Nevada (USA), Dec.25: Hymns from the Rig-Veda, the Upanisads and the Bhagavad-Gita will form part of the prayer-blessing ceremony at one of the prestigious Catholic schools of America on January eleven.

Rajan Zed, a prominent Hindu chaplain and Indo-American leader, will be reciting from the Brahadaranyakopanisad: "Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyorma amrtam gamaya"(which roughly translates as "Lead us from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, and from death to Immortality) at the Bishop Manogue Catholic High School.

The Rig-Veda is the oldest scripture in the world that is still in use. It dates back to around 1500 BCE.

Besides Zed, prayers from Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish faiths will be read at this prayer-blessing service.
Apart from Bishop Durante and Zed, the other religious leaders invited to participate in it are: John Auer (Methodist), Abdul Barghouthi (Muslim), William Bartlett (Buddhist), Myra Soifer (Jewish), Jeff Olsen (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Gene Savoy Jr. (Church of Second Advent), Jim Jeffrey and Laurie Chappelle (both Episcopalian), and Jackie Leonard (Presbyterian).

SAT and ACT scores of Bishop Manogue Catholic High School, which prides in its faith based learning environment, are much higher than national average. Here students are required to perform 20-30 service hours within the community each year with elderly, sick/disabled, and socio-economically disadvantaged people. (ANI)