Religion

Dozens of volunteers walked to erase hunger Oct 22 during the Somerset Presbyterian Church’s 44th annual CROP Walk. Walkers started at the church, located on John F. Kennedy Boulevard, and walked either the full 6.2 miles or the 2-mile mini-walk.

Members of the Baha’i community and invited guests gathered at the FairBridge Hotel and Conference Center Oct. 22 to celebrate the bicentennial of the faith’s founder. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i religion, was born in Tehran, Persia, in present-day Iran. Bahá’u’lláh followed and amplified the teachings of a man known as The Báb, two years his younger, who was …

Dignitaries from across New Jersey and several states were on hand Sept. 16 to help break ground for a new Buddhist temple on Route 27. The ceremony was held at the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center, known for being the home of the largest Buddha statue in the Western hemisphere.

First responders who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City were remembered at a mass at St. Matthias Church. Members of township fire departments, EMS units and their family and friends gathered for the annual mass, during which the names of all first responders who were killed were read.

Approximately 200 people gathered at Masjid-e-Ali mosque on Cedar Grove Lane Sept. 1 to celebrate one of the two most important holidays in the Muslim calendar. It was the festival of Eid al-Adha, commemorating the narrative of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice one of his sons. In the narrative, Abraham is stopped by an angel just as he was about …

Nearly 700 people assembled at St. Matthias Church Aug. 20 for a community vigil against hate, organized by the Franklin Township Interfaith Council. Those gathered in the John F. Kennedy Boulevard church heard from the township’s religious and political leaders, then participated in a candlelight vigil.

A vigil to “reaffirm our commitment for unity and solidarity” is planned for 8 p.m. Aug. 20 at St. Matthias Church. The vigil is being planned by the Franklin Township Interfaith Council.

Members of faith-based groups from around the state gathered at Colonial Park July 16 for a get-together sponsored by the New Jersey Interfaith Coalition. Among those attending the potluck picnic were members of the Franklin Township Interfaith Council, led by Alex Kharazi of the Masjid-e-Ali mosque.

The practice of fasting in religions other than Islam was explored June 17 during a Ramadan Iftar held at the township Community/Senior Center in the Municipal Complex. An Iftar is the breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim’s month-long observance of Ramadan.

Hundreds of people of different faiths were at the Masjid-e-Ali mosque June 11 to take part in its annual interfaith dinner. The mosque has held the dinner during Ramadan for the last six years. Ramadan is a month-long observance of Muslims, who fast during the day in an effort to purify themselves.