The following is from the South Orange – Maplewood Clergy Association:
The public is invited to this event on Friday, June 19, at 5:30 pm at the South Orange NJ Transit Station.
The South Orange – Maplewood Clergy Association will sponsor an interfaith vigil to show solidarity with the victims and community in Charleston, SC, in response to the recent tragedy there. This vigil will be held at the South Orange NJ Transit station at 5:30 pm and all are welcome to attend. This event will include prayers and words of encouragement from the clergy of various congregations.
On Wednesday, nine people were killed by gun violence at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. This historic church and its storied congregation has been at the nexus of spiritual and political activism in America since its founding in the early 1800’s.
The recent tragedy there is an unfortunate touchstone for the intertwined social issues of guns, violence and race that have affected the South Orange – Maplewood community and the entire nation. The South Orange – Maplewood clergy stand against hatred and are united in support of all those who have been affected by violence.
“The spiritual traditions in this community provide many avenues for expressing and deepening our shared values of equality, freedom and compassion,” says Peter Kurczynski, the Resident Teacher of Dharmachakra Buddhist Center.
The South Orange – Maplewood Clergy Association is an organization of representatives of many spiritual traditions in the South Orange – Maplewood community. It hosts semi-regular meetings at various congregations throughout the year.
