Faith in the Public Square

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations is hosting an Election Day Prayers gathering online tonight as election polls begin to close around the nation. Anyone can tune in from 8 p.m. to midnight EST via  The Episcopal Public Policy Network Facebook page  or  The Episcopal Church Facebook page . Viewers do not need a Facebook profile to participate. From the announcement: At the top of each hour, special guests from around the church will offer 10-15 minutes of reflection and prayer. Participants are encouraged to engage in prayerful conversation in the comments. The gathering will also feature simple video feeds from parishes throughout the U.S. Scheduled guests include Presiding Bishop Michael Curry; House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris; the Rev. Charles Graves IV, missioner for Houston Canterbury; the Rev. Donna Gleaves, an Episcopal Public Policy Network ambassador; and Willis H.A. Moore, an Episcopal Election Activator. “We welcome everyone as we...

A Kristallnacht Interfaith Commemoration will be helped at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 10 at Page Hall on the University at Albany downtown campus, 135 Western Avenue.  The evening will include a presentation of The Rescuers, the inspiring documentary about non-Jewish diplomats who helped save thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.   From the flyer:  The Rescuers joins Holocaust historian Sir Martin Gilbert and Rwandan anti-genocide activist Stephanie Nyombayire with Emmy winning director Michael King. They travel to 15 countries and three continents to explore the “mystery of goodness”-- that characteristic in people who make morally correct decisions when facing genocide, despite the risk to themselves and their families. Stephanie Nyombayire, who lost 100 members of her family in the Rwandan genocide, and Sir Martin Gilbert, who, as a child, was evacuated during the Battle of Britain and lost many of his family in the Holocaust, provide a unique cou...

The Seventh Annual Awards and Fundraising Dinner of the New York State Council of Churches will take place on Friday, December 9 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. The list of award recipients is below. A reception will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and the dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. Information about tickets, sponsorships and program advertisements is here .  The awardees are:  EXCELLENCE IN ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH RELATIONS AWARD   The Right Reverend Mary D. Glasspool, Bishop Assistant, Episcopal Diocese of New York  EXCELLENCE IN CHAPLAINCY AWARDS   The Reverend Dr. Gideon Jebamani, Chaplain, Sing Sing and Taconic Correctional Facilities  The Reverend James E Steward II Lead Pastor, South Bushwick Reformed Church, Brooklyn, New York Director of Pastoral Care & Education, Mount Sinai South Nassau  EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARDS   Union Organizing 32 BJ SEIU   President Kyle Bragg and Secretary/Treasurer ...

The Capital Region Refugee Roundtable is a volunteer network of over 500 individuals and organizational representative in the Capital Region. Their email mailing list provides updates, resources and other information regarding the support of refugees and immigrants in the Capital Region.  Meetings are held every two months.  The Roundtable has a website that provides a great deal of information on local community resources to assist refugees, immigrants and the volunteers and organizations who support them.  The link is here .    For more information, or to sign up for the Refugee Roundtable email mailing list, email Dahlia Herring, Refugee Roundtable Co-Chair, at  dmazengia@nycap.rr.com

The New York State Labor-Religion Coalition 's Moral Fusion Leadership Awards, originally scheduled for  October 20 at First Lutheran Church in Albany, have been postponed until some time in the Spring. According to the organizers, the postponement is due to concerns about rising COVID risks in Albany county. The awards celebrate the movement-building work of the Labor-Religion Coalition and honor remarkable leaders from across the state who are making tremendous contributions to the struggle for economic, racial, and social justice in New York. And the honorees are: The Fair Pay for Home Care Campaign , which has been an amazing example of bringing people and organizations together across lines of division, centering the stories and insights of those directly impacted by the home care crisis, and lifting up a powerful moral message about how our society cares for one another.  St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church , which has powerfully engaged its members and...

Last week, the Capital Area Council of Churches had its 2022 Fall Awards Celebration at the Italian American Community Center. Below are the award recipients as listed on the Council’s website. Congratulations to all of them. Evelyn C. Stone Lifetime Achievement Award Nell Stokes – Known as an activist and volunteer who uses her time, talent, and treasure to advance the greater good of her community. Rev. Carlyle Adams Ecumenical & Interfaith Award Rabbi Debora Gordon – Rabbi of Congregation Berith Sholom in Troy for more than 20 years, a founding member of the local chapters of Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and on the board of Troy Area United Ministries. Pearl & James Campbell Peace & Justice Award Lisa Good – Founder and coordinator of the community-based project called Urban Grief which works to increase awareness about trauma, and grief/loss, associated with violence exposure. Rev. Joyce Steinkraus Giles Award Rev. David W. Preisinger – A dedicated Pa...

On Wednesday, September 21, the College of Saint Rose will mark the United Nations’ International Day of Peace with a “Stop the Hate” program. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Interfaith Sanctuary, 959 Madison Avenue in Albany. Joan Horgan, director of spiritual life at Saint Rose, said that the International Day of Peace calls upon people worldwide to cease all types of violence and re-dedicate themselves to the work of peace. “Stop the Hate” speakers include Lisa Good, who works with Urban Grief and the victims of gun violence; Anne Liske, a Quaker whose community works for peace; Dr. Sheik Ubaid, who will address the anti-Muslim genocide in India; Father Vasyl Dovgan, who will share the perspective of the Capital Region’s Ukrainian community; and Walter Ayres of Catholic Charities will talk about racism and voting rights.   The event, which is free and open to the public, will also feature prayers and music from multiple faith traditions.    “At every level in our commun...