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DECEMBER 26, 2024 - JANUARY 1, 2025
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Vol. 35 No. 53
HERALD PERSON oF THE YEAR Marie McNair
Marie McNair has faith that unites
Bringing people together, differences and all, has become her legacy By Juan Lasso
Marie McNair is a firm believer in spirituality as a great unifier. Viewing the world through the lens of spiritual unity has led her to a life devoted to knitting communities together — and that is just what she has done in Valley Stream. Through her leadership in the Valley Stream Community Fest and the Valley Stream Religious Council, McNair has brought people from different faiths together, creating an understated legacy of inclusivity, service and cooperation that continues to inspire her adopted community. That’s why the Valley Stream Herald is proud to recognize her as its 2024 Person of the Year. From an early age, McNair has felt called to swim against the current of a f we're living society quick to dwell on and amplify its divisions. Shaping her own world an authentic early on was the Bahá'í faith, a religion life of worship, that emphasizes the oneness of humanthen part of that ity and the importance of service to others. Introduced to the Bahá'í teach- is also being ings by her grandmother, at 13, she attended a Bahá'í Youth Week program authentic in our up in Maine, which she described as service to each “transformative.” other and to our “I felt so connected with other young people at the program, and feel- community. ing so strongly about concepts like the oneness of all human life,” she said. MARIE McNAIR Her parents, who had not yet embraced the Bahá'í Faith, saw the change in her. They, too, eventually joined the Bahá'í community. For McNair, it was never just about subscribing to a personal belief system — it was about a way of being in the world, of serving, giving back, making sure that everyone has a seat at the table. Now at 77, McNair routinely sets the table for interfaith dialogue and solidarity. For years, she has been at the heart of the Valley Stream Religious Council, an interfaith coalition that brings together representatives from Christianity, Judaism, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith, among others. The council’s purpose is to foster understanding, build bridges, and show the people of Valley Stream that despite their differences, they share a common human bond. The fruits of McNair’s convictions are clear to see: Valley Stream neighbors and spiritual leaders from different faiths sit side-by-side at an annual Thanksgiving service. In addition, each January, religious leaders from every tradition gather to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, not with speeches
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but in shared silence, as the sacred texts of diverse faiths ring out in a universal call for justice. “When I heard the talk that was given tonight with passages from all the world’s religions and saw how they each have common spiritual foundational beliefs in gratitude and love, I was very moved, and this increased my understanding of how we really are one human family,” Bishop Claude Hibbert of Deeper Life World Outreach Ministries said of a recent interfaith Thanksgiving service. “I have asked for a copy of that talk so that I can meditate on it.” In 2012, McNair first stepped into the logistical whirlwind of the Valley Stream Community Fest as one of its seven founding members. The spirit of the festival has grown from a modest gathering to a one-day celebration that attracts thousands, thanks in part to McNair’s steadfast leadership. A few local volunteers had organized the event, but little did they know of its enormous potential in the coming years. McNair, who lives in East Patchogue, and had spent years as an educator, recognized the need for a steady hand to expand Continued on page 2 Courtesy Marie McNair
Marie McNair has led the Valley Stream Community Fest and the Valley Stream Religious Council, bringing people from different faiths together.