Prayer Gathering

Once a year WIFA observes the Week of Prayer for World Peace, an international event which takes place on the second to third Sundays in October. People from all faiths and none come together to offer thoughts and prayers for peace in our world. The WPWP gatherings were held first at the Friends Meeting House and later at the Watford Peace Garden. During the pandemic, WIFA held regular prayer meetings online before its interfaith discussions. In the last few years WIFA organized various vigils to support victims of terrorist attacks or natural disasters around the world. Representatives of different faiths and Watford residents come together in the Peace Garden to offer prayers and sympathy to those afflicted. There were vigils for the terrorist attacks in Paris, Christchurch, (New Zealand) and Sri Lanka, the war in Ukraine and for the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria just to name a few.

"Peace gathering in the Garden" every third Sunday of the month. All are welcome to meet in the Watford Peace Garden at the Peace Arch at 4pm for reflection and prayers.

Peace Gathering in the Garden
Sunday 21st July 2024.

WIFA's first monthly Gathering for Peace event in the Peace Garden on Sunday went very well, with quite a large attendance on a very pleasant afternoon in Cassiobury Park. It was requested by Mayor Peter Taylor on behalf of several people who asked for such regular gatherings. Town Centre Chaplain Geert Tap, now a member of the WIFA executive, took the lead on this occasion. We proceeded round to the Peace Garden pond where he threw in a stone, which ensure ripples across the water, to show how negativity can spread. In our monthly prayer / discussion meeting last night, we also showed how positivity can spread in ripples if we spread peaceful thoughts and prayers.

We then returned to the labyrinth, and interspersed with moments of silent reflection and warm greetings, we joined in building a cairn which represented our positive thoughts which can guide ourselves and others as cairns do to guide travellers on mountain tracks. We then tied golden ribbons onto the trees which represented the Buddhist prayer flags which send prayers out everywhere in the wind.

The next gathering will be on 18th August. All are welcome.

Judith