Friday 4 October

Visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor

 

Some of us have enjoyed a wonderful visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor followed by lunch, and the weather was kind too!

Many thanks to Radha Mohan das who looked after us all day, and to Chanda Shome who organised the trip.We saw darshan in the temple hall, with the gods in their beautiful array at the altar, learnt about the musical instruments that are used, tabla, harmonium etc. and saw ladies making garlands: we saw the rooms where Srila Prabhupada used to live, the new greenhouses, the construction of the new haveli, and the dairy where the cows and calves were resting.

We had a video describing the way the temple works, philosophical discussions and a lovely lunch. All in all it was a very good, educative and entertaining visit. Radha Mohan das sent these photos too.

 

 

Meeting at Peace Hospice

The Peace Hospice in Watford is looking at ways to expand its services to all parts of the local community. To look at ways of doing this the WIFA committee was invited to meet with some of the staff. Five committee members were able to go on 12 September.

We were given an introduction to the work of the Hospice.

Much more of their work is with outpatients than inpatients. It includes a wide range of activities and therapies for anyone affected by a life-limiting medical condition, all of which are free to the participants. There are also volunteers who will go to people’s homes to offer friendship and support. Bereavement counselling is offered for anyone who has suffered bereavement – no previous contact with the Hospice is required.

We looked at ways of making the Hospice services better known across the community in the Watford area.

If your faith group or other community group would like someone to talk to them about the work of the Hospice, please do let the committee know.

We finished the meeting with a tour of the comfortable and welcoming facilities in the building – though the outpatient activities could also happen elsewhere.

Maybe your place of worship could host something.

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Gathering for Sri Lanka

27 April 2019

The gathering in the Peace Garden was very well attended considering the bitterly cold wind. People really appreciated the opportunity to come together to share their sorrow and condolences and just pray together in their own ways.

We were very honoured to have the presence of the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka’s representative to come and speak of his heartfelt sorrow, and to read some of her words.

 

Many thanks to MP Richard Harrington and elected mayor Peter Taylor for coming and also those who shared thoughts and prayers: Sri Mohan from the Velmurugan Temple, Revd Neville Dyckhoff from Holy Rood Catholic Church, Revd Tim Roberts from Christians Across Watford, Dr Shanta Tuladhar, representing Buddhism, Zahid Zarin who spoke for Muslims, Fr Geoff who read words from Rabbi Levine at the Synagogue, PC Pat Davey and the pastor from the Seventh Day Adventist Church. A special treat was hearing the North Watford Choir perform an impromptu rendering of a peace song, peace, shalom, salaam which ended the meeting on a high.

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Message from Watford Interfaith Association:

 

*We wish to offer our deep condolences to all those who have been killed, maimed and affected in Sri Lanka. With the events of Christchurch still fresh in our minds, this tragic sequence of events must reinforce the love we hold for humanity*.

 

The 30 minutes of terror left almost 300 dead at the time of writing, and hundreds injured. Three churches and three hotels were attacked, with a further two blasts at a guesthouse, plus another one today. These targeted attacks can only be seen as evil in every sense.

 

This senseless massacre of innocent people is not a hallmark that any faith prescribes, especially at this most holy time for all our fellow Christian brothers and sisters who are celebrating Easter.

 

The world we will live in is bound by love not hate, so to those who wish to bring hate and fear we as faiths in Watford are united and stand strong against whatever adversity we face now or in the future.

 

The direction we must follow is very clear, that the veil of hatred must be discarded at all costs. Once again we must turn our thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected and the loved ones that have been left behind.

 

Harjit Singh

Chair of WIFA

On behalf of Watford Interfaith Association

22^nd April, 2019

 

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22 March 2019

Interfaith Prayer Vigil for New Zealand

Very many thanks to those of you who came to the Peace Garden yesterday in memory of those who lost their lives or were injured or bereaved in the events in Christchurch, New Zealand exactly a week before. It was very short notice and of course many could not come because of prior commitments. It was thus astonishing to see how many did come, including boys from Watford Boys’ Grammar School, they seemed to keep coming without pause! We reckoned over a hundred were there, with more than thirteen faiths represented, as well as the presence of the Elected Mayor Peter Taylor, Chair of Watford Council Rabi Martins, Chief Inspector Matt Phillips and other officers, fire crews and some councillors.

 

The newly appointed Chair of WIFA, Harjit Singh led the proceedings by the decorated arch into the Peace Garden, assisted by Zahid Zarin. Mayor Peter Taylor led a minute’s silence and mentioned WIFA’s work in encouraging all the communities to work together, followed by the call to prayer from a member of the Sunni mosque, and a recitation from the Q’ran. Each speaker lit a candle, and there followed offerings from the Chief Inspector who promised the police would do everything to ensure Watford is safe: the leader of the council condemned the atrocities, and  representatives of Catholic, Jain, Muslim Zoroastrian, Jewish, Ahmadiyya Muslim, Christians Across Watford, Sikh, and Velmurugan Temple spoke, many of them of love conquering hate and with the suggestion from one of everyone hugging the person next to them, which people did, with many smiles.

