Interfaith National Prayer Day Observed at UN (a) Contents, Preface, Dedication

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Part (A): Contents, preface, dedication.

National Day of Prayer
Observance at the United Nations

July 24, 1975

Contents

  • Preface – Background and Summary of Programme
  • A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America for National Day of Prayer, 1975.
  • Telegram to President Ford from leader of Meditation Group, Sri Chinmoy 1
  • Dedication : Expression of Gratitude  for those who made the event possible.  3
  • O My America:  Song on the soul of America composed for Bicentennial.  5

Part B – Prayers of Participating Clergy

  • Welcome and Introduction  .. 7
  • Reverend Dr. Grant F. Anderson, Executive Director Queens Federation of Churches. 9
  • Reverend Kenneth Folkes, President, Council of Churches City of New York . 11
  • Rabbi Samuel Geffen,New York Board of Rabbis. 14
  • Venerable Lozang Jamspal, Lamaist Buddhist Monastery of America. 17
  • Reverend Robert Kennedy, Director of Social Action, Brooklyn Diocese, Roman Catholic Church. 21
  • Father Stephen Kyriacou , Greek orthodix Archdiocese of North and South America . 25
  • Catherine Mboya , Baha’i International Commuity. 28
  • Muddassir Ali Shamsee, Muslim Prayer Group, at the United Nations .31
  • Reverend Dr. Dan Potter, Executive Director, Council of Churches of New York. 35
  • Sheik Shahabu-d-din, Director, New York Center, Sufi Order. 39
  • Conclusion  42

Part (C) Telexed or Delivered Prayers

  • Algernon D. Black, Leader Emeritus, The Society of Ethical Culture in the City of New York.43
  • Munishree Chitrabhanu, Jajn Monk .45
  • Harrison]. Goldin, Comptroler, City of New York   47
  • Hubert H. Humphrey; former Vice President; U.S. Senator – Minnesota.48
  • Pir Vilayat Khan; Head of Sufi Order in the West. 49
  • Dr. Louis Longarzo; Caritas Internationalis [International Catholic Charities]. 50
  • Donald R . Manes,President of the Borough of Queens 52
  • Charles H. Percy; U.S. Senator – Illinois. 53
  • Dr. Muhammad Abdul Rauf; Director, Islamic Center, Washington, D.C. 54
  • John J. Rhodes; House Minority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives .56
  • Robert Taft, Jr; U.S. Senator – Ohio. 57
  • Harrison A . Williams, Jr; U.S. Senator New Jersey. 58

Part (D) Selected Readings .. 59

  • Introduction –  Poetry – search for ways of manifesting inner spiritual vision
  • “My Prayer” –  Sri Chinmoy
  • Sermon on Board Arbella; by John Winthrop, later became first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony
  • Benjamin Franklin. During Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia: “Here is my creed…”
  • George Washington; U.S. President, From letter to the Governors, June 1783 “my earnest prayer”…
  • Section of “Declaration of Independence “.. “We hold these truths to self-evident…”
  • Abraham Lincoln; U.S. President, Aug 1861, “Proclamation of a National Fast Day (humility, prayer and fasting).”
  • Carl Sandburg: “the Faith of Abraham Lincoln”
  • Walt Whitman: “Darest Thou Now O Soul”
  • Emma Lazarus; the New Colossus, inscription on Statue of Liberty
  • Robert Frost: “The Gift Outright”
  • Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: Lincoln Memorial, 1963; “Let Freedom Ring”
  • John F. Kennedy; U.S. President, Inaugural Address,
  • Gerald Ford, ; U.S. President, parts of Proclamation of National Day of Prayer.
  • Closing

America the Beautiful ( Four Stanzas)

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Preface – Background and Summary of Programme

President Ford proclaimed July 24, 1975 as a National Day of Prayer, calling upon all Americans to pray for peace on earth and reaffirm their commitment toward bringing about a nobler existence for all humanity.

Several staff members at the United Nations were inspired by this proclamation to participate in the event with a programme at the United Nations.

Representatives of the world community, political leaders of the United States as well as spiritual leaders of many faiths were invited to attend, and many guests offered their own short prayer.

Presiding over the session was the Leader of the Meditation Group at the United Nations, Sri Chinmoy.

 

Silent PrayerReligious Representatives with Leader of the Meditation Group at the United Nations

(see also report including excerpt from NY times 25 July 1975)

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Proclamation by the President of the United States of America for National Day of Prayer, 1975.

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Telegram to President Ford from leader of Meditation Group, Sri Chinmoy

The following telegram was sent to President Ford

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of those commemorating National Prayer Day with a service at the United Nations Church Center this coming Thursday, I would like to offer you our soulful gratitude for the lofty inspiration and illumining encouragement you have offered to America to observe a National Day of Prayer.

According to my inner feelings , America as a nation stands in the vanguard of fulfilling achievements precisely because its very being was founded on self-giving prayers.

The humble service we are holding this week will combine the efforts of the Council of Churches of New York City, the New York Bicentennial Corporation, religious leaders of many faiths and the United 1 Nations Meditation Group. Our devoted prayers will be with you, the supreme Pilot of the supreme Country.

Sri Chinmoy,  Meditation Group at the United Nations

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Dedication : Expression of Gratitude  for those who made the event possible.  3

DEDICATION

On behalf of the National Day of Prayer Observance at the United Nations Committee, I would like to sincerely thank all the participants of this event, particularly Sri Chinmoy. His interest and continued support, from the initiation of the function right up to the actual ceremony, was most inspiring and appreciated.

For the effort they gave to make our programme a success, we also thank Dr. Dan Potter (Council of Churches of New York City) , Peter Stewart (Thanks-Giving Square Foundation), Maria Downs (the Presidential Bicentennial Office) and the members of The Sacred Fire Choral Group.

We have a special feeling of respect and gratitude to the visionary delegates of the Second Continental Congress who first recommended the National Day of Prayer, as well as to President Gerald Ford, who two hundred years later reaffirmed this part of our country’s heritage.

Kevin Keefe, National Day of Prayer Observance at the U.N. Committee

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O My America:  Song on the soul of America composed for Bicentennial.  5

On the Occasion of the Bicentennial, Sri Chinmoy composed this song on the soul of America. He is dedicating it to President Ford.

This song was sung by the Meditation Group at the observance of the National Day of Prayer at the United Nations.

O MY AMERICA

America, America, America!

Great you are, Good you are,

Brave you are, Kind you are.

o my America, America!

Your Heaven-freedom is earth’s aspiration-choice.

With you, in you is God-Hour’s Victory-Voice.

Sri Chinmoy

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Opening- Silent Prayer- Sri Chinmoy, Leader of Meditation Group at the United Nations

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See also:

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PDF of booklet of day in 4 parts:

A  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-01-18-intro

B  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-19-54-pray-clergy

C  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-55-70-prayer-sent

D  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-71-98-readings

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Page images:

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