St. Procopiu to host interfaith Thanksgiving service
In some areas of the world, inviting members of different religions to worship together would be fraught with tension. Fortunately, that's not the atmosphere in Lisle.
The Benedictine monks of St. Procopius Abbey will welcome representatives of eight other spiritual traditions for the 17th annual DuPage Interfaith Thanksgiving service at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the abbey, 5601 College Road, Lisle.
The service is conducted in the Papal Assisi Model, named for a day of prayer held by John Paul II in 1986, said the Rev. Julian von Duerbeck, spokesman for the Abbey and the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue.
"At that event, 150 religious leaders prayed in each other's presence, in their own tradition. The Pope's message was that the same supreme being answers the prayers of the people."
The Thanksgiving service at the Abbey will include the spiritual groups from DuPage County and the greater Chicago area. Joining the Benedictine monks will be Buddhist monks from Bodhi Dharma Center in Hinsdale; Sikhs from Guru Nanak Sikh Mission of Greater Chicago; Muslim representatives of the Islamic Center of Naperville; Jewish worshipers from Etz Chaim in Lombard; a Zoroastrian women's choir; Theosophists from the Theosophical Society in Wheaton; members of the Baha'i faith; and Protestant Christians from Second Baptist Church in Wheaton.
The evening will begin with a brief introduction by Rabbi Steven Bob of Etz Chaim and a musical selection that emphasizes service and thanks, said von Duerbeck. Last year, the assembly sang "If I Had A Hammer."
The Benedictine monks, joined by several young men from Benet Academy, will continue the program with three traditional Gregorian chants in Latin. After the prayers of the other participants are complete, the final song will be "America the Beautiful."
"We feel that by having this service, we're emphasizing something that we all share -- Thanksgiving," von Duerbeck said.
Of the 17 Interfaith Thanksgiving services held in DuPage, the last 13 have been held at the Abbey.
"Everyone likes the size of the Abbey and simplicity of the architecture," von Duerbeck said.
The service in past years has attracted as many as 500 people.
"This shows the respect we have for other religions within the United States and we enjoy a freedom of religion," von Duerbeck said. "It's a good model for the world, which is needed very much."
Admission is free for the 90-minute service and the community is invited to attend. For details about the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, visit www.monasticdialog.com.
For details about the abbey, visit www.procopius.org.
If you go
What:The 17th annual DuPage Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday
Where: St. Procopius Abbey, 5601 College Road, Lisle