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by Andy Ross | Jun 14, 2011 6:49 am

(4) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Citizen Contributions, Wooster Square

Andy Ross Photo About 200 people showed up for the first Festival of Inner Peace June 4. The festival, organized by the Center of Light Ministries, took place in Wooster Square Park as part of an event taking place simultaneously in 14 other cities across the country.

The purpose of the event was to give New Haven the gift of peaceful festivity by celebrating the human spirit. Family-friendly activities enhanced awareness of peace consciousness and inspired participants to strive for connectivity in local neighborhoods as well as the larger global community.

While led by co-priests Michael and Johanna Knight (pictured above), more than a dozen people helped construct a giant white cardboard dove of peace. Then they invited everyone present to write their own prayers and wishes which were added to the wings of the dove. A symbolic ceremony released those prayers into the atmosphere of our town.

Quotes from some well-known heroes of peace were cited to help make people mindful of how each of us can contribute to a more peaceful world, and everyone was invited on a meditative walk or labyrinth. In addition to the fun of free face painting there was also a beautiful mandala, or visual circular symbol of wholeness and interconnectivity.

As Johanna Knight said, “The Inner Peace Festival is all about community, connection and peace. Community is all about coming together and getting to know one another in the love and harmony that builds our city into a peaceful and promising place for everyone. The idea being that if you feel better you will enjoy more peace, which can be paid forward to your neighbors.”

In that same spirit, the Center of Light Ministries runs a center for spiritual study located at 844 Grand Ave. in New Haven. The center facilitates spiritual healing through meditation and mysticism, hosting seminars on a wide range of topics pertaining to Christian education, healing and spirituality.

“We are about spirituality without dogma and having real experiences of God within through meditation, Johanna Knight said. “Our order operates centers in cities across the USA, and also has an online international school called the Sophia Wisdom School.

“Our mission is to bring people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds together – including Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, people into yoga, humanists, and agnostics, and to teach them how to have real experiences of God inside themselves, thus finding their true selves.”

For more about the Order of Christ/Sophia and the Centers of Light, contact: the Rev. Johanna Knight at 203-785-9085 or revjohanna@centersoflight.org, or go to the organization’s website.

Comments

posted by: Julia Biagiarelli on June 15, 2011 8:38am

We had a wonderful time participating in this event, especially because we were able to meet so many of our wonderful neighbors.

posted by: Danyel on June 15, 2011 12:26pm

Wow, this sounds like a great event. Thanks for sharing about it. I appreciate knowing of ways people are working to improved the community by working together and giving. What a great example of it. Thank you.

posted by: Bridget Wyatt on June 17, 2011 6:57pm

What a joyful article! Thank you for spreading the word of peace in the New Haven community!

posted by: Rev. Christine Doucet on June 19, 2011 8:50pm

What a beautiful event!

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