Newsday.com: Glen Cove: The world prays here

Project Zip Codes

Glen Cove: The world prays here

BY MICHAEL C. ACH
Newsday Staff Photographer

December 10, 2006

In a world fraught with religious strife, there is a city that embraces the faiths of many.

Glen Cove, one of the most diverse places on Long Island, is home to more than 20 houses of worship.

Christians, Sikhs, Jews and Muslims live here, among others, and the North Shore Clergy Association works to bring together members of all religions.

"We respect and celebrate each other's different culture and traditions," says association member the Rev. Thomas Costa of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church.

He says, for example, children from many faiths, including Sikhs, came to sing at the church's Thanksgiving service.

And Filipinos attend St. Rocco Roman Catholic Church, which is mostly Italian, because of their devotion to the saint, says the Rev. Aaron Vellaramparampil of St. Rocco's, who is from India. "We welcome them not as strangers -- we want them to feel part of an extended family."

In this photo essay, we glimpse the spiritual side of Glen Cove.