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Four prominent leaders tapped as 2023 Honorary Co-Chairs of the 2023 Festival of Faiths

Cincinnati leaders representing Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity to lead this year’s festival, beginning on Aug. 27, 2023.

CINCINNATI, OH – April 28, 2023

New this year, the 6th annual Cincinnati Festival of Faiths is recognizing four prominent religious leaders as honorary festival co-chairs. Hindu priest Acharya Kailash Sharma, Muslim American community leader Shakila T. Ahmad, Jewish Professor and Rabbi Gary P. Zola, PhD, and Roman Catholic Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr of the Christian tradition will represent four of our community’s major religions.

On Sunday, Aug. 27, the festival will begin with the exhibition from noon to 5 PM at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. The festival exhibition hosted by EquaSion, is free, open to the public, and will feature exhibitors, vendors, food, and entertainment for all ages. Honorary chairs were chosen with this year’s festival theme in mind: Compassion Through Action: Dwelling Together in Peace and Justice.

“I cannot think of a better way to kickstart this year’s festival than by announcing these four religious leaders as our first-ever honorary co-chairs,” said Chip Harrod, EquaSion’s Executive Director. “As exemplary community leaders from four of our region’s religions, each one embodies the true spirit of the festival. We are incredibly humbled and so fortunate to have their involvement in the festival.”

THE HONOREES
Acharya Kailash Sharma
In addition to being a distinguished Hindu priest, Acharya is a multi-talented musician, singer, and orator. He has served the Hindu community as chief priest at the Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati for over two decades, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience from his traditional priestly family in northern India. Under his leadership, the temple congregation has thrived.

Shakila T Ahmad
For more than 25 years, Shakila has served as a community leader for the Muslim American community focusing on numerous civic and community causes and building peace and understanding. She recently served five years as Chair and President of the Board at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati making her the first woman to serve in this capacity at such an institution across the country. For her exceptional work, Shakila has earned several awards including: Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year 2001, Women to Watch 2014, YWCA Racial Justice award 2018 and was humbled with an honorary PhD by Mount St. Joseph University in 2019.

Rabbi Gary P. Zola, PhD
Rabbi Zola is a professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and serves as Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives (AJA). Under Zola’s leadership, the AJA has become the largest free-standing research center dedicated solely to the study of the American Jewish experience. Rabbi Zola is an author, thought leader, and activist. For his social justice work, he has received The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award, the Lighthouse Youth Services Beacon of Light Humanitarian Award, and the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio honored Dr. Zola this April.

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr
Archbishop Schnurr is the 10th archbishop of Cincinnati. A native of Sheldon, Iowa, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa in 1974. Archbishop Schnurr earned a doctorate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in 1980. Later he was named associate general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and later became general secretary. From 1991 to 1993, Archbishop Schnurr served as the national executive director of World Youth Day 1993 which led to a close working relationship with Pope St. John Paul II. Archbishop Schnurr was named coadjutor archbishop of Cincinnati on October 17, 2008, and became archbishop of Cincinnati on December 21, 2009.

This year’s festival will feature more than 13 world religions and will consist of programs throughout the week following the exhibition, culminating in an interfaith Peace Walk at Ault Park on August 31, at 7 PM. All events and programs are free and open to the public. To learn more about the 6th annual Cincinnati Festival of Faiths visit www.cincifestivaloffaiths.org.

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EquaSion is a nonpartisan civic association whose mission is to promote Compassion through Action: acting on our compassion, we engage people of all faiths to discover their shared humanity and spirituality and to work together for an equitable and just community for all. Its signature program is the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths. For more information on EquaSion’s interfaith community and the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths, visit www.equasion.org

Cincinnati’s 5th Annual Festival of Faiths was a celebration of unity

A week-long event from July 31-Aug 7

Exhibition on Aug 7 at Xavier University’s Cintas Center, 12 – 5PM

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CINCINNATI, OH – The Greater Cincinnati’s interfaith community united during the 5th annual Festival of Faiths—a week-long, hybrid celebration from July 31 – August 7, 2022. More than 40 faith organizations representing 13 world religions participated in the week’s activities to bring meaningful, entertaining, and educational programming to the public.

The festival was free, open to the public, and featured faith-based conversations, dialogues, workshops, meditations, and music programs. EquaSion, the hosting organization, assembled an outstanding committee working with sponsors and faith-based groups from all over the region. This year’s festival co-chairs, Penny Pensak and Afreen Asif, led a dedicated group composed of members of diverse backgrounds.

Compassion Through Action: Working for the Common Good was the theme of the 5th Annual Festival of Faiths and was the focus throughout the week is on community and unity. The festival culminated in an in person festival on August 7, at Xavier University’s Cintas Center.

