A Unifying Inter-Faith Christmas Celebration

By CORINNE MESSER

The Progress

There was a gracious welcome to all at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Logandale on the evening of Monday, Dec. 11. The occasion was a special ecumenical Christmas program for the entire community.

The Catholic congregation collaborated with members of the Logandale Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to bring about this holiday event which aimed to unite people from various faiths in a joyous celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Father Henry P. Salditos, the local parish administrator of St. John’s, extended a warm welcome to all; and Brandon Leavitt, president of the Logandale Nevada Stake, opened the evening with a heartfelt prayer.
Nearly 400 patrons were in attendance at the service.

An instrumental ensemble of musicians from various faiths accompanied the congregation as they sang the familiar carol, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” to open the meeting.

In his opening remarks, Father Henry described the night as a unique occasion where two different faiths converged in the true spirit of Christmas.

He explained that The Festival of Lessons and Carols was a traditional service dating back to the late 19th Century. The evening was divided into nine scripture lessons recounting the fall, the promise of a Messiah, the Incarnation, and the Great Commission to preach the Good News. Each scripture lesson was followed by a hymn that echoed its message and a brief prayer.

For example, one of the scripture lessons featured the reading of Isaiah 9:1-6 wherein is the well-known passage: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”

After the reading, the congregation joined in singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” with a moment of reflection with a prayer.

Verses from the Bible were read by members of both faiths, creating further unity. While some Christmas melodies were familiar to members of both faiths, others were new.

Closing the evening, President Leavitt reflected on the momentous nature of the night, expressing gratitude to Father Henry for hosting the event and acknowledging the good deeds of the Catholic community.

He extended an invitation for a repeat gathering at the Logandale Stake Center building next year, emphasizing the shared values that unite us all.
“Tonight, we learned we are a little more alike than different,” Leavitt said. “We love our families, we love peace, we love Christ, and we worship Him. May your Christmas season be full of the joy of Christ.”

Following the program, attendees mingled and enjoyed sweets prepared by individuals from both faiths.
“I thought it was a special evening,” said St. John’s parishioner Ana Ramos. “It was nice to see everyone come together.”

Suzy Bennett, a member of the Logandale Stake shared, “It was so fun to share the Christlike spirit of Christmas with our neighbors.”

La Dawn Pipes, also a Latter-Day Saint, summed up the sentiment. “The evening was wonderful. We are all children of God,” she said.