This past Sunday, members of the Fairhill Friends Ministry assembled at Independence Mall for a silent prayer vigil to advocate for peace on earth. The group of Quakers is not only responsible for the organization of the silent vigil, but also organizes various service projects within the Fairhill community.
Jorge Arauz, prayer group member and resident of Fairhill, participated in the revitalization of the Fairhill Burial Ground and regularly donates his time to helping his friends and neighbors in community. “I moved to North Philadelphia with apathy for the haves and the have-nots,” Arauz said. “I wanted to be a real neighbor. I wanted to be a part of the neighborhood.”
The vigil, which began in 1999, prays in silence between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. every Sunday. The Friends concern themselves mainly with peace from war, but also call for an end to all violence. “We feel as though we are, as a human race, in a continuous state of war,” said Dave Miller, leader of the vigil. “We’re not here for a political agenda. It’s an opportunity simply for us to pray.”
Arauz and other members of the ministry also operate various “peace teams” within North Philadelphia in hopes of engendering peace and understanding. The teams conduct after-school programs and activities in Fairhill Park and other public locations to help keep kids safe and provide them with additional educational opportunities.
One such program, the Alternatives to Violence Project, holds regular workshops and meetings to teach volunteers and community residents nonviolent ways to address and avoid conflict. These workshops also seek to build confidence in individuals and instill a sense of cooperation and trust. “These teams represent a combined effort by all Quakers working together throughout the region in hopes of achieving a common, peaceful goal that will not only work to better lives, but also to enrich souls spiritually,” Arauz said.
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