Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Local Meetings' Responses

Many Meetings opened their doors for worship and others organized silent vigils and special called meetings. Along Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia there were three independent candlelight vigils organized by Friends on the evening of the suicide crashes. Many meetinghouses remained open for worship throughout the week, and some continued to have special weekday periods of worship a month after the crashes. Several Meetings participated in interfaith activities especially involving the Islamic faith. Just about every Meeting in the Yearly Meeting had increased attendance at First-day worship including many people who attended Friends worship for the first time.

Here are a few specific reports from Meetings. Joyce Winston, clerk of Willistown Meeting (PA), reported that the phones of members were ringing as soon as the terrorist attack was reported. That night, Friends and neighbors gathered in the meetinghouse for prayer and meditation. On Friday, September 14, which the president designated a national day of mourning, the meetinghouse was open all day, and a called meeting for worship was held that evening. The benches were filled on Sunday as well, and Willistown Friends continue to hold both the victims and our government decisionmakers in the Light.

Bucks Quarter Coordinator Sandy Langhart was deluged by e-mails, phone calls, etc. Many people called to ask where a Meeting is -- they wanted to go to any. All the Meetings in Bucks Quarter had worship; some started on the 11th and carried through the week. On Friday night folks came from various Meetings to be at Wrightstown Meeting.

Other Meetings had their own Friday-night events. John Beer of Newark Meeting (DE) reports that on Sunday, September 16, Friends sponsored a booth at Newark's Annual Community Day (with an estimated attendance of 20,000). The booth featured a circle of chairs surrounding a huge floral arrangement and under a canopy bearing a big sign, "Pray for Peace Here," provided by Brandywine Region Coordinator Helen Fields. Approximately fifty people stopped at the booth; about twelve joined the worship and sharing for various lengths of time.

Donna Anderton reported that Germantown Meeting (PA), at the request of parents at Germantown Friends School, held a meeting for worship for parents, their children, school faculty, staff, administration, the Meeting, and any interested others during the afternoon of September 12, when school was not in session. It was a wonderful meeting introduced most effectively by acting Head Rich Nourie. The Meeting planned an October First-day series on the Peace Testimony in light of events.

Peter Blood-Patterson reported about three Meetings. There was a meeting for worship at Goshen Meeting (PA) on Tuesday evening, September 11, attended by about fifty Friends. After very quiet and moving worship, a good period of worship sharing closed with a couple of songs ("Dona Nobis Pacem" and "Precious Lord, Take My Hand"). There was worship sharing on Friday evening among the Young Friends gathered at Lancaster Meeting (PA). London Grove Meeting (PA) had meeting for worship on September 11. Meeting was packed the next First-day morning with about 200 in attendance (standing room only), including many new people as well as people already involved who had not attended for a long time. A new adult First-day school series on the testimonies was just starting, and the sharing again went very deep.

Laurie Worth reported that Westtown Meeting in cooperation with Westtown School has held various worship sharing times which have been open to all. On Tuesday the school met in the meetinghouse at 2 p.m. There was a called meeting for worship that evening; some students returned to join various members of Meeting for an hour of sharing. Joining with students has proven to be a time of wonderful and thought provoking sharing -- especially for students from the Middle East. Wednesday morning the student body met again for further worship sharing; this is a regularly scheduled time.

Marcelle Martin reported that Newtown Square Meeting (PA) opened the meetinghouse at lunchtime on Friday, September 14. Eleven people from the community who had never entered the meetinghouse before came for a time of prayer. On Sunday, September 16, three new visitors attended meeting for worship. After meeting for worship, folks ate lunch together and shared thoughts and feelings about the recent events. Announcements to the local newspapers and flyers posted in public places announced that in the coming weeks the meetinghouse would be open to the public on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings for prayer and reflection.

Laurence Sigmond Germantown Meeting (PA) PYM Meetings' Initiatives Coordinator for Peace and Concerns