Residential community uniting in prayer and devotion

A newly-organised prayer gathering held at a residential home in Perth is uniting both staff and residents in a space that is characterised by unity and devotion. 

The space was initiated by 94-year-old member of the Western Australian Baha’i community, Minoo Fozdar, through the support of the Melville Baha’i community.  

Minoo recently moved into the aged-care facility and approached the residential committee for permission to host an interfaith service. Prior to attending the facility, he would host devotions at his own home every week, so he was adamant that the spiritual health of residents was just as important as their physical health and needed to be addressed. 

The first interfaith service was titled ‘True Happiness’ and was attended by 14 participants including two staff members. The program included readings from several faiths and singing.  One of the participants, another Baha’i resident who has been living with dementia, read a long prayer from the program and was completely at peace and reverent throughout the entire service. Participants observed that it was almost as if her soul recognised and needed the spiritual sustenance. 

It is planned to hold an interfaith service at the facility every month. Minoo hopes the devotional gathering will attract more residents over time and become a space where the collective life of residents can be enriched as they strengthen bonds of friendship and turn towards their creator. 

Baha’i devotional meetings consist largely of reading prayers and passages from the Baha’i and other sacred texts in an informal yet respectful atmosphere. A spirit of communal worship is generated by these simple gatherings, and this spirit begins to permeate the community’s collective endeavours.