Interfaith Inspiration: Louisville, Kentucky’s “Festival of Faiths”
We are pleased to introduce new content to the web presence of Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls: Interfaith Inspiration! While St. Louis has a unique interfaith community with long roots and deep commitment to mutual understanding, we are among many other cities working toward similar ends. This new feature will turn the spotlight away from our own endeavors and on the exemplary work of our brothers and sisters in other cities. We hope the new content will help inspire our community with new ideas and a larger vision for our interfaith work.
Louisville, Kentucky’s “Festival of Faiths”
In 1998, the US Senate adopted a resolution stating that the “Louisville Festival of Faiths should be commended and should serve as a model for similar festivals in other communities throughout the United States.” Over the last fourteen years, the Festival of Faiths has grown to achieve this vision and is now a sustained series of annual events and programs, scheduled each year over the course of several consecutive days. This year’s event, to be held November 14-18 at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, celebrates the theme “Sacred Fire: Light of Compassion.” Learn more about this exciting event at their website.
The Festival of Faiths is a salient example of interfaith activity for us in St. Louis right now because this year, Interfaith Partnership will sponsor a totally new, completely free wing of the annual Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park. Each of the faith groups who take part in IP have the opportunity to have a booth at the festival, within a specially-designated area for world religions. We hope each faith group in St. Louis will consider being part of this event, as a completely free way to interact with a curious public in a celebratory setting. This year’s Festival of Nations will be held August 25 and 26. Interested in taking part in the Interfaith area of the Festival of Nations? Contact IP/FBW Coordinator Leslie Heberlie at leslie at interfaithstl dot org or in the office at 314-918-2541.
