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UUs grieve with their Muslim neighbors
After the deadly mosque attacks in New Zealand, the Rev. Jason Seymour, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield, Massachusetts, issued a statement on behalf of the Interfaith Council of Greater Springfield: “Know that all of our communities, each in its own way, are praying for peace and for greater understanding. Know, too, that within our grief and sympathy dwells a steadfast resolve.” (MassLive, 3.16.19)
The Rev. Paige Getty of the UU Congregation of Columbia, Maryland, was among those who gathered to greet members of the Muslim Family Center assembling for Friday prayers. “We are gathering to show love and support for our Muslim neighbors to show we love them and hope to help them stay safe,” Getty said. (WBALTV, 3.15.19)
Austin churches provide sanctuary for asylum-seekers
Asylum-seekers Hilda Ramirez and Alirio Gamez have taken sanctuary in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and First Unitarian Universalist Church in Austin, Texas. In a prepared statement, Ramirez said, “ICE doesn't think they have to listen to anybody, and that's dangerous. I am going to continue fighting because I have a community behind me and because my faith is bigger than any terror they can inflict on me.” (Patch.com, 3.18.19)
South Jersey congregation shares its 'secret garden'
For nearly fifty years, the arboretum on the seventeen-acre grounds of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, has been an unintentional secret, tended lovingly by 94-year-old Ken Arnold, a retired landscape architect. Now the congregation wants to share this “hidden gem.” Board president Ed Fox said, “We shouldn’t spend all our time doing religion inside a building. We need to spend more time in nature, so that nature becomes part of us.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, 3.18.19)