Interfaith Awareness Week - 2011 details

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2011
Rev John-Brian Paprock
608-242-4244 Inroads Ministry
608-217-8144 cell
inroads@minister.com
interfaithsociety.blogspot.com

"INTERFAITH ENCOUNTERS FOR A BETTER WORLD"
INTERFAITH AWARENESS WEEK, December 4-10, 2011

People of different religions and faith traditions will again gather at the
capitol on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 as part of Interfaith Awareness Week.
Reverend Selena Fox, local and international speaker and organizer, will be
the keynote speaker at the noon program. Then title of her address is
"Interfaith Encounters For A Better World." (Rev. Fox Bio below)

This is the 14th Annual Interfaith Awareness Week proclaimed by Wisconsin
Governor and other leaders. There will be displays of world religions and
interfaith groups in the capitol rotunda from Monday December 5 through
Friday December 9.

Throughout the week, diverse faith groups hold open house, inviting people
to learn about the diverse traditions in the Madison area. (The list is
below)

On Tuesday December 6, 2011, there is an interfaith dialogue event in
Middleton. In the evening (6:30pm), the 6th Annual Good Neighbor Interfaith
Gathering will meet at the Middleton Library to discuss "Light For Dark
Times."

The Capitol Celebration on Wednesday December 7, 2011, in addition to Rev.
Fox's address, will have the also have the Interfaith Awareness Week
proclamation read aloud by senior student of Sauk Prairie High School, Sauk
City (determined by the teacher who is bringing the whole class). The event
also includes: music from Women With Wings and an opening prayer from Muslim
women's leader, Rohany Nayan. Interfaith Awareness Week co-coordinators, Rev
Anne Wynne and Rev Fr John-Brian Paprock, will be making introductions and
welcoming remarks.

Interfaith Awareness Week events are co-sponsored by Inroads Ministry and
the Greater Madison Inter-religious Association as well as other Madison
area interfaith, religious and faith groups.

=30=
Attachments: photo of Rev. Selena, the Interfaith Awareness Week logo
Below: Rev. Fox's Bio, List of Open Houses, list of other faith
opportunities = =

BIO - KEY NOTE SPEAKER - REVEREND SELENA FOX

Rev. Selena Fox has been active internationally, nationally, regionally and
locally in interfaith work for more than forty years: a speaker and
organizer of a variety of regional and global interfaith events, including
Thanksgiving Celebration, Madison-area Winter Solstice Pageant, Charter for
Compassion, and Parliament of the World's Religions; a member of the monthly
Madison Interfaith Dialogue Group; and the current president of the Greater
Madison Inter-religious Association.
Rev. Fox is Senior Minister of Circle Sanctuary, a Wiccan church
which has been serving Nature Religion practitioners worldwide since 1974.
Active in diversity education and religious accommodation
consulting, Rev. Fox works with chaplains and other staff at a variety of
institutions, including hospitals, hospices, military installations,
prisons, and university campuses. She has a MS in counseling from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and does spiritual counseling as part of her
work.
In addition, Rev. Fox is founder and director of Wisconsin's first
green cemetery, Circle Cemetery, located at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve
near Barneveld, Wisconsin. She travels internationally presenting workshops
and facilitating ceremonies, and her writings and photographs have been
widely published. For more information: www.selenafox.com = =

IAW 2011 OPEN HOUSES December 4th- 10th

Sunday 12/4/11

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Chapel
9:30 am 621 N. Sherman Avenue, Suite B3, Madison, WI Syrian Orthodox Liturgy
of St James entirely in English, followed by fellowship
transfiguration@usa.com 242-4244 (voicemail) www.maruroopa.blogspot.com

Madison Eckankar Community (Ancient Wisdom for Today) 10:30 am. Wil-Mar
Neighborhood Center, 953 Jenifer Street, Madison WI Eck Worship Service
followed by pot luck and fellowship.

American Hindu Association
11 am Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Wisconsin, 2138 S Fish Hatchery
Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53575 Worship Service followed by fellowship.

