From the Huffington Post


4 Things We Can All Learn From One Of America’s Oldest Religious Communities


By Alena Hall

Sunlight pours into the plain, open room through its many windows. Men and women of all ages gather in rows of simple wooden benches all aligned to face the center of the room, facing one another. Together they sit in stillness and silence, actively waiting for inspiration to arrive.
For at least an hour each week, Quakers — or more formally known as the Religious Society of Friends — come together in this room for what is called a meeting for worship. While the structure varies from meetinghouse to meetinghouse and from perspective to perspective, this tradition (comparable to a church service) offers valuable insights into how one can live a mindful and fulfilling life — with or without the religious context.
Quakerism and this accompanying practice emerged in mid-17th century England during a time of religious turmoil. George Fox founded this protestant society out of dissatisfaction with the Church of England, and a group of Friends brought it to the Pennsylvania colony in the American Northeast in the early 1680s. They aim to embody the values of pacifism, community, simplicity and equality throughout their daily lives, placing a special emphasis on these gatherings.



Many meetings for worship are not led by a minister, filled with hymns or guided by scripture readings. Instead, Friends sit together and wait silently and patiently to connectwith the Divine spirit. Should they feel moved to share thoughts inspired by this spiritual connection, they simply stand and do so. If not, they continue to sit and search for guidance and direction peacefully. No two meetings for worship are the same. One day the room will remain silent throughout the entirety of the meeting, while another will be full voices sharing the messages they felt inspired to share.
Even for those who do not feel compelled to connect to a higher power, the tradition of meeting for worship embodies several core Quaker beliefs that help Friends lead a mindful, connected and fulfilling life.

They value silence and stillness.


The purpose of silence and stillness within a meeting for worship closely resembles that of meditation: It serves not only as time to relax and gather your thoughts, but also as a means of opening up to the guidance of one’s Inner Light and being aware of its power. The practice of sitting together in this manner is often referred to as ”expectant waiting.” Clearing the mind and setting aside other thoughts and activities, Friends open their minds to the potential presence of the Holy Spirit and the enlightening connection that can occur when it arrives.


They appreciate community.

While Friends focus heavily on their individual connections to the higher power, they also value the power of their “gathered community.” The meetings for worship bring everyone together to collectively search for the word of God, as opposed to having them meditate independently. Quakers rely on unity and trust within their communities — both inside and outside the meetinghouse — which helps them to create open-minded conversation and cooperation.

They stick to simplicity.

“The meeting house is not a consecrated edifice, and if there is anything holy about it, it must be the lives of the people who meet there,” said president of Haverford College and fellow Quaker William Wistar Comfort.

The meetinghouse’s appearance isn’t the only thing in a Quaker’s life that appears plain and simple. Because their connection with God serves as the highest value in their lives, they believe he will provide all that they need and thus lead lives of material simplicity. In fact they view material wealth as a spiritual distraction that often leads to environmental destruction as well (stewardship to the planet is another core value of modern Quakerism).


They emphasize equality.

Because they believe that all people are beloved by God and regard that connection as the most important aspect of life, Friends acknowledge a fundamental brotherhood and sisterhood among all people. The innate ability to embody that divine Inner Light encourages them to treat every person with the same amount of respect. This belief directly relates their active participation in social justice movements, from women’s rights to anti-slavery to prison reform.

Some of the country’s top educational institutions were founded on Quaker principles: Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University and Swarthmore College to name a few. And handfuls of America’s youth are being exposed to these values at even younger ages.


More About Quakers

Quakers in Cork

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WHEN DID QUAKERS COME TO CORK? Quakerism was first brought to Cork by Elizabeth Smith and Elizabeth Fletcher in 1655. Some of the first Quakers were Cromwellian soldiers, who saw that violence and fighting were not consistent with the peaceable message of Jesus Christ. Obediance to the radical message of Jesus implied social change and service, and ruled out violence. MEETING HOUSE AT GRATTAN STREET Old Meeting House on Grattan St Picture: Ben Russell The Quaker Meeting House at Grattan Street was originally built in 1678, and was subsequently rebuilt and renovated a number of times. The building as it now stands was completed in 1834, when there were about 280 Quakers in Cork. The design was by the Quaker architect George Beale and cost £3,338.The building is now owned by the Southern Health Board.  SOME MEMORABLE CORK QUAKERS William Penn William Penn (1644–1718), the founder of Pennsylvania, started his life as a Quaker in Cork. He inherited estates a
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Friends Meeting House Cork

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The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) meeting house is located on Summerhill South and is set back from the road on a grassy slope and is surrounded by a high wall. The building was designed by WH Hill and was purpose built in 1938 following a move from the old meeting house in Grattan Street which dates back to 1677. It is a simple unadorned meeting room and a place of worship. There is also a library of Quaker and other related works. The burial ground lies to the rear of the building where neat plain grave stones mark the final resting place of members of the congregation. This burial ground is an interesting reminder of the religious diversity which was associated with Cork city during the nineteenth century. The simple, though well-executed headstones are representative of the form and design of Quaker grave markers and were clearly executed by skilled craftsmen.  The burial ground also offers an unexpected, refreshing green space near Cork city centre
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From the Independent

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Ireland's Quakers may keep a low profile, but their contribution to the shape of modern Ireland shouldn't be underestimated. And this group, like so many others, is using the Gathering to celebrate their remarkable history. The Society of Friends or Quakers made a crucial contribution to business and economic development in this country. In the early part of the 19th century over 8,000 people were employed in Quaker-owned industries in the town of Mountmellick, Co Laois in brewing, milling, textiles, tanning and engineering. Indeed, the town became known as the 'Manchester of Ireland'. This link with the Irish business sector remains strong and many Quaker names are still prominent in trading circles, including such stalwarts of the scene as Jacobs, Odlum, Pim, Goodbody and Bewley.  Even more important is the peace and reconciliation work done by the Quakers in the North from the beginning of the Troubles, and before that the heroic relief work undertaken dur
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About Quakers

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The “Religious Society of Friends” was founded in the 1650’s in Northern England by George Fox and assorted like-minded “seekers”. This religious movement arose from the foment of civil war and religious dissent in mid-17th-century England, and was fueled in part by disillusionment with the established churches of the time. Members first began to be called ‘Quakers’ soon after the foundation of the Society; this is really a nickname, but is now more commonly used than the official title. The words ‘Friend’ and ‘Quaker’ are interchangeable. The central basis of Quakerism is the belief that each person can make direct contact with the Divine, which led Quakers to reject the need for clergy to act as intermediaries between us and God. This is closely related to our belief in the intrinsic equality of all people, and that there is “that of God in everyone”. As a consequence of these basic beliefs, Sunday masses or services became unprogrammed “Meetings” held mostly in silence, with
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