Religious center provides succor

Some 665 athletes and officials from more than 50 countries and regions have visited the religious service center at the Olympic Village since it opened on July 27, a BOCOG official said yesterday.

Sixty-nine professional religious service volunteers have been holding services around the clock in English, Arabic, Italian, French, Korean and Hebrew, Deng Yaping, deputy director of the Olympic Village department and spokeswoman for the village, told a press conference at the Beijing International Media Center.

On Aug 3, one foreigner visited the center and asked for a prayer ceremony to be held for his mother who had died a few days ago. A priest prayed for him, Deng said.