In a remarkable interfaith gesture, 30th Annual Sparks High Schools Multi-faith Baccalaureate Service will be held on May 20 in Sparks (Nevada, USA), blessing the graduating seniors.

Besides prayers and blessings by area religious leaders belonging to Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish traditions, it will also include prayers, musical numbers and speeches by students from various Sparks area high schools.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who will be reading blessing prayer in Sanskrit from Rig-Veda, oldest existing scripture of the mankind, says that the purpose of baccalaureate service is to root the graduating class in divine spiritual tradition so that they have a spiritually meaningful life in addition to material success.

Dr. Bruce Taylor, a Presbyterian Pastor, will deliver the keynote address, while Sparks Mayor Geno R. Martini will preside at the Service. Nicholas F. Frey of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Coordinator for this year’s Service.

Baccalaureate service basically means service where a sermon is delivered to the graduating class. In use since at least the eighth century, origins of the baccalaureate service point to an Oxford University statute of 1432, which required each bachelor to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of the academic exercise, Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, and committee-member of the Service, adds.