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On Wednesday 18th June 2014, around 38 members and guests of the Casey Multifaith Network went on a Tour to Places of Worship. The group included several members of the executive committee, including the President Mr. Jim Reiher, plus people from various faith backgrounds such as  Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Spiritualists and various Christian denominations. Pam Mamouney OAM was the organizer and official guide.

Church of Scientology - Ascot Vale

The tour started at 9:30am sharp leaving from the designated meeting place in Narre Warren North. The first place of worship, The Church of Scientology, was in Ascot Vale, about one hour away from the starting point. The building, which was previously functioning as a convent, was purchased and inaugurated by the Church in 2011. Our hospitable hostess, Jan Lester, welcomed the group into the building’s main hall, where a delicious morning tea along with scones and muffins was served to all the guests. Jan gave a welcome presentation, which also introduced in a concise manner the basic viewpoints of the Church with aid of slides and video clips. The basic teaching of the Church of Scientology is established on the concept of Dianetics, and in summary, Scientology, which means “knowing how to know” is an “applied philosophy of life”. After the presentation and a brief question and answer session, the group of Casey Multifaith Network guests was divided into two smaller groups and taken on a guided tour of the building.

Church of Scientology - Ascot Vale

The building is what the Church refers to as an “ideal organisation” i.e. it has enough space to adequately deliver the services of Scientology in, as well as provide facilities for the administration of all of the Church’s social betterment programs, etc. There are several learning rooms and lecture halls, including a large bookstore which makes available several writings of the founder of the Church, L. Ron Hubbard. In the main area of the church, there is a café, where fresh food is prepared and available for purchase to anyone from within the church or walk-in guests.

After the 45-minute tour, we reconvened in the main hall for an exchange of gifts and a group photograph. The group also had lunch in the hall, and before departing, each participant of the tour was presented with a show bag containing literature and DVDs on the tenets of the Church of Scientology. After saying farewell, the bus tour departed toward the second place of worship scheduled for the day at 1pm.

Salvation Army Church in Berwick

The second stop was Salvation Army Church in Berwick, where we reached at 1:45pm. Our host at the Church, Captain Troy, was dressed in his ‘Army uniform’. Captain Troy welcomed the group into the main hall, and presented an introductory slideshow about the history and community work the Church is engaged in locally, nationally and globally. Members of the tour were encouraged to ask questions after the presentation. State Member of Parliament for Narre Warren South, Judith Graley also joined the Casey Multifaith Network at the Church and praised the network for the work the group is involved in. After the presentation, the Casey Multifaith Network Vice President Stephanie Saunders presented our host with an interfaith prayer. Captain Troy invited everyone to help themselves with a cup of tea/coffee.

The tour ended at 3pm. It was truly an inspirational and enlightening tour, where each member of the network felt that they had learned a lot about the places of worship and many of their misconceptions.