The final touches are being put on a simple but elegant ceremony marking the Peace Pole dedication at Antioch City Hall on Monday, September 12th at noon.

Tho program consists of music while the assembly gathers; welcoming remarks by Walter Ruehlig; a chant for entering into the moment in honor of September 11th, 2001; a reflection by Rev. Thomas Bonacci; a meditation for peace in honor of the International Day of Peace; a presentation to the Mayor by Rev. Bonacci; the Mayors’ remarks and reading of a Proclamation; a rendition of the “Impossible Dream” by baritone Richard Assadoorian; a dedication of the Peace Pole by movement, gesture and chant led by Rev. Sierra Lynne White; concluding remarks; the release of doves; and the symbolic community touching of the Peace Pole.

The event is sponsored by the Interfaith Peace Project located in Antioch and is part of the 11 Days of Peace Celebration starting on September 11th and ending on the International Day of Peace, September 21st. Activities at sixteen houses of worhip from Fremont to Brentwood range from blood drives, children’s concerts, open houses, prayer services, lectures, garden dedications, poetry jams and folk-sing alongs centered on peace. For a calendar of events, see www.interfaithpeaceproject.org.or call (925) 756-7628.

Buddhist, Catholic, Congregationalist, Episcopalian, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, Presbyterian, Protestant, Seventh Day Adventist, Sikh, Sufi groups are participating under the aegis that there can be no lasting peace until the religions of the world have peace.

The Peace Pole is eight foot treated cedar with the words ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ ingrained in twelve languages common to our area. The tradition of planting peace poles began in Japan in 1955 in memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Peace poles can now be found at the base of Mt. Everest, the magnetic North Pole in Canada, Gorsky Park in Russia, and the Pyramids at Gaza. They have been dedicated by world leaders such as Jimmy Carter and religious figures such as Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at 12:26 pm and is filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.