Sunday, June 10, 2-4pm

Federal Plaza, on the southwest corner of Adams and Dearborn

Eight Chicago Religious and Spiritual Communities to Pledge Interfaith Cooperation on June 10 

The sacred spaces of the eight participating religious and spiritual communities

“Sacred Solidarity” is a public event that is the culmination of an eight-month project called “Sharing Sacred Spaces” sponsored by the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR).

“Religious and spiritual communities standing with each other in the face of religiously-motivated defamation, hatred and violence is the meaning of solidarity,” says Dirk Ficca, Executive Director of CPWR.  “Grounding a pledge of solidarity from within their religious and spiritual traditions makes it sacred. That religious and spiritual communities in downtown Chicago have made such a pledge brings a sacred dimension to the civil space they share.”

In the past eight months, people from different Chicago religious and spiritual communities have forged bonds of friendship and trust through the “Sacred Spaces” series of events. The pledge they sign will symbolize their ongoing effort to honor and respect their different traditions, as well as committing to spread this effort to the surrounding community.

Representatives from the eight participating communities will gather to sign a pledge committing to work together to reduce social tension and build bridges of trust and hope in the city of Chicago.  These bonds were built as each of the eight communities invited others into their sacred space, engaged the visitors around matters of their tradition or practice and provided hospitality and conversation. Welcoming each other into their sacred spaces created appreciation of the various religious and spiritual traditions and a sense of community between the participants.

The public is encouraged to join in the pledge-signing event on Sunday, June 10^th, 2-4pm, at Federal Plaza, on the southwest corner of Adams and Dearborn.

The solidarity pledge speaks to the many levels of understanding and respect that were built over the eight-month period among eight different religious communities in Chicago. The eight communities are the Midwest Buddhist Temple, Fourth Presbyterian Church, St. James Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago Sinai Congregation, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Old St. Patrick’s Catholic church and the Downtown Islamic  Center. The pledge is as follows:

“Sharing Sacred Spaces” Solidarity Pledge

We, communities of faith and spirit serving in the Chicago metropolitan area, acknowledge and commit to these ideals:

• that the work of cultivating the religious and spiritual life of human beings is an essential part of the strength and progress of our wider community
• that supporting those who are committed to cultivating religious and spiritual life strengthens the entire fabric of our community
• that we honor the wider traditions of those affiliated with and worshipping or practicing with the communities listed here
• that we actively look for ways to stand in solidarity with each other and to serve our wider community
• that we stand together against any public attempt to disrespect or harm the well-being of any community of faith or practice or its sacred space
• and we celebrate our shared values of compassion, justice, peacemaking, and harmony in diversity.

The eight participating communities:

• The Midwest Buddhist Temple, 435 W. Menomonee, 312-943-7801
• The Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut, 312-787-4570
• St James Episcopal Cathedral, 64 E. Huron, 312-787-7360
• The Chicago Sinai Congregation, 15 W. Delaware, 312-867-7000
• The First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington,312-236-4548
• The Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, 44 E. Wacker,312-236-4671
• Old St. Patrick’s Church, 700 W. Adams St, 312-648-1021
• The Downtown Islamic Center, 231 S. State, 312-939-9095 

Rev. Dirk Ficca, executive director of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, says the “Sharing Sacred Spaces” model of community building will be offered to other neighborhoods and suburbs of Chicago as well as to over 70 international Partner Cities. “Chicago is just the beginning,” says Ficca. “Together, we hope to chart a course that will strengthen bonds between diverse religious and cultural communities throughout the world.”