Ceremony to mark Gandhi's birthday

A candle-lighting ceremony Thursday evening in Waikiki will celebrate the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, whose 20th-century campaign for India's independence from Britain became the model of nonviolent activism.

The 5:30 p.m. program at the Gandhi memorial fronting the Honolulu Zoo will include music by the Royal Hawaiian Band and an interfaith discussion on peace. It is sponsored by the Gandhi International Institute for Peace. It is open to the public.

Catholic choirs in Hawaiian festival

Choir members from several Catholic parishes will participate in the annual Hawaiian Song Festival, Lokomaikai Aha Himeni, Oct. 10 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, 712 N. School St.

Each choir will share a favorite Hawaiian language or Hawaiian-English hymn and practice three selected songs that will be performed by the massed choirs.

They will perform in a free 7:30 p.m. concert that is open to the public.

It is the 15th year of the festival sponsored by the Hawaiian Arts and Liturgical Inculturation Awareness committee to encourage churches and choirs to bring Hawaiian culture into the liturgy.

For information call Margaret Peters, 261-3410, or Darlene Ah You, 735-0259

Moon fest features Asian cultures

Music and dance from several Asian cultures will be performed at the annual Harvest Moon Dharmachakra Festival sponsored by the Hawaii Association of International Buddhists.

The festival will begin at 5:30 p.m. next Saturday at Jodo Mission, 1429 Makiki St. The event is free and open to the public. A vegetarian dinner will be available for $8.

The Rev. Tatsuo Muneto, director of the Buddhist Study Center, will discuss “;Why Does the Buddha Smile?”; after a service led by ministers from Jodo Mission and Rissho Kosei-Kai, the sponsoring organizations.

The program will include performances of Burmese cultural dance, classical Thai music on the khim, a stringed instrument, and Korean dance by members of Mu-Ryang-Sa Korean Buddhist temple. Members of the Rissho Kosei-Kai Buddhist Church will do a Japanese “;matoi”; folk dance.

At Dharmachakra, which translates to “;the turning of the wheel of the Dharma,”; Buddhists around the world celebrate the first time that Shakyamuni Buddha preached a sermon. The event more than 2,500 years ago in what is now Varanasi, India, set in motion the historical Buddha's teaching about the path and practices that can lead people to enlightenment.

Churches offer blessings for pets

It's become a tradition in some Christian churches to observe the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi by blessing animals in church.

Stories of the 13th-century Italian monk's kindness to creatures, and his own poetic writing about beauty of God's creation led to his designation as the patron saint of animals and the environment. His feast day is observed on Oct. 4.

It will be observed with blessings on animals at some congregations.

» Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 780 Keolu Drive, Kailua. Pets will be blessed at the 9 a.m. service tomorrow. All live creatures must be on leashes or in carriers. People are welcome to also bring stuffed toy animals.

» St. Andrew's Cathedral, Queen Emma Square. The Oct. 4 event will go beyond the noon blessing service. The Humane Society of the United States and other animal protection groups will bring information on raising pets to an Adoption Fair and Picnic from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on the church grounds. A free lunch will be served.

» St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 909 Haumea St., Kapolei. Animals will be blessed at the 10 a.m. service Oct. 5 at the Island Pacific Academy. Pets should be under control by their owners.

Retreat explores healing ministry

A contemplative day of retreat for people involved or interested in a healing ministry will be presented Oct. 11 at the Paewalani Retreat Center in Kaneohe.

The Rev. Nancy Conley of the Spiritual Life Center will speak about Jesus' teachings in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles during the retreat. “;His Healing Presence”; is the theme of the session from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

A vegetarian lunch featuring “;Foods from the Bible”; will be served. The cost is $15.

For information, call 239-9851.