This year’s festival was held in honor of the memory of past festival co-chair, Jaipal Singh. Jaipal’s memory will live on through his extraordinary life and his outstanding contributions to the interfaith relations in Cincinnati.

“Many in our Festival of Faiths community can speak in a spiritual voice, some can speak in a visionary voice, and several can speak in a leadership voice,” Festival co-chair Pensak said. “Jaipal Singh could speak in all three voices. When he spoke, we took a deep breath. He centered us, encouraged us to look forwards, and always reminded us we are stronger when we reach a consensus and work together. As we planned this year’s Festival, we heard Jaipal’s measured, unique voice guiding us.”

Public programming began on Sunday, July 31, 2022, and ran through Sunday, August 7, 2022. On August 7, hundreds gathered at the Cintas Center and enjoy cultural foods, merchandise, youth and adult activities, over 60 faith-based exhibitors, cultural and ethnic music, and entertainment.

“Marie Curie said ‘Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.’ The world is progressively getting harder to navigate as time goes on, and the best way to deal with that is to seek to understand the unknown,” Festival co-chair Asif said. “Equation’s Festival of Faiths, provides a space for all of Cincinnati to come together to not only grow but to teach in a safe and respectful environment where one’s uniqueness is accepted and celebrated.

All events and programs were free and open to the public.

 

Cincinnati Faith Community Kicks Off 4th Annual Festival of Faiths 

 

More than 50 organizations unite for a week of diverse programming aimed at interfaith celebration and collaboration

 

CINCINNATI, OH – August 22, 2021 – The 4th Annual Cincinnati Festival of Faiths officially begins today with the Opening Interfaith Devotional Observance, an online spiritual gathering that brings together leaders from diverse religious communities of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. Today’s event marks the beginning of a weeklong calendar of events, including interfaith prayers, music, spiritual meditations, lunchtime webinars about faith, workshops for teachers and spiritual leaders, a panel discussion for youth, and more. For a complete listing of events, days & times, and Zoom sign-up links for each, please visit https://equasion.org/festival-of-faiths/calendar-of-activities/.

 

“Yes, COVID is still with us as well as a divisive political climate, but so is the antidote – the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths, which presents the interfaith community’s example of how we should treat and care for one another, and how we should accept our differences with respect and civility,” said Chip Harrod, Executive Director of EquaSion, the nonprofit organization behind the Festival of Faiths. “This week, Cincinnatians will have the opportunity to witness interfaith relations at their best: representatives of 13 world religions cooperating in presenting prayer, spiritual meditations, social action, religious education, music, and sacred activism. I urge everyone to treat themselves to the inspiring moments of positivity and hope offered by the Festival of Faiths.”

 

In its fourth year and in response to the lingering threat of the pandemic, the Festival will again be presented virtually. More than 50 community leaders joined this year’s Festival of Faiths Co-Chairs Penny Pensak, Afreen Asif, Bishop Marvin Thomas Sr., and Jaipal Singh to create 15 interfaith inspirational events with broad appeal for communities, families, and individuals.

 

The Festival was financially supported by 50 different businesses, corporations, community organizations, and faith communities to make this year’s virtual programming possible and to support the year-long work of EquaSion’s other programs. This year’s generous sponsors to date include:

 

 

For more information about the Festival, including complete programming and registration details, visit www.cincifestivaloffaiths.org.

 

 

Festival of Faiths Volunteers Create 3500+ Power Packs for Kids Over 120 Hours at Freestore Foodbank 

The past year has been one of unprecedented need for the Freestore Foodbank. They were giving away a million pounds of food a week during the worst part of the pandemic. When the pandemic started, the Ohio National Guard was brought in to do the sorting and packing previously done by volunteers, but now that things are opening up more, the National Guard has left, and the Freestore is once again be in great need of volunteers.

Thanks to the generosity and volunteering of the Festival of Faiths Steering Committee, we were able to commit to creating Power Packs for children. These Power Packs, given to children at school on Fridays, ensure that the recipients will have something to eat over the weekends.  More than 5,000 children in more than 108 participating schools receive Power Packs from the Freestore Foodbank each week.

We committed to filling a total of 40 volunteer shifts over 4 sessions and we came through with 48 shifts! At 2.5 hours per session, that’s 120 volunteer hours.

On 8/10, we packed 913 Power Packs for hungry kids. On 8/12, we packed 943 boxes, for a total of 1,856 boxes so far. By the time we’re finished, that number should be around 3,700.

Way to go, Volunteers! This is Compassion Through Action!


