One in Spirit: Teens teach the rest of us how it's done

It sounds like an interfaith fantasy: a devout Jew praising a Muslim imam as "my brother" inside a Catholic cathedral filled with youths representing not only those faiths but Greek Orthodox, Hindus and Mormons as well.

But it happened Thursday in Salt Lake City.

And though they may not have recognized the unique nature of what they were doing, some 300 Salt Lake area youths gathered to celebrate their shared concern for the environment.

The Cathedral of the Madeleine played host to the "Growing Together In Faith" event, which featured a youth-led devotional, a soggy service project in the rain along the Jordan River and, to cap it off, a dinner at the International Peace Gardens.

Matt Boerke, director of youth ministry at the cathedral, said the interfaith event had its genesis months ago. Allyson Chard, a youth leader from the Holladay South LDS Stake, wanted to find a way to get teens of different faiths together to work on a common cause.

"They contacted people from other faiths once they had an idea how it could work and were asking for others' support and participation." A roundtable of leaders came together with input and ideas, and all decided a conservation project along the Jordan River would reflect a value all faith traditions share: care for the environment.

Chard said she has lived outside Utah most of her life and "had a great desire to expose the LDS kids to all of the other religions in the city." She emphasized the teamwork that went into planning the event, and said it couldn't have happened without leaders and youths who were willing to move outside their own comfort zones a bit.

Monsignor Joseph Mayo, who oversees activities at the cathedral, touched on the unusual nature of that gathering, calling it "a unique and historic day in the history of this city," where many people — especially teens — have never been inside a place of worship other than their own.

As he explained a few facts about the history of Catholicism in Utah and of the cathedral's symbolism and construction, many gazed for the first time at the building's ornate organ pipes, stained glass and stations of the cross.

Interspersed with short reflections on nature from youths representing each of the six faiths, adults shared messages of cooperation and support for the religious bridge-building that was taking place.