Interreligious peace prayer in Hattingen: A sign of hope!

Interreligious peace prayer in Hattingen: A sign of hope!

An interreligious peace prayer will take place in Hattingen on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in St. George's Church. This special event organized by the Ev. St. George's Parish Hattingen is organized, brings people from different faith communities together to send a powerful sign of peace and understanding between people of different faiths.

Six different religions - including Judaism, Islam, Baha'i, Hinduism, Buddhism as well as Protestant and Catholic Christians - will be represented on this special evening. Pastor Bodo Steinhauer leads the event, which is about the longing for peace and justice, mutual recognition and shared worship. The peace prayer will be musically supported by the bandtaktvoll and the Winz-Baaker gospel choir Part of Paradise, which will certainly underline the festive atmosphere.

A strong sign of tolerance

This event is the final event of the Hattinger Memorial and Action Week for tolerance and democracy against forgetting. One more reason to cordially invite the citizens of Hattingen to actively participate in the peace prayer. “It is important to us that we stand up for peace together,” explains Pastor Steinhauer.

What is of great importance not only in Hattingen but also worldwide? Unity and exchange between different religions is crucial. An interreligious peace meeting of the Community of Sant'Egidio recently took place in Rome under the motto "Osare la Pace" (Dare for Peace), which ended with a prayer for peace at the Colosseum, at which Pope Leo XIV was present. Vatican News reported that numerous believers and religious leaders from different traditions were present to promote dialogue and trust between religions.

"We have to approach each other and respect our differences. This is the way we can create peace," says Avichai Apel, rabbi of the Jewish Community of Frankfurt, reminding us of the importance of exchange. Similar Christian insights were shared by other religious leaders present at the meeting in Rome, emphasizing the role of prayer and dialogue in today's world.

Under the motto “Dare for Peace,” people from different backgrounds and faiths gathered to pray together for peace and better understanding. Such initiatives are inspiring and show that praying and acting together can provide positive impulses for society.

There is already an invitation to do so in Hattingen. Not only speeches are planned, but also singing and playing music together, which creates a welcoming atmosphere and underlines the warmth and respect between the different faiths.

So be there and make a sign for peace - because what better way to express your own longing for justice and harmony than through a common prayer for peace? The path to greater understanding and tolerance often begins on a small scale, and this event in Hattingen is an excellent example of this.