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Qal’bu Maryam, the first woman-led mosque in Northern California and the second in the United States, held an opening celebration last Friday. The innovative mosque is housed at Starr King School for the Ministry, a Unitarian Universalist seminary in Berkeley, California. The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, president of Starr King, spoke at the celebration: “I am grateful that you have placed your trust in us in holding this sacred space for women and for anyone who wishes an open way to pray and to worship.” (Daily Californian – 4.21.17)
More coverage:
“Muslim Women Open Mosque In Defiance of Patriarchy and Trump” (Newsweek – 4.21.17)
Mother in sanctuary at UU church is named one of the most influential people in the world
Jeanette Vizguerra, a mother of four who has been living in First Unitarian Society of Denver, Colorado, as she works through legal deportation proceedings, has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Although the congregation successfully housed an undocumented immigrant before, the church’s minister the Rev. Mike Morran said that under the Trump administration, they have no idea what to expect from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents this time. (Denver Post – 4.20.17)
More coverage:
“Undocumented mom taking sanctuary in Denver church is among Time's 100 Most Influential People” (CNN – 4.20.17)
More news from congregations
A family of Syrian refugees is finally reunited after two years apart, thanks to help from members of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, Oregon. “There are more than 6 million refugees in the world now, and we know that what we can do is only a small amount, but if we can save a life, then it's worth doing,” said Connie Newman, chair of the church’s refugee sanctuary project, which worked with interfaith and community groups to help resettle Hussain Rachou, his wife Avin, and their two children. (KVAL – 4.16.17)
Students in thousands of schools across the country will participate in a Day of Silence event where students take a vow of silence throughout the day to call attention to bullying and harassment that LGBTQ students encounter. In Indiana, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington’s Rainbow Rights task force will hold a Breaking the Silence event afterward to help people process the experience. “The Day of Silence can be hard, and Breaking the Silence is just a chance to be around other people who did it and relax and have fun,” said task force chair Amy Makice. (Indiana Daily Student – 4.20.17)