The Chicago Faith Coalition has issued the following Invitation to Pray Together for the Extinguishing of Fires and the Kindling of a Flame:

"What could inflame hatred and violence more than to set afire that which others hold sacred?

That hatred and violence surely must be the source and purpose of those who promise to burn the Holy Quran on the day we Americans and the whole world remember the tragic events of 9/11.

Let us not stand separated and silent on the weekend of 9/11 - we who thank God for the diversity and vitality of religious commitments in our nation and who seek, from the wellsprings of our many faiths, to promote mutual understanding and respect and to advance justice and peace.

We ask you, therefore, to join us in prayers that will kindle a different flame:

a prayerful spark that will ignite us again to bring comfort to those who lost loved ones on that terror-filled day and in the wars that followed from it;

a prayerful spark that will ignite us again to stand against the forces of distrust of one another, hostility toward faiths other than our own, and cruelty under the guise of devotion;

a prayerful spark that will ignite us again to stand with documented and undocumented immigrants, the homeless and those losing their homes, the jobless and the despairing;

a prayerful spark that will ignite us again to seek healing and reconciliation at home and abroad for the cause of justice and peace.

In whatever way is in keeping with your own religious tradition, we ask you to pray with us on the weekend of September 10 -12 that the fires of hatred and violence in our nation and in our world will be extinguished and that, together, we can be aflame for the cause of a truly Beloved Community."

The Chicago Faith Coalition is an inter-faith group working toward peace in the Middle East. This group includes St. Mary's friend, The Reverend Cotton Fite.   read more »

Dancing at Mardi GrasThe St. Mary's Mardi Gras Committee is ecstatic to announce that the Mardi Gras Fundraiser on February 13, 2010 netted nearly $20,000! These proceeds will be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development to aid in the recovery in Haiti. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this event a huge success.

St.Mary's has joined with other Park Ridge churches and community organizations in helping furnish the weekly supper for those needing a warm meal at St. Paul of the Cross.   read more »