Cinco de Mayo celebrations traditionally honor the Mexican victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III. However, the modern cultural significance of Cinco de Mayo is complicated. Our guest speaker, Adela Garcia Duncan, will talk about that.

Sunday services begin at 11 a.m. but join us early for coffee and conversation. Visitors and guests are always welcome. On the first Sunday of the month, we have a potluck lunch after the service. This Sunday we’ll focus dishes from Mexico. If you’re a visitor, just bring your appetite. We’ll have plenty of food.

Adela was raised in Mendota, CA, a small agricultural town west of Fresno. She served eight years in the U.S. Army, while earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. She went on to a civilian career as a communications director for the Department of Defense at Fort Moore and overseas.

Adela grew up among migrant farm workers. Here in Columbus, she was one of the founders of Paz Amigos, a local nonprofit that helped immigrants released from the huge Stewart Detention Center near Lumpkin, GA. Our Fellowship members supported Paz Amigos. Adela can update us on how the group helped more than 2,000 immigrants and, in the process, helped make release procedures more fair.

Our Sunday services usually feature a speaker—either a member of the Fellowship or a guest. We focus on the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism, but our interests are wide-ranging. Services also include music, readings, meditation and opportunities, always optional, to share your own thoughts.

We are non-denominational. We do have beliefs, as individuals, but our members subscribe to a range of religious, philosophical and ethical traditions. What ties us together are commitments to human rights and care for the planet. Our unofficial motto: “deeds before creeds.”