

Participants get ready to release the live white doves of peace.

White doves of peace were released at the conclusion of the celebration to lift up our prayers for peace and carry them out into the community and world.

A special thank you to EVERYONE who made this day possible. 

* The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations in 1981 and was first celebrated in September 1982. It is traditionally celebrated on the 21st day of September.

The concept is to inspire people to embrace compassion, to respect life and to live in harmony with one another, celebrating diversity rather than using it as a reason for conflict.  For more information, visit www.internationaldayofpeace.org

Calvert Interfaith Council

P.O. Box 878

Prince Frederick, Md 20678