 

A participant commented:

‘We gathered in the Peace Garden to remember those who had died in Christchurch, and at other times and places. An amazing number of people came. There was a beautiful sense of unity.’

‘People just kept coming! It was incredible!’

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Elected Mayor Peter Taylor said:

‘It was a privilege to join faith leaders from across Watford, and those of no faith at all, at an Interfaith vigil this morning for the victims of the horrifying events in Christchurch last week.

I’m proud to be a Mayor of such a tolerant and diverse town. We are stronger when we stand together than when we stand apart.’

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AGM 2019

Geoffrey Calvert, chair of the WIFA committee, welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited us all to say the International Prayer for Peace together to open the meeting. In his report he explained that he would be standing down as chair as from this meeting. He reminded us that interfaith activity is something that we do together and encouraged everyone to join in, reminding us that interfaith activity strengthens rather than weakens one’s existing faith. We can all help by maintaining, developing and using the peace garden, by participating in World Day of Prayer and in ‘Sacred Space’ at Celebration and joining the WIFA committee. Geoff was presented with a small gift in recognition of all his work as chair.

We also heard reports from the treasurer and secretary and elected the committee.

Formal business having been satisfactorily, and speedily, accomplished it was time to hear from our guest speakers.

 

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Then our guest speaker Harriet Crabtree helped put our local interfaith work in a national context and highlighted a few of the factors that helped WIFA to be a successful interfaith group such as keeping attending meetings even when things seem difficult; having a good website and social media presence; working in quiet ways like constructing a peace garden.

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AGM 16/2/16

The business of the AGM was fairly quickly accomplished. It’s good to have 13 people elected to the executive committee, we look forward to working with the new members.

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Our speaker DC100 Emma Maxwell’s talk about police counter-terrorism work in Hertfordshire was very illuminating, and somewhat shocking! She gave a good overview of the work and didn’t avoid the difficult issues.

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She kindly answered questions that arose, ably assisted by Pat Davey.

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Among her points was that PREVENT is non-criminal, that it is about supporting and protecting, that it is not against radical thinking but wants to avoid radical thinking becoming violent action.

Our chairperson for the meeting observed that as a young man, dropping a good career path and joining a new religious movement was viewed as radical thinking and action. But it did not lead him to violent action, among other things it led him to interfaith work.

Councillor Linda Topping also spoke to us very briefly. She emphasised that communication is vital and that we can all learn more from listening to one another than just keeping talking. She urged us all to consider standing in the upcoming local election, whatever party we may choose to stand for, so that the council represents the community it serves.

After this there was a lot of socialising, which was very good to see and be part of. And the refreshments were clearly much appreciated.

Here are some reports of recent WIFA events

Interfaith Pilgrimage 2015

More pictures on our Interfaith Pilgrimage page

2 minutes silence at the bandstand to remember those who suffer from terrorism

Our elected Mayor Dorothy Thornhill reminded us that Watford is a moderate and modest town and said that this silence together, incorporated into our already planned interfaith pilgrimage, was a very appropriate response to recent events.

We stood together in silence, between us representing the community of Watford.

AGM 17/2/15

Some pictures:

Our guest speaker, Bonnie Evans-Hills, who encouraged us all to think about what we can offer young people to provide them with hope and show them that they can be heroes in positive ways.

Displays of WIFA’s work and recent activities.

Chair of Watford Council, George Derbyshire, summing up the evening’s proceedings.

BISHOP’S CUP INTERFAITH CRICKET TOURNAMENT, Sunday 3^rd August, Watford Town Cricket Club at Woodside Leisure Centre,

Due to Watford’s great success in winning the tournament between Bedford, Luton, St Albans and Watford in 2013 we are hosted the event this year. The idea is to have people of at least three different faiths in each team, they must be over 15 and can be male or female. It’s free and all are welcome.

Congratulations to Watford’s team on winning again. Look out for news of next year’s tournament, to be held in Watford again.

Watford Interfaith Pilgrimage 2013
Another great success!

Click on image to enlarge

This was the fifth year that Watford Interfaith Association had organised a pilgrimage around Watford on the occasion of National Interfaith week. Year after year, we have seen a great development in the relations between the faiths in Watford.  The hospitality and openness of the various places we visit has increased greatly since the first year we started the pilgrimage. The turnout this year was also at its highest. We counted over 85 participants from various faiths, old and young even small children and 2 brave souls on crutches! The Pilgrimage visited 5 places of worship around Watford: a Synagogue, a Parish Church, a Mosque, a Catholic Church and a Gurdwara. Watford is a small town making it possible for us to walk to all those places of worship in one afternoon. The Head of the Council spoke at the start of the pilgrimage and stayed with us the whole time. The Watford Fire fighters, as part of their community project, also participated and some of them followed us with their fire engine. The Pilgrimage was mentioned in the local newspaper, the Watford Observer..

Françoise Murphy
WIFA Treasurer

To view the pictures of the Pilgrimage taken by Christophe Murphy follow the link:
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/chrisboff/sets/72157637837107173/