On Wednesday, September 11, 2002, the Annual Interfaith Service of Commitment to the Work of the United Nations was observed at St. Bartholomews Church in New York City. This year's morning service, on the theme of "a celebration of Remembrance and Hope," was held on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC and dedicated to victims of violence throughout the world.
     The packed nave watched as a colorful procession of representatives of the world's religious traditions filed down the church's central aisle to a welcome by St. Bartholomew's Rev. William Tully. After a Japanese Shinto invocation by Rev. Kyotaro Deguchi of the Oomoto Foundation and greetings by event organizer, The Very Rev. James Parks Morton of the Interfaith Center of New York, UN General Assembly President Jan Kavan and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan were introduced, Mr. Annan offering his brief remarks on the occasion. Ms. Colleen Kelly, sister of one of the victims of the September 11th tragedy at the World Trade Center, who has organized a group called "September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows," also spoke, emphasizing the need to work for peace between all the world's peoples so that such a violent event may never be repeated, in any city of any country.
     After a welcome by Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN President Jeffery Huffines and Bahai prayer, further prayers were offered by representatives of the Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Taoist, Zoroastrian, Yoruba, and Native American communities. Following the service, a festive reception was hosted for all participants. This year's event, organized by the Interfaith Center of New York and the Temple of Understanding, was co-sponsored by over 180 national, international, and local NGOs, including the International Shinto Foundation, which was represented at the service by ISF New York staff members Hiroko Sugimoto and Paul Sherbow.