Monday 12/5/11

Madison Baha'i Center Open House
6:30 - 9:00 pm, Baha'i Center 324 W. Lakeside St. Madison, WI Brief
presentation on the Bahai Faith at 7:00 Informal tours of the Center -
Refreshments & socializing

Tuesday 12/6/11

Sixth Annual Good Neighbor Interfaith Celebration/Gathering
6:30 pm at the Middleton Public Library~ Archer Room 7425 Hubbard Ave,
Middleton
Join an open dialogue and panel with a multi-faith panel "Light for Dark
Times" For more info: inroads@minister.com, 242-4244

Wednesday 12/7/11

The Madison Eckankar Community (Community HU Prayer Song by people of all
spiritual paths and religions) 7pm at the Gates of Heaven, 302 E. Gorham St
in James Madison Park Followed by fellowship and refreshments.

Thursday 12/8/11

An Interfaith Potluck Evening Meal and Mingling History of the Madinah
Islamic Academy (short program) Gather at 6 pm; eat at 6:30 pm, Westminster
Presbyterian Church 4100 Nakoma Road , Madison, WI Fellowship Hall which is
w/c accessible via the Yuma Street entrance and elevator

Friday 12/9/11

Unitarian Universalism & Humanist Union
5 pm, Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Way, Madison, WI Short presentation,
tours and light refreshments.

Saturday 12/10/11

Circle Sanctuary Interfaith Open House
2 - 5 pm 5354 Meadowvale Road, Barneveld, WI 53507
3 pm talk by Selena Fox on Winter Solstice customs & traditions.
free, open to the public, warm cider & other refreshments.
For more info, call (608) 924-2216 or events@circlesanctuary.org = =

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
"To learn more about each others' beliefs in the spirit of community"
~ DECEMBER 2011 ~

December includes holy days for many area religious traditions.
The main holy days in December 2011 are:
o ADVENT (preparation for the Birth of Jesus Christ) continues through
December 25 in most churches (for a small number, it will continue through
January 6)
o HANUKKAH (Jewish) beginning December 20 ~ A menorah is lit each
evening for a week.
o ST. NICHOLAS DAY is December 6th in Eastern Orthodox Christian
tradition. This is the saint that Santa Claus is based.
o MUHARRAM (Muslim) beginning November 26 is the beginning of the
Muslim year and celebration of the first Islamic community at Medina.
o ASHURA is a Shi'ite holy time for the first ten days of Muharram,
with a festival December 5.
o WINTER SOLSTICE is sacred to several traditions including Shinto,
Wicca and Native American.
o CHRISTMAS (December 25) marks the birth or NATIVITY of Jesus Christ.
Some Orthodox Christians will celebrate this festival on January 7th.
Armenians, on January 6th.
o Traditional "Winter" holy days for Hindu, Baha'i, and Sikh fall in
November this year. In addition, HAJJ & EID AL-ADHA (for Muslims) fell on
November 5 & 6 ~ these are the days of pilgrimage. The Eid (festival)
observed even when not on pilgrimage.

In addition to the Interfaith Awareness Week events, here are more
opportunities:
SUNDAY
Christian Churches have regular Sunday morning services - check the Worship
Directory in most local newspapers. Many other religious groups meet for
weekly gatherings on Sundays out of convenience, including Buddhist, Sikh
and others.
FRIDAY
Muslims Gather for mid-day Community Prayers at Madison Area Mosques and
Campus locations SATURDAY Jewish Services begin Friday at Sunset, usually at
home, and then gather Saturday at Madison Area Synagogues and Campus
locations

= =
Looking forward
THE 15th ANNUAL INTERFAITH AWARENESS WEEK ~ DECEMBER 9-15, 2012 ~
11TH ANNUAL CAPITOL CELEBRATION ~ MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2012
"encouraging citizens to learn more about each others' beliefs in the
spirit of community."
For more information: www.interfaithsociety.blogspot.com