Praying for peace: Rite seeks well-being for all

Kathleen Lavey and Derek Wallbank
Lansing State Journal

Lighting a ceremonial fire, Jai Jaglan and about two dozen others began to recite a Hindu prayer Tuesday at Bharatiya Temple in Haslett.

The mantra asks the Earth to provide peace and well-being for the people who live on it, regardless of their creed or nationality.

"It is a prayer for everyone," said Rajiv Das, chairman of the temple's board.

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The 12th annual prayer session at Bharatiya Temple, which started at 11:30 a.m., was one of two events rallying the faithful to pray Tuesday for peace. The other took place at 1 p.m. at Cristo Rey Catholic Church in south Lansing.

The Rev. Peter Dougherty, a Catholic priest who works for peace, appeared at both.

He reminded those gathered at Bharatiya that activist Mahatma Gandhi had said learning about Christianity had made him a better Hindu.

"My experience is the same," Dougherty said. "It put me more in touch with the depths of my own Catholic religion. I am encouraged today to be more committed to being a peacemaker."

Janet Laatsch was one of about 70 people who gathered at Cristo Rey to pray for peace in the new year.

Laatsch can be found most Fridays standing in front of the state Capitol, holding a sign in protest of the war in Iraq. On Tuesday, she went to the church with her husband, Don, to pray for peace.

"One of these days, it's gonna happen," Don Laatsch said with a firm nod.

"I don't know about that, but we have to keep trying," Janet Laatsch said.

"I've always wanted to promote peace, but I just don't know what to do. So, I figured I'd come here and see if they had any ideas."

The idea Laatsch left with came from a simple statement by Ann Francis, another peace activist who was at Cristo Rey.

"It does make a difference if you do something," Francis said.

"So, you just need to figure out something to do and do it."

Prayers went on for about an hour at Bharatiya Temple. The crowd grew larger, eventually reaching 60, from toddlers to senior citizens.

Some wore traditional Indian clothing, while others dressed against the cold, snowy weather in fleece and wool sweaters. People took turns sprinkling a mixture of wood chips, camphor and herbs into the fire.

Anita Gamble of East Lansing said she was pleased temple members invited everyone to attend the event.

"I'm a believer in peace and thought this would be a good way to start the year," she said.

At Cristo Rey, the Rev. Fred Thelen offered a prayer for peace. "May you go forth with peace in your hearts to take to all the world," Thelen said.

Contact Kathleen Lavey at 377-1251 or klavey@lsj.com. Contact Derek Wallbank at 267-1301 or dwallbank@lsj.com.

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