On Sept. 11, more than 1,000 people from different religious backgrounds gathered in Washington to participate in the annual Unity Walk. The theme of the walk, which began in 2005 and is now sponsored by the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, was “Know Your Neighbor.”

The day began with an opening ceremony at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, where Rabbi Bruce Lustig offered a greeting, and several people offered remembrances and prayers for the victims of 9/11. Carrie Hessler-Radelet, the director of the Peace Corps, also spoke to the audience.

“Because our volunteers live and work as members of communities in 65 nations around the world, we know that amazing things can happen when people come together, humbly and with a shared vision, working side by side to build a better world from the ground up,” Hessler-Radelet said in a statement after the walk. “We also know how important houses of worship and faith-based organizations are to the vibrancy and resiliency of communities – here and abroad. I’m grateful for the chance to connect with some of those organizations here in DC at the Unity March, as I join in celebrating the incredible diversity of our communities of faith."

After the opening ceremony, the participants walked down Massachusetts Avenue to visit various houses of worship. Symi Rom-Rymer, the lead community organizer for the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, said 900 people were present for the opening ceremony, and more than 1,000 who participated in some part of the walk during the day.

The stops along the walk included places of worship from Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Sikh, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim traditions.

At some of the stops along the way, participants had the opportunity to participate in service projects. All walkers were encouraged to donate long underwear at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, and at Annunciation Catholic Church, there was an “apple gleaning” station, where 9,020 apples were bagged and later brought to various shelters in Washington.

Patrice Morace, the director of faith formation at Annunciation, helped to organize the welcome that the walkers received at their parish. She, Father Robert Maro, the parochial vicar, and Msgr. Charles Antonicelli, the pastor, were present to answer questions and give tours of the church. One walker saw the poor box near the holy water font and asked Morace if it was a wishing well, which led into a discussion of the sacrament of Baptism.  Another woman asked Msgr. Antonicelli, “What is so special about your church?” Part of his answer was, “Our main mission is to teach and to serve just like Jesus.” Outside of the parish, parishioners passed out cookies and bottles of water to walkers who were visiting.

“It allows you to show the face of Jesus in the Catholic tradition to all who enter,” Morace said.

Morace has been working with the Unity Walk for nine years, but she said she has never seen a turnout as large as this year. She also was impressed by the mix of people who attended, as there was not only a large variety of different faiths represented, but there were people of all different ages, with little kids, teenagers, young adults, middle aged adults, and older adults all participating.

“I looked at it as an opportunity to evangelize and also an opportunity for mutual understanding of our faith,” she said.

Melody Fox Ahmed, the associate director for programs at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, has attended the walk almost every year since it began and likes to bring a group of students with her.

“I love it because you always meet someone new, you always learn about an organization you didn’t know of before, you always hear a fascinating story about where somebody is from and why their faith is important to them…it really gives me a lot of strength for the work that I do,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed appreciates the public statement that the walk makes, with such a diverse group of people dressed in different religious clothing walking together down the street. This year she had to leave a bit early from the walk, and the Uber driver who picked her up was so intrigued by the sight that he said, “I am going to do this next year!”

She said it is a great  “symbol of the positive power that faith has to bring people together,” as well as a representation of the diversity of Washington, that they are able to walk down one street and find places of worship for so many of the largest world religions.

Ahmed, who is Muslim, said she is particularly impressed by the hospitality of the Sikhs, who she said, “go above and beyond every year” by serving people food with a smile and constantly walking around with water for the visitors, before inviting them to come and worship with them. While she didn’t know much about the Sikh religion the first time she attended the walk, she said she now knows “their faith shines so clearly through their acts.”

“To be able to understand a religion that [the walkers] may never have come in contact with…is a wonderful way to build peace,” Ahmed said. “I hope it continues for 10 more years and beyond.”