Bridges of Faith Trialogue to host Cincinnati’s first Festival of Faiths
Greater Cincinnati’s first-ever Festival of Faiths on Sunday, June 24, 2018, from 1-5 pm at Xavier University’s Cintas Center will bring together neighbors, families and spiritual leaders to celebrate the area’s religious diversity. The day will feature faith-based exhibits, dialogues, workshops, art, music and fun activities for all ages. The event is free and open to the public.
Modeled after popular long-standing festivals in Louisville and Indianapolis, Cincinnati’s festival will showcase the many faith traditions of our region. It also includes a day of community service for interfaith groupings of volunteers.
Organized by the local Bridges of Faith Trialogue, the Festival’s objectives are to promote awareness of Greater Cincinnati’s religious diversity, celebrate the variety of cultural contributions to our community’s quality of life, and educate families about the world’s religions.
The theme for this inaugural event is “Compassion through Action” in recognition of the role the faith community has historically played and continues to play in advancing a civil, socially just and welcoming community for all who live, work and visit Greater Cincinnati. The event will also serve to unify our community, focusing on our similarities and celebrating our differences.
Co-Chairing the Festival’s Steering Committee are the Rev. Canon Manoj Zacharia, sub-dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Sandy Kaltman, president of the local American Jewish Committee, and Maria Munir, a board member of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. Heading up the Program Committee are the Brueggeman Center’s James Buchanan Ph.D., Umama Alam of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, Sarah Weiss, director of the Holocaust and Humanity Center, and Nazly Mamedova, an attorney with Wanglaw.
“Religions worldwide contribute in many ways to the soul of a community – its values, mores, human relations and ultimately its progress. Regardless of creed, religions universally lift up compassion as a pathway to enrich spiritual and personal relationships that build a community’s vibrancy and livability for all,” said Maria Munir, Festival Co-Chair.
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