Latest news with #Unitarian
Winnipeg Free Press
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
City's first Krishna temple opens in Weston
For Greg Crowe, the opening of Winnipeg's first temple for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is like a homecoming. Raised in the Salvation Army, Crowe was christened at that denomination's Weston Community Church — now the new home for ISKCON in Winnipeg. 'It's like a coincidence, but I believe Krishna talks to me through coincidences,' said Crowe, a local high school band teacher who has been part of ISKCON, also known as the Hare Krishna movement, for about 20 years. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Dancers lead the chariot through the Maples during the chariot festival on July 5. The new temple, called Shri Hari Vaikuntha Dham, is 'like a dream come true' for him and the larger ISKCON community. 'I'm ecstatic about it,' he said. 'It will be so great to be all together in our own dedicated space.' Daniel Clark feels the same way. The local bookkeeper, who is a musician at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg, has been attending ISKCON gatherings in local homes since 2009. 'There is a sense of energy in the community about the new temple,' said Clark, a musician who plays at the Unitarian church and who will also play at temple services. 'The idea brings out the best of emotions in me.' Crowe and Clark shared their thoughts about the new temple at the July 5 Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, at the Maples Community Centre. The annual festival found about 1,000 devotees pulling a large chariot bearing local priests and images of the deities Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), Balabhadra and Subhadra through the neighbourhood. The procession was led by dancers, drummers and singers who chanted 'Hare Krishna' and the names of the deities. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS 'It will be so great to be all together in our own dedicated space,' Greg Crowe said. The festival, which also featured cultural displays, dance and food, was part of the launch of the new temple, which is located at 1390 Roy Ave. in the Weston neighbourhood. 'This is a historic moment for Manitoba,' said temple president Vishwambhara Kripa Das, noting that devotees in the city have dreamt for years of establishing a permanent spiritual centre in Winnipeg. The former Salvation Army church became available when it merged with the Weetamah Corps on Logan Ave. ISKCON's Winnipeg chapter bought the building for $850,000 in February. The new temple, which will be officially opened on August 16, will be a spiritual and cultural hub for the community, offering daily worship, youth education, food distribution, interfaith dialogue and wellness programs for all ages, Kripa Das said. It will also be a place to promote service to the community, he said, noting that Krishna consciousness is about more than chanting the name of deities. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Daniel Clark has been attending ISKCON gatherings in local homes since 2009. 'It's about living a life of purpose, service, kindness and compassion,' he said. 'We serve Krishna by serving others, and serving all of creation, every living thing.' That will include renovating the kitchen so it can be available to serve meals to the wider community, including during emergencies like the recent wildfire evacuations. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. For Jaya Kaushik, who came to Canada in 2019 as an international student, having their own temple means no longer needing to rent space for darshan — spending time in the presence of a deity to seek its blessing. Now Kaushik and others can worship whenever they want at the temple, where a priest is present every day. Vrinda Devi Dasi is ISKCON's supervisor for Canada. She is happy to see Winnipeg finally get its own temple. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Drummers and a priest bring an image of a deity to the chariot at the July 5 festival. 'It's good to finally have that home,' she said. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Chicago Tribune
27-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Worship news: Veterans Village meal share and Meditation practice
Bethel Church: 10202 Broadway — Bethel women are invited to join Bethel's Church's women's summer bible study from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on July 1. The group will watch videos filmed on location in Israel, using Kristi McLelland's 7-week study 'Luke in the Land.' Bethel Church will have a three-day serving initiative 'Someone Cares,' beginning July 8. The initiative allows students across Northwest Indiana to unite to transform local communities through hands-on service projects. For more information and to register for either event, visit St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church: 101 W. Burrell Dr. — St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church will have a NWI Veterans Village Meal Share on June 29. The event calls for volunteers to prep and deliver meals, with prep from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and meal delivery and serving from noon to 1 p.m. For more information, visit Marquette Park United Methodist Church: 215 N. Grand Blvd. — All are welcome to worship at 11:15 a.m. Sundays at Marquette Park United Methodist Church. There will be refreshments to follow in the Fellowship Hall. Resurrection House Baptist Church: 1968 W. 11th Ave. — Resurrection House Baptist Church will have 'Standing on God's Promise,' an event centered around God's promises, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 28. To buy tickets, visit Bishop Noll Institute: 1519 Hoffman St. — Bishop Noll Institute will have a series of summer camps for students who will be entering kindergarten through eighth grade next school year. Offerings include STEM and sports camps. STEM Summer Camp sessions are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Weeks are July 7 to 10 and July 14 to 17. Children may attend one or both weeks. Cost is $125 per camper per week. Visit for registration information. First Unitarian Church of Hobart: 497 Main St. — Empty Circle Zen will have Meditation Practices at First Unitarian Church of Hobart June 28 and July 1 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit Herr Farms: 10150 W. 219th Ave. — Bishop Robert McClory will hold the annual Mass for Migrant Farm Workers at 4 p.m. on July 27 at Herr Farms in Lowell. The bilingual Mass will be followed by an outdoor picnic. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share and chairs for your group. Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel: 1628 Ridge Road — Join the Carmelite Fathers in celebrating their 75th anniversary with a 5 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop McClory on July 19. After the mass, there will be food and performances from local choirs, and an outdoor eucharistic adoration. St. Peter Lutheran Church: 6540 Central Ave. — The church will host a rummage sale from July 31-August 2. The sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 31, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 1, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on August 2. Services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. The Gathering Church: 360 Lincoln Hwy. — The Gathering Church has a Worship Night on the first Friday of every month, with the first of July being held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 4. The event will be a night of worship and prayer. For more information, call 219-237-8999. St. John the Evangelist: 10701 Olcott Ave. — St. John the Evangelist will have a Jubilee procession to the Shrine of Christ's Passion on June 28. Holy Hour begins at 5:30 p.m. before Mass starts at 6:30 p.m. A procession will start for the shrine at 7:30 p.m. Praise and worship will be at the shrine, along with food trucks and fireworks.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
San Francisco faith leaders remember those who died in ICE custody
SAN FRANCISCO - Protests are only ramping up throughout the Bay Area opposing the recent increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests. Immigrant advocates are saying the increase in arrests will mean more immigrants will die in custody. Immigrant activists say the increased arrests and detentions are endangering our Bay Area communities and those who are detained. Inside the first Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, faith leaders gathered to remember the people who have died in immigration and customs enforcement custody in California. "The deaths that have already occurred. Last year the ACLU issued a report that 95% of all ICE deaths were preventable," said Rev. Deborah Lee from the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. "Were preventable with basic medical care." Organizers highlighted two in-custody deaths: Ngoc Nguyen who died in April, and Choung Ahn who died in May. Protesters said both men had underlying medical issues and ICE detention facilities were ill-equipped to treat them. Volunteers read from a letter written by a man who had been detained with Nguyen. "When they detained him I would call his girlfriend to check on his well-being and she mentioned his health complications and high blood pressure. He was dealing with a lot of neglect." Priya Patel from the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice said with administration plans to increase arrests, the death toll will only climb. "As we speak, these facilities are rapidly increasingly being populated, we have no reason to think that the for-profit companies that run all of them are going to work harder to make these places safe," said Patel. In Oakland, lawmakers and community leaders came together to speak out about what they call inhumane and unconstitutional ice raids that threaten California communities. They say the state's 2.7 million undocumented immigrants contribute $8.5 billion in state taxes and are a part of the broader community. "Our democracy is at stake with these ICE raids that are happening across California," said Assemblywoman Liz Ortega, (D) San Leandro. "They started in Los Angeles and they've moved to the Central Valley and they are here in the Bay Area." Activists are calling on the community to stay engaged and focused on this issue, even working to train volunteers to go to court hearings with undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers to help protect them from ICE arrests.
Euronews
08-06-2025
- Euronews
Thousands of pilgrims converged on Șumuleu Ciuc to observe pentecost
Thousands of pilgrims poured into Șumuleu Ciuc in Romania on Saturday for the biggest Catholic Pentecost ceremony in Central and Eastern Europe. Following the centuries-old tradition, some of the faithful stopped first at the Franciscan cathedral to pray before walking up Șumuleu Hill to the open-air altar where the mass was held. Many of the pilgrims who set out a few weeks ago had travelled almost a thousand kilometres on the Via Mariae, a spiritual journey that begins in Mariazell, Austria, and follows a cross on the map of Central Europe before ending in Harghita with the grand procession of Catholic Pentecost. The majority claim that they pray for understanding, health, and peace. One of the routes, called the Way of the Cross, starts near the Franciscan church and features 14 crosses symbolising the places where Jesus stopped on Golgotha. "This is why I come here. I believe in the Virgin Mary, she does miracles. And besides, it is very beautiful! one man said. "Everybody from all entire Europe has been coming here for hundreds and hundreds of years. And this is why I come as well. I am very happy to come here along with my entire family," he added. Another pilgrim said he came to attend the mass. "I have also attended it in the last two years, and I like it. I like to see people from Europe coming here." The pilgrimage to Sumuleu Ciuc dates back 450 years and is linked to a historical event in 1576, when the prince of Transylvania, John Sigismund, tried to impose the Unitarian religion on the Roman Catholics of the region - of the Secler seats of Ciuc, Gheorgheni, and Cashin— an attempt that ultimately failed. According to local authorities, more than 300,000 people attended the event last year.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Three-alarm fire rips through roof of Breezy Point church day before Easter
A three-alarm fire broke out in a church in the Rockaways Saturday afternoon. More than 100 firefighters and EMS medics responded to a blaze that started around 2 p.m. at St. Edmund Church near Rockaway Point Blvd. in Breezy Point. The fire burned through the roof of the church, FDNY said. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries in the incident as the fire was placed under control at 3:30 p.m. It remained unclear what sparked the blaze as FDNY personnel are still investigating. Tom Fox, the former CEO of New Water Taxi and an early planner of Hudson River Park in Manhattan, and his wife, Gretchen Ferenz Fox — an agnostic couple — live six blocks from the church. Ferenz Fox noted St. Edmund is the second-largest of three Catholic churches in the idyllic beachside enclave, which also boasts a Unitarian church. The house of worship had all-new brown shingle siding added after Hurricane Sandy, she noted. Fox said the small community boasts three volunteer fire departments, adding, 'They were first on the scene, for sure.' 'It will be devastating to the community,' Fox said. 'But we are resilient, so we will pull together.'
