Procession of Light to illuminate new year

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The city will herald the new year Sunday with a

religious ceremony known as The Procession of Light -- 2000.

The goal is to bring together followers of different faiths who will

rededicate themselves to making the community a better place to live,

said Father Christian Mondor, co-chair of the interfaith council that is

organizing the event.

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the celebration that kicks

off at the pier at 3 p.m. with the release of doves, “a symbol of prayers

rising to heaven,” he said.

As the birds fly away, leaders from the three major faiths will offer a

call to prayer according to their own traditions -- a Christian will ring

a bell, a Jew will blow a ram’s horn and a Muslim will chant, he said.

The calls are meant to welcome all the faiths, about 20, who will be

represented, he said.

The crowd also will join in song accompanied by more than 10 choirs and

bands. Among the performers are a 14-member Scottish bagpipe ensemble, a

Jewish Klezmer band and an American Indian flutist and guitarist.

As the sun sets, a lone bagpipe will play “Amazing Grace.”Then anyone who

donates $2 will receive a flashlight in the shape of a candle, “symbolic

of prayer lighting our way into the new century,” he said. With

flashlights in hand, they will walk to the pier’s end and back creating a

procession of light.

For more information, call Sts. Simon and Jude Church at 570-6477 or The

Church of Religious Science at 596-0900.