Tercentennial

Interfaith Services Planned

Jan Howard

The religious communities of Newtown will join together to offer two interfaith prayer services during the town’s tercentennial in 2005.

Father Bob Weiss of St Rose of Lima Church is chairman of the ecumenical events.

Several members of the clergy met at the Congregational Church on November 17 to discuss the services.

Following that meeting, in a letter to Newtown clergy or their representatives dated November 22, Rev Weiss advised that the opening interfaith prayer service will be held on Sunday, January 16, at 3 pm in the newly constructed social hall of Newtown Congregational Church, the earliest established religious community in Newtown.

The Thanksgiving service will be held on Sunday, November 13, at 3 pm in the Edmond Town Hall auditorium on Main Street.

Rev Weiss said each religious community is asked to provide a one-page history of its founding and development through the years, which will be published in a program distributed at the opening service in January.

Gordon Williams, a member of the Tercentennial Commission Steering Committee, met with members of the clergy at the November 17 meeting.

“Each faith will present its history in Newtown,” Mr Williams said. “Each group will offer a prayer, reading, or chant, or something during the services.”

In his letter, Rev Weiss asked that each religious community submit a hymn appropriate to its community, a suggested reading, and an intercessory prayer.

Each religious leader is invited to participate in the services. A choir would be formed through the assistance of the individual choir directors.