Youth Lead Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, Inspiring Hope and Unity in Vancouver

Youth and families from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined friends from diverse faiths — Bahá’í, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh — to celebrate hope and unity at an interfaith prayer breakfast on Family Day, February 16, 2026, at the Bahá’í Learning Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The event was led by youth and young adults, who offered prayers, music, sacred readings and short messages highlighting the spiritual teachings that guide their commitment to humanity’s well-being. Sponsored by the Multi-Faith Summit Council of British Columbia (MFSCBC), with Latter-day Saint Sherry Marceil serving as outreach chair, the breakfast aimed to inspire the next generation of youth leaders, strengthen interfaith connections and promote community service.

Emphasizing Youth Leadership

Interfaith youth organizers and presenters included Zeeshan Bajwa (Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at), Saaib Choudhry (Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at), Shreeyam Mishra (Hindu), Sarah Mohebiany (Bahá’í Faith), Hannah Presman Chikiar (Jewish), Jared Riquelme (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Karin Riquelme (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Amelia Sabet (Bahá’í Faith), Teresa So (Roman Catholic) and Nina Venditti (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Sarah Mohebiany, co-organizer and a member of the Bahá’í Faith, said, “It is always the youth that are the ones with the most vigour, insights, vision and energy to help create a better world, not only in the future, but right now.”

Promoting Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding

All attendees participated in roundtable discussions focused on the role of youth in promoting humanity’s well-being. A shared vision of a compassionate world, guided by love for all, emerged from the conversations. Youth presented ideas about the actions and resources needed to build a more sustainable future and caring world. Their responses, presented through colourful artwork and phrases, were displayed on a banner wall.

Sebastian Arana, a young man from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “Getting to see the perspectives from other people and other religions was important. Even though we all have different backgrounds, we have a similar belief that love unites all of us. Love for all and hate for no one.”

Dr. Kala Singh, chair of MFSCBC, said, “We are all equal. We all have the light of the same creator.”

Sharing Values of Love and Service

Four youth speakers shared the spiritual teachings they follow to find their path in today’s world. These teachings included reading daily from sacred texts and scriptures, participating in youth service activities and turning faith into action.

Nina Venditti, who is planning to serve a mission for the Church, said, “Jesus didn’t just teach; He acted on it. He cared enough to help. He paid attention to those who are struggling or may be overlooked. Love is active.”

Saaib Choudhry, a master’s student at Simon Fraser University, added, “As Muslims, we work together for the greater good. We do this through community service such as food drives, blood drives and charity runs.”

Strengthening Communities

The youth-led interfaith prayer breakfast underscored that caring for humanity through love and service is essential to building stronger communities worldwide.

Maria Valdez, first counsellor in the Young Women organization for the Vancouver British Columbia Stake, said, “As a leader, it was uplifting to hear from the youth. Their insights were inspiring and reminded us of the powerful influence young people have in building faith, compassion, hope and unity.”

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught, “Practicing interfaith dialogue is a solution to the challenges facing the world. I invite everyone to engage in acts of learning and service, bridging the gaps of understanding between different faith traditions and worldviews.”

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