December Interfaith Calendar

DECEMBER   2020

• 6
  • Saint Nicholas Day - Christian
• 8
  • Bodhi Day  (Rohatsu) - Buddhism
  • Immaculate Conception of Mary - Catholic Christian
• 11-18
  • Hanukkah - Jewish
• 12
  • Feast day - Our Lady of Guadalupe - Catholic Christian
• 16-25
  • Posadas Navidenas - Hispanic Christian
• 21 Solstice
  • Yule - Christian
  • Yule - Litha * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
• 24
  • Christmas Eve - Christian
• 25
  • Christmas * - Christian
  • Feast of the Nativity ** - Orthodox Christian
• 26
  • Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) ** - Zoroastrian
  • St Stephen's Day - Christian
• 27
  • Saint John - Apostle and Evangelist - Christian
  • Holy Family - Catholic Christian
• 28
  • Holy Innocents - Christian
• 31
  • Watch Night - Christian
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November Interfaith Calendar 2020

11/01 – Christian: All Saints Day – Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebrates the memory of the Christian saints and martyrs, and deceased family members

11/02 – Rastafarian: Anniversary of the Crowning of Haile Selassie – commemorates the coronation of Ras (Prince) Tafari Makonnen as Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia

11/12 – Baha’i: Birthday of Baha’u’llah – marks the birthday of Baha’u’llah (1817-1892), prophet-founder of the Baha’i faith

11/14 – Hindu: Diwali – one of the most important Hindu festivals, combines a number of festivals to honor different gods and goddesses

11/15 – Jain: New Year – also known as Veer Samvat, a joyful celebration the day following the Diwali festival

11/30 – Roman Catholic: St Andrew’s Day – feast honoring the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Barbados, and Romania

11/30 – Sikh: Guru Nanak Ji’s Birthday – celebrates the birth of the founder of Sikhism

October Interfaith Calendar

OCTOBER   2020

• 3-9
  • Sukkot * - Jewish
• 4
  • St Francis Day - Catholic Christian
  • Blessing of the Animals - Christian
>
• 10
  • Shemini Atzeret * - Jewish
• 11
  • Simchat Torah * - Jewish
• 12
  • Thanksgiving - Canada - Interfaith
• 17-24
  • Navaratri ** - Hindu
• 18 
  • St. Luke, Apostle & Evangelist - Christian
• 20
  • Birth of the Báb * - Baha'i
  • Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth - Sikh
• 22
  • Christ the King - Christian
• 25
  • Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
  • Dasara ** - Hindu
• 28
  • Milvian Bridge Day - Christian
• 29
  • Reformation Day - Protestant Christian
  • Mawlid an Nabi * - Islam
• 31
• All Hallows Eve  - Christian
• Samhain  - Pagan
• 
  

September 2020 Interfaith Calendar

SEPTEMBER  2020

• 1
  • Ecclesiastical year begins - Orthodox Christian
• 8
  • Nativity of Virgin Mary - Christian
• 14
  • Elevation of the Life Giving Cross (Holy Cross) - Christian
• 19-20
  • Rosh Hashanah * - Jewish
• 21
  • Paryushana Parva * - Jain
• 23 Equinox
  • Mabon - Ostara * - Wicca/Pagan  Northern and Southern hemispheres
• 27
  • Meskel - Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
• 28
  • Yom Kippur * - Jewish
29
• Michael and All Angels - Christian
  

August Interfaith Calendar

Photographer Reverend Steve Waites

AUGUST   2020

• 1
  • Lammas - Christian
  • Lughnassad - Imbolc * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres
  • Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus - Orthodox Christian
• 3
  • Raksha Bandhan ** - Hindu
• 6
  • Transfiguration of the Lord - Orthodox Christian
• 10
  • Waqf al Arafa * Islam
• 12
  • Krishna Janmashtami ** - Hindu
• 13-15
  • Obon (Ulambana) ** - Buddhist/Shinto   ?
• 15
  • Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary - Catholic Christian
  • Dormition of the Theotokos - Orthodox Christian
• 20
  • Hijra - New Year * - Islam
• 22
  • Ganesh Chaturthi ** - Hindu
• 29
  • Beheading of St. John the Baptist - Christian
  • Ashura * - Islam

July Interfaith Calendar

July Interfaith Calendar 

• 5
  • Asalha Puja Day ** - Buddhist
• 9
  • Martyrdom of the Bab * - Baha'i
• 11
  • St Benedict Day - Catholic Christian
• 15
  • St. Vladimir the Great Day - Orthodox Christian
• 23
  • Crowning of Haile Selasse I - Rastafarian
• 24
  • Pioneer Day- Mormon Christian
• 25
  • St. James the Great Day - Christian
• 30
  • Tish'a B'av - Jewish
• 31-August3
  • Eid al Adha * - Islam

Anam Cara - A Bishop's Motto

Photograph by Reverend Steve Waites

When I was consecrated as a Bishop in 2019 as a part of the Ekklesia Epignostika Church and Seminary, we were tasked to determine our personal motto. My genetic lineage is Celtic and I hold a special place in my heart for St. Patrick and St. Bridget. I've spent several years doing a reasonably deep dive of Celtic Christian Traditions and frankly have just touched the surface.

Their connection to the planet and all life forms on it as well as their deep abiding love of the Divine in all of creation speaks to me, so when I came across this reference from John O'Donahue and several other scholars it seemed that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me.

"In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. So anam cara in the Celtic world was the “soul friend.” In the early Celtic church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life." John O'Donohue,  Anam Cara, A Book of Celtic Wisdom

My ministry has been as a Pastoral Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Critical Incident Stress, Medical Advocate, Chaplain and teacher.  Through all these walks my model has been to be a friend, to listen and to help give voice for others when needed. I believe that this is why Anam Cara as my motto resonated so deeply with my soul.

Most Reverend Sophia Angela DeBry S.T.L., M.Th, D.D.

Associate Dean Ekklesia 

Epignostika Church and Seminary