Family and Friends Celebrate Neighbourhood Week
Sydney
On Sunday, 11th of December, the Affinity Sydney team visited Parramatta St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral as part of its annual neighbourhood day activities during the week of the Muslim festivity known as Ashura. After Mass, Affinity hosted the congregation for a sweet dish known as Noah’s Pudding (Ashura).
Sharing Noah’s pudding is a symbolic representation of the unity and essential relationship of humans to one another and to their Creator.
Preparing Noah’s pudding is a common practice among Muslim and Christian people around the Mediterranean. People prepare the pudding at home and send a bowl to each of the neighbours in their neighbourhood. As tradition goes, the residents of forty houses to your east, west, north and south are considered neighbours. One has the responsibility of maintaining good relations with their neighbours regardless of what their religion or beliefs may be.
Altogether 250 dishes of Noah’s pudding was served to the congregation. Marion from the Cathedral said, “I thank you and your colleagues for giving us the chance to be part of your Ashura 'celebration'.
Wollongong
On the same Sunday morning, the Wollongong Affinity team in conjunction with St Brigid’s Parish school in Gwynneville, kindly hosted Neighbourhood Day.
The event appropriately title 'Noahs Pudding Neighbourhood and Friendship day' attracted over 150 people from a variety of backgrounds and faiths from the area, including the Wollongong Lord Mayor, Gordon Bradbury.
The day started with morning tea, and a variety of great homemade cakes. The welcome speech opened by Fr Bernard, was followed by Ms Janet Morrissey, explaining the importance of being close with your neighbours and breaking barriers between cultures. Affinity’s Miss Ruveyda Ozturk translated the Quranic verses related to Prophet Noah read out by Mr Fatih Ozdemir. She also gave a brief explanation of the story and significance of Noah’s Pudding. Finally a great performance was displayed by students from both St Brigid’s Parish school and Sule College Shellharbour campus.
As one of the grass root activities of Affinity intercultural foundation, the "Noah's Pudding" celebrates the common heritage of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and what better way to do it, but through a Neighbourhood and Friendship day and having the tastebud satisfying Noahs pudding (Ashura) along with a good old Aussie BBQ.
St Brigid’s Judith Hurley said it was a great opportunity for people to see old friends and extend the hand of friendship to others.
Affinity Wollongong would like to extend our thanks to St Brigid’s Parish school for co-hosting this event, along with Edmund Rice and Catholic Diocese of Wollongong
