Many of us who attended Iftar last year received an email from the Minnesota Council of Churches about the Taking Heart Ramadan Dinner dates this spring. As I have blogged about the last two years, many Islamic mosques and centers invite the public to join them during Ramadan in the evening for a meal as they break fast. It is a wonderful time to get to know our Muslim brothers and sisters and learn more about Islam and those practicing this faith in the Twin Cities.
https://www.stpascals.org/blog/deacon-s-blog/let-s-iftar
https://www.stpascals.org/blog/deacon-s-blog/iftar-and-koran
Here is some information from the MCC email:
TAKING HEART OPEN HOUSES - 2024
Ramadan is the month of the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset; in 2024 it falls between the dates of March 10 - April 9. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the “five pillars” of Islam, and is performed to learn compassion, self-restraint, and generosity.
Taking Heart Open Houses is a long-running program coordinated by the Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) and the Muslim American Society of Minnesota (MAS-MN) to bring Christians and members of other faith communities together with Muslims for food and conversation during Ramadan. Minnesota mosques and Islamic community centers welcome their non-Muslim neighbors for a traditional Iftar, inviting a time of encounter and learning. Taking Heart saw more than 1000 guests attend Open House Iftar dinners in 2023.
It was wonderful to attend again last year and have 8 of us from St Pascal’s attend Iftar at the Eastern Twin Cities Islamic Center in Afton. This year, Julie and I have decided to attend Iftar at the Assalam Mosque in Maplewood on Tuesday, March 26. We would love to have St Pascal’s parishioners join us in meeting and learning from our Muslim neighbors here on the East Side. You can sign up for one of the Iftars at:
https://mnchurches.org/what-we-do/taking-heart
I am excited that some people have already signed up to join us.
Pope Francis has expressed the ecumenical experience with the simple phrase “journeying together.” Let us journey with others as we all search for God’s presence among us.
Peace, Love, and Blessings
Deacon Richard
Comments
Ann KarnerPosted on 2/22/24
Thank you Deacon Rich for spreading the word. I attended last year and it was a great experience. I look forward to going again this year to learn more.