Community Congregates at Interfaith Gathering to Celebrate National Day of Prayer
May 12, 2014
GREENVILLE, SC – May 2, 2014 – Members of a variety of faith traditions congregated to pray for peace and justice and celebrate the diversity of our community at an interfaith gathering for the National Day of Prayer. The event, hosted by the Year of Altruism, Interfaith Forum of Upstate SC and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, was held May 1 at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center of Greenville.
In the spirit of the Year of Altruism’s mission to encourage and celebrate altruism, the National Day of Prayer Community Service and Breakfast united a diverse group of local faith leaders and residents for a celebration of God’s grace and the common threads that unite us.
Community members from across the Upstate came together to share breakfast, fellowship, worship, music and unity. Roman Catholic Bishop of Charleston Robert E. Guglielmone presented the keynote address and local spiritual leaders also took part in the event, including Rev. Pat Jobe of The Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Frances Worthington of Greenville Baha’I, Rabbi Marc Wilson of The Year of Altruism, Alexandra Seay of Native American, Joe Mercaldo of Secular Humanism, Rev. Deb Richardson-Moore of Triune Mercy Center, Ken Clardy of Pagan Pride, Ayesha Ahmad of The Islamic Society of Greenville, and Rev. James King of Unity Church. The service featured musical performances by the Sanctuary Choir of Allen Temple AME Church, Valisa Smith and Sam Coates.
“The National Day of Prayer service was an uplifting celebration of God’s grace and the diversity of our Upstate community,” said Rabbi Marc Wilson, founder and director of the Year of Altruism. “We are so thankful for this incredible opportunity to come together with friends from all faiths and backgrounds to enjoy this day of praise and worship. What a fabulous celebration of God’s providence and the ‘unity in diversity’ in our Beloved Community!”
The National Day of Prayer Community Service and Breakfast is part of the Year of Altruism’s year-long series of engaging and celebratory events highlighting and promoting altruism – the unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others. To learn more about other Year of Altruism events, please visit the Upcoming Events page at www.yearofaltruism.org/upcomingevents.
About the Year of Altruism
The Year of Altruism is a series of celebratory events, taking place from August 2013 through June 2014, hosted by more than 100 participating groups in the Upstate of South Carolina and beyond. Established in the spring of 2013 under the 501(c)(3) umbrella of the Community Foundation of Greenville, the Year of Altruism’s mission is to encourage and celebrate altruism in thought, speech and deed, focusing the community on fostering acts of kindness in its organizations and individuals, thus creating a better future, one life at a time. Learn more about the Year of Altruism by visiting www.yearofaltruism.org and following them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/yearofaltruism) and Twitter (@yearofaltruism).
Photo: The Sanctuary Choir of Allen Temple AME Church performs during the National Day of Prayer Service of Peace.
