Thanks to the approximately 75 parishioners who greeted and ate with 40 members of the local Muslim community last Saturday in the Our Lady of the rosary Hall.  Fr. Matt was our host, and Bishop Patrick McGrath was in attendance, along with the Imam Huzefa Poonawala from the Hatemi Masjid community in Palo Alto. General Secretary of the Muslim community Zoaib Rangwala gave the history of their community, while Bishop McGrath told of the Catholic community in the Valley of St. Clare.

 

The Muslim community provided  several main dishes and a variety of kabobs finger food and parish and parish and Thomas Merton Community (TMC) attendees provided a wide variety of salads.  The parish provided desserts and all drinks and all celebrated with a big cake emblazoned “Peace / Shaloom”.  All who could attend thought it was an excellent mixing event and a way for our communities to know each other better. 

Thanks go to Dick Placone, whose idea it was and who was the main contact with the Muslim community, and to Vicki Sullivan, Chair of the TMC Board and the dozen volunteers from TMC who handled the set-up, food and clean-up. Fr. Matt told Dick Placone the success exceeded his expectations and we look forward to a reciprocal visit to the Hatemi Masjid community in coming months.