By Frank Flegel

REGINA (CCN)

Representatives from 12 faith traditions gathered in Regina's Beth Jacob Synagogue Jan. 15, each to pray in their own language for peace, brotherhood, understanding and tolerance in recognition of World Religion Day.

World Religion Day was established in 1960 by the U.S. Baha'i community and has since spread around the world. The Regina Multifaith Forum each year organizes the event and Beth Jacob each year agrees to host it.

Multifaith Forum president Moses Kanhai greeted the approximately 100 people who braved the cold, blustery weather, describing the afternoon's gathering as "an opportunity to raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving."

The activity, he said, "brings us together in ways we cannot imagine." He also said it creates a more caring and peaceful society. Indeed, many of the prayers were for peace among all people, tolerance and understanding and creation of a more caring society.

A soft gong signalled each new representative who came to the lectern and recited their prayer in a traditional language, most offering a translation at the end of the prayer or after each line. Some chanted their prayer and a few wore traditional clothing, notably the Buddhist, Sikh and Muslim representatives. A short interlude of soft music played between the presentations.

The Christian representative, Rev. Charles Kooger of Sonlight Christian Reformed Church, recited the Our Father following his presentation and many of the 100 spontaneously joined in.

Aarti Goyal of the Hindu Community signalled the start of the event with a long blast on the Sankh, a conch shell used in traditional Hindu ceremonies, and Barry Braitman of the Jewish community ended with a series of short blasts and one long blast of the Shofar, a Ram's Horn used in some Jewish ceremonies.

Coffee, tea and juice, along with cookies and a variety of other home-baked food, was available at the reception following.