Photos: Sunday morning – Religion in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
In 2006, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ staff photographer Dean Knuth set out to show religion in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ through a series of single images – one a week. It covers many, though not all, denominations.
Sunday morning
Rev. Lee Norris May starts up the two hour service by helping sing one of the many songs sung by the "Praise Team" and the church goers at the Prince Chapel, an African Methodist Episcopal church on February 12, 2006 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. The African Methodist Episcopal was the first church I went to in this project.
Sunday morning
Pastor Toby Newnum, who is also lead guitar and vocals in the band, places glasses on his face as he his projected on a 16' x 12' screen at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Community Church on August 20, 2006. The Church, also known as 'The Cool Church' has the whole sermon videotaped and is then sent via a live feed to two other church locations in the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ area. Parishioners at the other churches simply watch the telecast. During the service, Senior Pastor and Founder David McAllister uses video clips and photos that are projected onto the large screens behind him to get his message across.
Sunday morning
God's word reaches the deaf: Roma Vanduzer,right is deaf and blind,reads Braille as it is typing into a machine during a service at Sacred Heart Catholic Church,601 E. Fort Lowell Road,Elaine Chavez at left, signs the sermon for Donald Vanduzer,who also is deaf and blind. Chavez and Sonya Hernandez in the middle, both are deaf. The Vanduzers are able to attend and understand the Mass on Sunday because of a section for hearing - impaired parishioners. The sermon is input into the Braille machine by Eleanor Forte,Roma Vanduzer places two fingers on the machine and as Forte types, the corresponding Braille letters roll across her fingers. Forte types in everything that is said during the hour-plus service.Roughly 15 deaf people attend the Mass each Sunday.
Sunday morning
In the hour before church services began at 10 on Feb. 5, members of the Palo Verde Baptist Church attended an adult Sunday school class - which has been meeting for more than 30 years - to study the Book of Jonah.
Sunday morning
Inmates pray after a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints service at the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center, 2225 E. Ajo Way. The inmates have a choice of three services - the others are Catholic and nondenominational. Around 130 children are detained at the facility at any given time, and nearly 40 attended this service on July 16, as six guards kept watch. The service was led by Jeff Utsch, who volunteers out of the Casas Adobes Ward. He talked to his worshippers about adversity. "The fact that they are here means they are trying to do better," Utsch said.
Sunday morning
Worship Leader Cathy Wharton helps lead a song during the beginning of the June 25 service at Cornerstone Fellowship, an evangelical Christian church at 2902 N. Geronimo Ave. that primarily serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. "They are looking for a fundamental background," said Pastor Paul Chambliss, who has been with Cornerstone for four years and says it is very open and accepting. "It gives them a great sense of community." There are only two congregations in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ that exclusively serve the GLBT community, Chambliss said. But he said Cornerstone separates itself from the other churches through its strict adherence to the Scripture.
Sunday morning
At the Islamic Center of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on a May morning, Dalia Lezzar, left, and Summer Qasim, behind, look up as Raheek Fashaikat peers into a jar containing a sheep's brain and a rat's brain. It was part of a presentation about some of the inner workings of the human body by two University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ students, one majoring in molecular cellular biology and physiology. The activity was to show "how the Almighty made all things so perfectly for us," said Kiram Lezzar, director of the school held at the center on one Sunday each month. In addition to the biology presentation, students have learned about the stars from a Flandrau Science Center employee.
Sunday morning
Sunday school teacher Quentin Peterson holds up a poster depicting Jesus as 7-year-old Evan Williams raises his hand to answer a question at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 1200 N. Campbell Ave. Peterson and Mary Pflibsen teach the kindergarten, first- and second-grade Sunday school classes. There are 106 registered students in Our Saviour's Sunday school, although the average attendance is 50 to 60, with seven classes for 1-year-olds through high school. "It's the best place for them, outside the house, to learn about God and Jesus," said Hildi Williams, superintendent of the school. The school dates from the church's inception in 1945.
Sunday morning
The Rev. Stephen Barnufsky, right, derobed after celebrating Easter morning Mass while the Rev. Edgar Magaña put on his vestments in the sacristy at the Mission San Xavier del Bac on April 16. Magaña, a Franciscan priest, celebrated the third of four Masses for the Easter holiday.
Sunday morning
The Rev. Delle McCormick, right, a former minister with the United Church of Christ and recently appointed director of BorderLinks, walks with Ila Abernathy in the desert near Arivaca. Abernathy, a member of the humanitarian group Samaritans, and McCormick were looking for migrants who crossed the border to give them food and water and to see if they are in need of medical assistance. "It's a part of my spiritual practice," McCormick said while walking though the desert. She said it is her spirituality that brings her out to help migrants crossing the border, in what she calls, a reminiscence of Jesus' 40 days in the desert. "I very much believe in God out of the box," she said. "For so many Christians today, their activism is going to church," McCormick said, who believes that more people need to use their faith to help people.