Fourth Annual Festival of Faith Programming Announced

“Compassion Through Action: We’re In This Together” Theme Focuses on Community and Unity during August 22-28 Virtual Event

 

CINCINNATI, OH – The Greater Cincinnati community will once again unite during the Fourth Annual Festival of Faiths event, held virtually this year from August 22-28, 2021. EquaSion, the organization formerly known as the Bridges of Faith Trialogue, this week announced the full programming for the weeklong virtual Festival.

 

The Festival is free and open to the public and features faith-based conversations, dialogues, workshops, medications, and music programs. More than 30 faith organizations representing 13 world religions are represented in the week’s activities, which are led by this year’s Festival Co-Chairs Penny Pensak, Afreen Asif, Bishop Marvin Thomas Sr., and Jaipal Singh as well as volunteers from various diverse groups.

 

“Our theme, “Compassion Through Action: We’re In This Together,” is especially poignant given the challenges our communities have faced over the past year from COVID-19, racial injustices, social uprisings, and more,” said Chip Harrod, Executive Director of EquaSion. “This year’s Steering Committee has worked hard to create an opportunity for people of all backgrounds, religions, traditions, and faiths to come together and celebrate one another in a safe and welcoming environment. It’s our hope that individuals and families everywhere feel invited to join us.”

 

For the first time, the Festival is honoring a local individual as Honorary Chair of the Festival.  To inaugurate this recognition, the EquaSion board selected James P. Buchanan, Ph.D., the recently retired Executive Director of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University. Dr. Buchanan, a widely recognized scholar and civic leader, has devoted twenty years to promoting interfaith education, dialogue and collaboration both locally and nationally. He is currently the director of Interfaith Cincy and A Blessing to One Another and serves on the boards of numerous charitable organizations.

 

Public programming begins on Sunday, August 22, 2021, and runs through Saturday, August 28, 2021. All events and services are free and open to the public, but advanced reservations are required for participation. The entire Calendar of Activities and links to register for all events during the 4th Annual Festival of Faiths is available at www.cincifestivaloffaiths.org.

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To download a PDF copy of this release, click here.

4th Annual Festival of Faiths  Acknowledges “We are in it Together”

 

Registration is Open as Hundreds Sign-up for Online Events Starting Sunday, August 22nd at EquaSion.org

CINCINNATI, OH – July 26, 2021 – The 4th Annual Cincinnati Festival of Faiths, the signature program of the interfaith group EquaSion, is drawing hundreds of online participants for a 7-day program, August 22 through 28. This year’s theme, “Compassion Through Action: We are in it Together,” will deliver a program filled with interfaith prayer, music, spiritual meditations, lunchtime webinars about faith, workshops for teachers and spiritual leaders, a panel discussion for youth, and more. Click Here to view the entire 2021 schedule of programs.

In its fourth year and in response to the lingering threat of the pandemic, the Festival will again be presented virtually.  More than 50 community leaders joined this year’s Festival of Faiths Co-Chairs Penny Pensak, Afreen Asif, Bishop Marvin Thomas Sr., and Jaipal Singh to create 15 events with broad appeal for communities of faith, families, and all individuals seeking inspiration from the collegial and respectful interfaith relations they will witness throughout the weeklong festival.

For the first time, the Festival is honoring a local individual as Honorary Chair of the Festival.  To inaugurate this recognition, the EquaSion board selected James P. Buchanan, Ph.D., the recently retired Executive Director of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University.   Dr. Buchanan, a widely recognized scholar and civic leader, has devoted twenty years to promoting interfaith education, dialogue and collaboration both locally and nationally.  He is currently the director of Interfaith Cincy and A Blessing to One Another and serves on the boards of numerous charitable organizations.

The Festival activities will again embrace the 30 faith communities and 13 world religions that have participated in previous festivals. A few highlights include:

  • An Opening Interfaith Devotional involving prayers from more than a dozen religious traditions
  • Spiritual Meditations practiced by 10 different faith traditions (3 sessions)
  • Social Action workshop, ”Faith and Food:  Moving from Insecurity to Sustainability”
  • Compassionate Conversations:  “What is the meaning of GRIT?”
  • Workshop on “How to be a Sacred Activist for Racial Justice”
  • Beloved Community Youth Panel Discussion on the topic of Food Insecurity
  • “People Got to Be Free” – An Interfaith Celebration in Music, Song and Dance, followed by the Closing Interfaith Devotional on August 28th at 4:45 pm.

For a complete listing of events, days & times, and Zoom sign-up links for each, please visit https://www.equasion.org/festival-of-faiths/calendar-of-activities/

 

About EquaSion

EquaSion is a nonpartisan civic association whose mission is to promote Compassion through Action: acting on our compassion, we engage people of all faiths to discover their shared humanity and spirituality, and to work together for an equitable and just community for all. Its signature program is the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths. For more information on EquaSion’s interfaith community and the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths, visit www.equasion.org.