Religion

Several hundred parishioners of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Forane Catholic Church gathered at their new church on Elizabeth Avenue July 11 to celebrate the building’s consecration. The church has been about 5 1/2 years in the making, said Cyriac Antony, an ex-Trustee.

Several hundred people from throughout the United States and overseas gathered July 4 at a South Middlebush Road site for the ceremonial groundbreaking of a proposed temple. The Dada Bhagwan Vignan Institute, based in India but with chapters throughout the United States, wants to build a “trimandir” temple on roughly 16 acres abutting Snyder’s Farm on South Middlebush. A trimandir temple …

Children aged 5 years through the completion of 6th Grade are eligible for the Middlebush Reformed Church’s Vacation Bible School, which runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 3 to 7. Registration for the school ends on July 2o.

The Islamic celebration of Ramadan was acknowledged June 23 by the Township Council. Councilman Rajiv Prasad (D-At Large), read a proclamation from himself, Mayor Chris Kelly and Deputy Mayor Kimberly Francois and the rest of the council urging residents to learn about the celebration’s “religious and historical significance.”

Township police will step up their patrols of Franklin’s dozens of houses of worship, according to a press release from the department. The move comes in the wake of the June 17 shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., according to the release.

The 28th annual St. Matthias carnival kicked off May 12.

Representatives from about 20 faith-based and community groups gathered at the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara on Route 27 in Kendall Park May 9 for the 5th annual International Peace Day. Organized by Tulsi Maharjan president of Friends of Nepal – New Jersey, the event featured music, meditation, prayer and food.

Congregants of the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara Meditation Center on Route 27 gathered at the site May 2 to celebrate the birthday of their Lord Buddha. The center, located on a largely wooded 10-acre site, is home to what is considered the largest Buddha statue in the West.

Nearly six months to the day the removal of the original began, a new steeple was placed atop Kingston Presbyterian Church on Route 27. The entire process took about three hours, with first the bell vault being replaced, then the spire and finally – to applause and cheers from onlookers – the finial.

Hundreds of members of the Jain Center of New Jersey paraded down Cedar Grove Lane April 18 top honor some of their fellow members who have participated in a year-long fast. Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that stresses nonviolence and vegetarianism. There are about 1,800 members of the Jain Center, which opened in 2008.