Seabrook’s Religions Support and Learn From Each Other

By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

“I remember visiting a woman who was not feeling very well. Even though we were from different faith backgrounds we prayed together,” says Fran Pellmar, leader of the Seabrook Care Committee.

This scene—two people, different religions, praying together—is not uncommon at Seabrook.

“The interfaith nature of this community is very important for people who live here. They are respected for who they are; have the resources they need; and have opportunities to come together with the other faiths,” says Marie Blohm, community services manager for Seabrook’s Pastoral Ministries.

Resources for Faith
Blohm, who has worked at Seabrook since it opened about eight years ago, has helped form the foundation and provide resources for the community’s three major religions—Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Protestant.

Each faith holds one or more religious services weekly in the Town Square Auditorium. In addition, the Catholic Rosary Prayer Group meets daily, and an interdenominational scripture study group meets every Thursday morning.

While all services are open to any religion, Seabrook also holds several interfaith activities. They provide opportunities for learning more about one’s own faith and the faiths of others.

One such opportunity is the seasonal spirituality series. “We have a different series in the fall and spring. ‘World Religions in Dialogue’ has been so popular we are holding it for a second time,” Blohm says.

Another popular group, “Who’s Writing This Chapter of My Life,” looks at spirituality from various points of view—psychological, narrational, and cultural. Last year, they held a conference at Seabrook for health care professionals that carried the same theme with a new twist: “Who’s Writing This Chapter of My Life?: From Medical Record to Sacred Story.”