Sunday morning
XX Sunday Morning-p4 dk - Moshe Rudd (MOSHE RUDD), 15, takes a hard look at the Talmud, written in Hebrew that has Jewish stories, laws and ethics, during the Talmud class at Yeshiva High School on March 5, 2006 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Yeshiva is a school for young orthodox Jews and has been open for three years now. The grounds, in the Grant and Country Club area, has three different classrooms and houses 25 student from across the country.
Sunday morning
Father John Allt gives communion with Major Christine Kress to the right on February 26, 2006 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Maj. Kress, who is also holding her daughter Kaitlin, 4, is is Element Leader of the Womens Heath Clinic at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The Catholic service at the base is open to all servicemen and their families. There are two different church buildings on the base that host 3 different protestant and two catholic services. After the catholic service is done at 10:45, the protestant service comes in and uses the same building, making changes to icons and the use of the organ instead of the piano.
Sunday morning
With religious icons hung upon the wall, Tulasi Das begins to cook brunch at the Chaitanya Cultural Center of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on February 19, 2006 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Das and her husband live in a room above the kitchen at the Center and have been cooks here for four years now. They work six days a week, cooking lunch and dinner for the full-time congregational members who Center. The Center is part of the International Society for Krishna Consciouness, ISKCON, which is better known as the Hare Krishna movement.
Sunday morning
Christie Gin, left, stands next to her daughters Nicole Gin, middle, and Ashley Gin, as they whisper to each other during the Chorus Medley at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Chinese Baptist Church, located at 2411 E. Ft. Lowell Road on November 5, 2006. The church was formed in 197. Most of the parishioners are Chinese-Americans said Pastor Joe Chan. The church is starting a new group at the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ called Mandarin Fellowship. The group is for Chinese students studying in the States who have never been to church or read the bible, which is most of them, said Pastor Chan.
Sunday morning
Blessed be the baptized: Nine-month-old Maya Barrey reaches to the sky during a baptism service at St. Pius X Catholic Church as her adoptive mother, Julia Barrey, holds her. Maya was one of four babies baptized during the 10 a.m. service Oct. 29; the church baptizes infants the last Sunday of the month.
Saguaro Rib Ceiling
Under a saguaro rib ceiling, the Rev. William Sassman speaks at the Episcopal Parish of St. Michael and All Angels. 
Sunday morning
Bernice Headley sits in a friend's car as she listens to the sermon at the Park Avenue Christian Church's drive-in service. Five or six motorists usually show up for the Sunday drive-in service at the church, 4635 S. Park Ave., thought to be the only one of its kind in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Worshippers can choose either the drive-in speaker or a newly installed FM transmitter service that feeds the sermon through the car stereo.
Sunday morning
The Rev. Bill Kohler makes his way through the halls of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center on his Segway, named "Billdozer.". Kohler uses his Segway to cruise around TMC as part of his ministry with Pastoral Services. He also rides from his residence at St. Joseph's Catholic Church two miles away. He's had the Segway since mid-summer and said he receives many comments from people every day asking about it.
Sunday morning
Pastor Bryce Miller delivers a sermon at the Shalom Mennonite Fellowship church, 6044 E. 30th St., last Sunday. The roughly 65 members of Shalom are involved with several community-improvement programs such as home repairs for low-income families as well as bicycle repair, recycling and gardening at the Zuni Avenue Peace Center. There are more than 600 congregations in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and many different faiths. Daily Star photographer Dean Knuth looks at one each week. See a new photo every week on StarNet at
Sunday morning
Prayer at Buddhism center - Bill Peck chants while holding juzu beads, which represent various aspects of Buddhism, at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Soka Gakkai International-USA center, located at 2540 E. 22nd St. The community center has around 300 active members who attend Saturday and Sunday meetings. The basic prayer chant Peck is doing is called Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the name of the Mystic Law that governs life eternally throughout the universe, Buddhists believe. "Every human being is worth the deepest respect," said Peck, the center's men's division area leader.
Sunday morning
Pastor Dennis Barreras sings while playing the tambourine during the service at Santa Cruz Harvest Center at 965 W. 24th Street on September 3, 2006. The church is still in need of electrical, ductwork, air conditioning and a completed roof. The church started two and a half years ago and has been steadily building by donations. The church's parishioners are mostly the homeless and ex-inmates, said Pastor Barreras. "God has sent us the throwaways," he said. "No one else wants to deal with them, but Jesus wants the fragments to be gathered together," Barreras said. The non-denominational church's motto is 'Building relationships in Christ - not religion.'
Sunday morning
Cedric Hay, center, laughs with John Degnan as William Winterton waits in the wings during the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church religious puppet show called K'Deo on August 27, 2006. Winterton, who is the Assistant Director of the Children's Ministry, plays Bernard, a life size puppet that goes on stage with other puppets during the over 30 minute show. Each week Winterton and other volunteers produce all original scripts and music for next weeks show. "We try to hit them with entertainment," Winterton said. This week's show was about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Doing this show for the 70 kids each week has taught Winterton a lot he said. "It has really grown my faith," Winterton said.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
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