Light of Christ Catholic Elementary School hosted its Christian Unity service last Wednesday, which featured some special guests.
Light of Christ Catholic Elementary School hosted its Christian Unity service last Wednesday, which featured some special guests.
The service attended by more than 150 kids, staff and clergy, and was meant to emphasize unity between members of different religions.
Along with Father Trini Pinca and Deacon Ernie Sehn from St. Catherine’ s Catholic Church, also in attendance was Al-Kareem Mosque imam Mazhar Mahmood, Pastor Emmanuel Chiwele of the Evangelical Free Church and Pastor Seyi Etim of the Grassland Full Gospel Church.
After the singing of two songs by the congregation, the pastors lit candles and stepped forward to light a central candle sitting on the altar.
After the Homily, prayers were offered to particularly religions outside the Catholic Church.
"Forgive us our divisions O God, heal our wounds, grant us faithfulness," the congregation said in response after each prayer.
The service ended with a thank you by Light of Christ principal Aurele Malo and a singing by the kids of the song “This Little Light of Mine.”
Coming together
The five clergy members sat down together for an interview after the service and discussed the ways in which clergy members across faiths keep in touch with each other.
“The Lac La Biche Ministerial Association has regular meetings,” said Sehn. “We meet between six to 10 times per year.”
The Lac La Biche Ministerial Association is an organization in Lac La Biche where clergy of different faiths meet with each other.
The group plans events, shares reading and reflection material, and as Chiwele points out, someone even cooks.
“Usually, it’ s Father Trini who cooks,” he said with a chuckle.
“We also have Remembrance and Christian community celebrations,” added Etim.
The deacon also said the Remembrance Day celebration, which in recent years has taken place at the Bold Center, also features an ecumenical prayer service.
The Christmas ceremony takes place at the Evangelical Free Church.
The clergy members said that life in a small town brings people together, and that though there may be doctrinal differences, that love of God is what is seen as most important.
“It’ s a small town and everyone’ s connected. We have difference but what we have in common is much bigger than the differences,” said Chiwele. “The families are connected. Funerals touch the community across the board.”
The deacon said that in no way are the faith communities are not interacting.
“The whole theme of reunification is to emphasize what we have in common - we’ re all children of the creator, and that’ s much more important than difference in doctrine,” said Sehn.
Mahmood also emphasized the need for tolerance.
“Unity will happen though tolerance and respect for one another,” said Mahmood. “Only then will we succeed as a nation.”
