The procession will begin at St. James Cathedral and travel to the outdoor plaza at Temple de Hirsch-Sinai, 1511 E. Pike St.

On Saturday, September 7, at 7 p.m., people of all faiths are invited to gather at St. James Cathedral for an interfaith prayer and candlelight procession for peace in Syria. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders will come together in prayer for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the Middle East. Following the brief prayer at St. James, all are invited to join in a candlelight procession to the outdoor plaza at Temple de Hirsch-Sinai at 1511 E. Pike for the concluding prayer.

In calling for a day of prayer and fasting for the Middle East, Pope Francis said:  "I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal which arises from deep within me.... I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people.  I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace."

This event is cosponsored by St. James (Roman Catholic) Cathedral, Temple de Hirsch Sinai, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral.  All are welcome.

St. James Cathedral is located at the corner of 9th and Marion in downtown Seattle.

For more information, please contact St. James Cathedral at 206 622-3559 or e-mail Corinna Laughlin at claughlin@stjames-cathedral.org.

In addition, the Church Council of Greater Seattle invites those who wish to give humanitarian assistance to refugees and people displaced by the war in Syria to consider supporting the aid provided by the Salaam Cultural Museum.