Twenty years of friendship with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine climaxed on October 21-22, 1995, when over 1,000 religious leaders from 12 world religions and numerous indigenous faiths gathered in New York for a Symposium and Joint Worship Service in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The event was co-sponsored by the Temple of Understanding.
During the Symposium, Kyotaro Deguchi, drawing on his grandfather Onisaburo’s attempt to create a World Religious Federation 70 years earlier in Peking, called on religions to join together in creating a global body for inter-religious cooperation.
The Temple of Understanding (TOU)
The Temple of Understanding (TOU) was founded in 1960 by Juliet Hollister. Although only in its third decade, it is one of the world’s oldest institutions devoted to interfaith work.
Oomoto’s relationship with the TOU began in October 1975 when Oomoto performed a joint worship service at a TOU sponsored conference celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
Since then, Oomoto has continued to maintain a friendship with Juliet Hollister as well as TOU Chairmen and advisors, such as Dr. Karan Singh and Father Luis P. Dolan, CP.
Founder of the Temple of Understanding