LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Rabbi Larry Karol and the Temple Beth El community are opening their doors wide to invite the broader Las Cruces faith community to come and worship and pray for safety, resolve and peace in a time where anxieties are high as people prepare to worship this weekend following two explosions at two Las Cruces congregations, Holy Cross Catholic Church and Calvary Baptist church.
Sabbath evening services begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 8/7, at at Temple Beth-El, 3980 Sonoma Springs Avenue, in Las Cruces. Reflections and prayers will be offered to all in the broader faith community. We ask that guests come prepared to hear prayers and songs in Hebrew and are welcome to join as they feel so called.
CAFé organized an inter-faith prayer vigil on Sundayfollowing the tragic events, attended by over 100 community members - including Monsignor John Anderson from Holy Cross Catholic Church and congregants from both churches - to pray for peace and solidarity. At the prayer vigil, clergy from multiple faiths offered prayers of peace in support of our Las Cruces community. In addition, a monetary collection along with individual prayers were collected for the two churches.
A few prayers read:
- “I ask that God keep our community safe, that He heals the souls that did this”,
- “For our community may we grow in love and care for one another, and reach out to one another.”
- “Please pray for our community. For peace in our homes, families, churches, and community. Pray that this will strengthen us, not tear us down.”
The purpose of this gathering is to continue this spirit of peace and solidarity amongst our community, and to bless the congregants of Holy Cross Catholic Church and Calvary Baptist as they go into worship this weekend.
WHO: Temple Beth-El
WHAT: Sabbath Evening Service open to the community
WHEN: Friday, 8/7, 7:30 pm
WHERE: 3980 Sonoma Springs Ave, Las Cruces, NM