Interfaith

Hospital chaplains embrace new role during the pandemic: caring for caregivers

March 23, 2021

Before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient, the Rev. Peggy Kelley dons personal protective gear — both physical and spiritual.

She pulls on a sterile gown and places a face shield over her mask. She pumps Purell into her gloved hands and holds them over her chest, checking in with her heart. With a few deep breaths, the hospital chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center sends some words heavenward:

“God, be with me. Walk with me in...

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Pittsburgh religious leaders offer prayers, comfort and encouragement during COVID memorial service

March 19, 2021

Out of grief and sheer frustration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rev. Karie Charlton of Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside admitted that she cried herself to sleep at several points throughout the past year.

In sharing her story of grief and vulnerability, Rev. Charlton said she hopes others may feel inspired to make themselves vulnerable to their loved ones as well during such a difficult time.

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Chaplains and the rise of on-demand spiritual support

March 9, 2021

Mourning a death. Coping with grief. Healing the heartsick and soothing the sufferers. For much of human history, people addressed loss and trauma through rituals drawn from faith traditions, performed in spaces we called sacred — churches, temples, shrines, mosques — and led by ministers and rabbis, imams and priests. But in New England, where the influence of Puritan piety has yielded to unceremonious secularism, something more malleable is emerging. To meet spiritual needs when and where they arise, we’re turning to chaplains, people trained to work outside the structure of religious...

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Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington

This data was last updated on 12 January 2021.

Address The Gatehouse 100 Allison Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
Website https://ifcmw.org/
Mission: IFC’s seeks to create an inclusive community of diverse faiths that is focused on the...

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Group pushes for recognition of minority religions in Fairfax County school calendar

February 23, 2021

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (ABC7) — Dinan Elsyad said it has been difficult balancing life as a Muslim and a Fairfax County student.

“It’s honestly been really hard for me every single year when the holiday rolls around,” said Elsyad who is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. “I have even gotten into arguments with teachers in the past about whether or not I can get an extension if I leave on that day.”

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Evangelical Christian and Orthodox Jewish leaders offer spaces for vaccine distribution

January 28, 2021

Two national religious groups, one evangelical Christian, the other Orthodox Jewish, have teamed up to offer their sacred spaces for vaccine distribution, hoping to assist government officials and private companies in the effort to combat the ongoing pandemic.

In a recent editorial, Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, made their pitch to help “anyone in need of vaccination, whether or not they are members of our congregations or of our neighborhoods.”

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Faith leaders talk of ‘opening people’s eyes’ to racism

January 26, 2021

Across the country, demonstrations over the past several months buoyed up a conversation about race and unequal treatment that protesters say still runs rampant in the lives of people of color.

A pertinent question for a nation of many faiths: Where does religion fit into the conversation?

Five Colorado religious leaders gathered in a virtual live talk on Jan. 17, discussing everything from the Black Lives Matter movement to Asian Americans experiencing discrimination because of COVID-19 to how to faith leaders can wade into the challenging space of addressing...

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How Religiously Diverse is Biden's Cabinet?

January 20, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to have the “most diverse Cabinet” in U.S. history, but is the Cabinet religiously diverse? The answer, experts explain, must go beyond tracking the identities of various appointees; a diverse administration must have the power to impact policy for the communities they represent.

“I promise you, you'll see the most diverse Cabinet representative of all folks, Asian Americans, African Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ, across the board,” Biden ...

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The Rev. William Barber II to headline interfaith inauguration prayer service

January 20, 2021

The Washington National Cathedral will host a virtual iteration of its traditional interfaith worship service the day after Joe Biden’s inauguration, with activist and pastor the Rev. William Barber II preaching the sermon.

The gathering, a long-standing inaugural tradition, will be hosted by the Rev. Randy Hollerith, the cathedral’s dean, and Bishop Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington.

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San Diego faith leaders hold vigil for peace before Biden’s inauguration

January 20, 2021

Dozens of the faithful across San Diego County joined in a virtual interfaith vigil Tuesday night, praying for peace and nonviolence on the eve of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. 

San Diego County faith leaders also called for the individuals responsible for recent violence in and around the Capitol building to be held accountable.

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