Nichole Dobo

The News Journal

The religious leaders said the meeting will lead to further interfaith bonds.

Starting next month%2C teenagers and parents from a local Catholic parish will visit the mosque.

It was the first meeting, and it is hoped there will be many more to come.

The imam of the Islamic Society of Delaware met Monday with the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. They sat together at a table in the mosque near Newark, and talked about ways they might bring together ordinary people from both communities of faith to learn more about each other.

"The primary reason to get together was to get to know you," said The Rev. W. Francis Malooly, bishop of the diocese, who initiated the conversation.

It was the first time the local bishop and imam had met with each other. The imam said he was excited to meet with the bishop, and he welcomes others who would like to visit. The religious leaders said the meeting will lead to further interfaith bonds.

"This is very important, for us to share our faith and what we believe," said Imam Sheikh Hadi.

Starting next month, teenagers and parents from a local Catholic parish will visit the mosque. And the leader from the mosque will come to Resurrection Parish near Pike Creek.

"We desire universal respect," said Jack Sanders, a parishioner at the church.

Sanders has been attending Friday afternoon prayer services at the Islamic Society of Delaware for several years. He has many friends there, and he believes there are opportunities for interfaith cooperation. When people get to know someone as a person, they are more likely to see what they have in common rather than viewing others through the lens of negative stereotypes, he said.

"As long as we have dialogue we can fight misinformation," said Fahim Karim, of Bear, who attends services at the mosque.

Along with the imam and the bishop, there were four others at the table. Sanders and Karim were among them. As they talked, they discovered shared experiences that showed they had much in common even though they come from different religious backgrounds.

For instance, the Rev. Leonard J. Kempski, of Holy Rosary Church, mentioned that he came from a family of immigrants. He is a second generation American, he shared. Another person at the table shared they were also a second-generation American.

There have been renewed efforts between Catholic and Muslim leadership to find ways to improve relationships, Sanders said. Pope Francis has encouraged it, and this outreach has been welcomed by the Muslim leaders, according to the National Catholic Register.

That is a belief shared by the Muslims and Catholics at the meeting Monday in Newark.

"We would welcome the idea," Hadi said.

It was a low-profile conversation, a time to exchange ideas and contact information. They said it would not be the last time they meet. People of different faiths can work together, and respect each other, while still remaining true to their own beliefs, Malooly said.

"Everyone has truth to share, and we need to learn it," he said.

Contact Nichole Dobo at (302) 324-2281 or ndobo@delawareonline.com. On Twitter @NicholeDobo.