Day of mourning includes LDS input
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Latter-day Saints participated in Canada's national day of mourning Saturday, Jan. 8, marking the South Asian earthquake and tsunami disaster in a one-hour live televised broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Natalia de Savigny, a member of the Ottawa Ontario Stake Public Affairs Council and recently elected president of the Capital Region Interfaith Council, was approached by the government of Canada (Canadian Heritage Department) to help organize this major event. It involved prayers from various faith leaders, musical presentations, and remarks by Adrienne Clarkson, governor general of Canada, and Paul Martin, prime minister of Canada. Sister Savigny had only four days to plan the event.
Leaders from the following faiths each offered a prayer: Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Baha'i', Christian (Roman Catholic), Aboriginal, and Jewish. Sister de Savigny was invited to read the Jewish remarks as this event was held on their sabbath and precluded their being present in person.
The event began with music by an Anglican choir and string quartet followed by prayers by the faith leaders who in turn each lit a candle. Latter-day Saint Amy Stevenson, soprano, sang "Be Still My Soul" in English and French. Sister Stevenson said: "Before the memorial I was extremely nervous, but as the ceremony began and the families of the tsunami victims walked in the stadium, I felt very peaceful. At that moment, I knew that I was privileged to be able to use my talent to bring a message of comfort and hope to not only the families present but also to other Canadians. I feel very honored that at this interfaith memorial concert I was chosen to be a representative of the Church."
Many were visibly moved, saying that such an interfaith service led by the government was a historic first. Nathalie Thirlwall, a Baha'i' member, said many days later, "I still feel the glow of the event."
A similar service held in September 2001 to mourn the terrorist attack victims in the United States made no reference to faith or prayer, and many Canadians voiced their disapproval of that fact. There was hesitation on the part of government officials even with this most recent event to include hymns with reference to God. Sister de Savigny was able to convince them that the majority of Canadians do believe in a God and references to Him should not be excluded from the program. In fact, in their remarks, both the governor general and prime minister made reference to the Bible and to the importance of faith.
The Capital Region Interfaith Council is an organization of diverse faith communities founded in 1997 and devoted to cultivating respect, understanding and fostering of religious tolerance in Ottawa. Sister de Savigny has been president since November 2004. She has also held the office of vice-president and secretary in the organization.
