Essay Example on Exploring Houses of Faith in Portland Area

Religion is the reverence and the faith in supernatural powers, particular, on gods or God. There are many religious groups in society, such as Buddhists, Protestants, Catholics, and Islam, among others. The following are houses of faith present in Portland area: The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Good Shepherd Parish, Nagaloka Buddhist center, Main Muslim community center, Maine Hindu Temple, and Temple Shalom synagogue center.

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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic Church situated in a congress street Portland, Maine. It is the mother church of Portland diocese. It has a sitting capacity of 900 people. Most Reverend Robert Deeley currently heads the church as the pastor while reverend Gregory Dube is the Rector (Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes). The church has several services throughout the week, such as mass, adoration, confession, and today's reading.

Good Shepherd Parish is a Roman Catholic denomination with several churches in Portland. Some of its churches include; Most Holy Trinity church, St Joseph church, St Margaret Church, and St Philip church. Some other churches have been either closed or sold. The parish offers several sacraments, including Eucharist and funerals, among others (Good Shepherd Parish). Besides, it has different faith formation missions focusing on various sectors of the society.

Nagaloka Buddhist center is a community of people who study and practice Buddhism, which started in 2002. Nagaloka is a self-governing and independent center located at 1 Forest Avenue. The community learns and practices Buddhadharma and meditation based on the ideals of mindfulness, compassion, and generosity (Nagaloka Buddist Center). The society organizes different events to allow people to exercise their Buddhism spirituality. Maine Hindu Temple is a Hindu center of worship located in 719 Main Street Westbrook. The members of the community believe in the philosophy of 'Sanathana Dharma,' whose tenants are peace, love, truth, non-violence, and right conduct (Maine Hindu Temple). The temple organizes various Hindu activities to promote religion in the area.

Temple Shalom Synagogue Center (TSSC) is a Jewish community that is based in Auburn and other towns. The synagogue was built after the merger of Lewiston Jewish community center and Congregation Beth Jacob back in 1982 (TSSC). Currently, it is an independent, egalitarian congregation; however, in the past, it was mainly affiliated with conservative movements. Their main goal is to promote strong Jewish Identity and active community. Currently is has 95 families as its members. Maine Muslim Community Center (MMCC), also called Masjid Bilaal, is a religious group that practices religious activities based on the Sunnah and Qur'an. The community conducts several events, including conferences, workshops, and seminars, to help in spreading Islamic principles (Masjid Bilal). It is located at 118 Anderson Street. Some of its monthly activities include Quran classes, tafsir, and women lecturer lessons.

From the above discussion, it is evident that the Portland region has different houses of faith. These houses of faith include those that practice Islam, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Catholic Christians. Each of these houses of worship has different religious beliefs and principles. While Buddhists and Hindus, belief in many gods; Islam, Jewish, and Christian's hold that there is only one God.

Works Cited

Good Shepherd Parish. "Faith Formation." Good Shepherd Parish, 29 Jan. 2020, goodshepherdparish.us/faith-formation. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

Maine Hindu Temple. "Invitation for Saraswati Puja." Maine Hindu Temple, www.mainehindutemple.org/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

Masjid Bilal. "Welcome to Maine Muslim Community Center." Maine Muslim Community Center - Masjid Bilal, 15 Sept. 2016, mainemuslims.com/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

Nagaloka Buddist Center. "Meditation and Buddhism in Portland Maine." Nagaloka >> Meditation and Buddhism in Portland, Maine, 17 Feb. 2020, www.nagalokabuddhistcenter.org/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes. "Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception." Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes, 18 Jan. 2020, portlandcatholic.org/cathedral. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

TSSC. "Welcome to Temple Shalom Synagogue Center, Where we Learn, Grow, and Celebrate Life, Together!" Temple Shalom Synagogue Center, 29 Jan. 2020, www.templeshalomauburn.org/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.