SHARED FAITH FOR A NEW DAY: INTERFAITH CELEBRATION IN BRONX
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Abby Bellows
Phone: 718-584-0515 x510
Email: abby@northwestbronx.org
SHARED FAITH FOR A NEW DAY: INTERFAITH CELEBRATION
HONORS THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTHWEST BRONX COMMUNITY & CLERGY COALITION
In these times of economic crisis, the clergy leaders of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC), have banded together to keep Bronx neighborhoods alive and thriving. With the new creation of the NWBCCC Clergy Caucus, these clergy leaders have renewed their bond and are leading the Bronx to a New Day by bringing people together to celebrate past accomplishments and plan for the future. To honor the diverse religious voices that have founded and spearheaded NWBCCC over the past 35 years, the Clergy Caucus, which has engaged fifty local clergy from twelve denominations, is organizing an Interfaith Celebration. This special prayer service will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 7PM at Our Lady of Angels Church, 2860 Sedgwick Avenue, near the Jerome Park Reservoir.
“On the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of NWBCCC, it is appropriate to remember that the origins of the Coalition were in the clergy's concern that the work of justice for God's people extend beyond the church doors and enter into the neighborhood in which they lived,” remarked Father Joseph Girone, pastor of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church and an NWBCCC Board Member. “Our Interfaith prayer service is an opportunity to give thanks and seek strength for the work ahead.”
The spirited service will feature Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York and a Bronx native, alongside Rabbi Bonnie Steinberg of the Jewish Home and Hospital, Rev. Brenda Berry of University Heights Presbyterian Church, Imam Abdul Muhaimin Ladan of Mt. Hope Mosque, and Father Thomas Lynch of Our Lady of Angels Church, among others. Youth and adult leaders will give testimonies that connect their organizing to the call to do justice found in their religious traditions. The event will take place in both English and Spanish.
Msgr. Sullivan will offer a homily about the role of religious communities in speaking up for the rights of all. “His presence will remind us 35 years later that the work of community organizing is still consonant with the religious values of all denominations who desire to reflect God's total love for his people, in all areas of their lives,” Father Girone said.
