THE CENTER FOR INTERFAITH RELATIONS
is a nonsectarian organization dedicated to promoting and supporting interfaith understanding, cooperation, and action. The mission and motto of the Center is “Many Faiths. One Heart. Common Action.” By bringing together communities of faith, the Center promotes and supports interfaith understanding, cooperation, and action on significant contemporary issues.
FESTIVAL OF FAITHS
is an annual event that features theologians, academics, writers and artists, in a celebration of the many spiritual beliefs and religious diversity present in our community.
HISTORY
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 years, CHF has received regular requests for information and assistance from people around the world who were interested in exploring how the Festival of Faiths model might serve as a model to foster inter-religious cooperation in their own communities.
The Center for Interfaith Relations was formerly the Cathedral Heritage Foundation (CHF). Founded in 1985, CHF undertook the work of restoring the historic Cathedral of the Assumption. As that work progressed and was completed over a ten-year period, CHF’s mission broadened, and the organization evolved – based upon the role of the Cathedral as a civic resource to the community – and began to offer interfaith programming in the Cathedral’s restored spaces.
The Cathedral Heritage Foundation aspired to complete three goals:
- To restore the 1852 Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption to its former glory as an inspiring, historic, sacred space and a downtown gathering point for people of all faith traditions.
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To model how a house of worship can use its facilities to foster interfaith understanding and cooperation.
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To promote understanding and cooperation among all houses of worship and faith traditions within the Louisville community through such programs as Arts and Music, Spiritual Life Lecture Series and the annual Festival of Faiths.
Having attained all three goals, in 2006 the board of CHF chose the organization’s new name, Center for Interfaith Relations, to make clear to the whole community its nonsectarian framework and to more accurately reflect its focus on interfaith understanding, cooperation and action.
The Center for Interfaith Relations continues to facilitate the annual Festival of Faiths.