The 20th Annual World Peace Day Prayer Service will take place on stage in Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College Fine and Performing Arts Center, Chicago Avenue at Ellsworth.
The Naperville/DuPage County interfaith community will gather at 2:30PM on Sun., Jan. 5, in the Wentz Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College to mark the 20th anniversary of its World Peace Day Interfaith Prayer Service.
From its beginning, this annual service has celebrated and nurtured the rich diversity of many local faith communities. According to organizers, including Tom Cordaro, over the years, these gatherings have served as a strong voice in opposition to intolerance, discrimination and fear-inspired hatred of minority communities in DuPage County.
For 2025, the service theme is “Overcoming Fear by Fostering Unity in Our Diversity.” The program will feature presentations from the Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian and Universalist communities.
This interfaith prayer service is being co-sponsored by 23 faith communities and organizations in DuPage County. All co-sponsors have signed a statement of values and principles committing them to “embrace a vision of peace characterized by radical inclusion, mutual respect, compassion for all, and a commitment to human rights—especially the right to religious freedom and the rejection of all forms of religious nationalism.”
Cordaro served as the Justice & Outreach Minister at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Naperville for almost 24 years. Beginning in 1997 and now retired, Cordaro was involved in providing social justice education and advocacy opportunities for parishioners supported by Catholic Social Teaching. He also co-founded Naperville CARES (now merged with Loaves & Fishes Community Services), which provides cars and emergency assistance to individuals in need in the Naperville area.
In addition, Cordaro has been instrumental in fostering inter-faith collaboration and cooperation throughout DuPage County, including organizing the annual World Peace Day Interfaith Prayer Services on the first Sunday in January.
Wentz Concert Hall is located in the North Central College Fine and Performing Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Avenue.
