Multifaith Association of South Australia President Phillipa Rowland reports that “In hindsight, 2019 has been a productive and positive year for the Multifaith Association of SA”, although not without its challenges.
2019 was a year in which we have seen great good arise from the pain of terrible disasters. Adelaide’s faith communities responded with great love and compassion to the double tragedies of Christchurch NZ and Colombo, Sri Lanka. Leaders from ten faiths and Kaurna elder, Uncle John Lochowiak from NATSICC gathered in an Interfaith Prayer for Peace in St Francis Xavier Cathedral in March. In April, the Sril Lankan Catholic community was joined in solidarity by Professor Mohamad Abdalla, five Imams and the Sri Lankan Buddhist Vihara to grieve the loss of 200 lives in Columbo. The Multifaith Association of South Australia had a small but significant role to play in both events, and has since been invited to organise two additional Interfaith Blessings (one for the Lord Mayor of Adelaide for Unity Week, and the other with Salisbury Mayor for the launch of a major Multicultural Hub in Salisbury).
There have been three other significant shifts in South Australia in 2019:
- Disaster and Recovery Chaplaincy training has been opened up to the Interfaith community for the first time, and two members of the MFA Committee participated in 2-day workshops
- First steps taken towards to establishment of an Interfaith Rapid Response Network, so that people of all faiths can more readily respond together in times f crisis and also gather together to celebrate and build friendships and understanding across faith communities
- Living the Change workshops have been held with one large interfaith group (60 poeple attended our International Day of Peace event on 21 September 2019) and smaller events are planned within individual faith groups (eg Catholic Laudato Si’; Pilgrim Uniting Church
2019 Timeline of Multifaith SA Events/Contributions
| Date | Activity | Event |
|---|---|---|
| February 16 | Peace | Ahmadiyya Peace Symposium |
| 18 | Climate | Parliamentary Friends of Climate Action |
| 27 | Interfaith | Interfaith Matters at Hope’s Café (& each month hence) |
| March 9-10 | Climate/Env | Ecumenical Laudato Si’ Retreat, Galong NSW |
| 12 | Funeral for Fr Denis Edwards, Eco-theologian | |
| 24 | Interfaith | Interfaith Prayer for Peace, St Francis Xavier Cathedral |
| 27 | Interfaith | Interfaith Matters at Hope’s Café (Egyptian Coptic) |
| April 13 | Interfaith | Baha’i poetry, pizzas, prayers |
| 14 | Interfaith | Palm Sunday + Buddha House long life prayers for the Dalai Lama |
| 18 | Climate | St Margaret Mary’s Church banner “Fossil fuels especially coal, must be replaced – Pope Francis” |
| May 1 | LtC | ARRCC Living the Change (LtC) Webinar |
| 8 | Interfaith Network | Interfaith Rapid Response Network 1st Meeting |
| 12 | Interfaith | Sri Lankan Muslim Assoc Iftar Dinner |
| 15 | Interfaith Network | Interfaith Rapid Response Network 2nd Meeting |
| 19 | Interfaith | Ahmadiyya Muslim “Fasting in my Faith” |
| June 1 | Interfaith | Bosniak’s Masjid Iftar diner |
| 5 | LtC | Living the Change (LtC) Webinar |
| 12 | Interfaith Network | Interfaith Rapid Response Network 3rd & 4th Meetings |
| 15 | Interfaith | Teachings plus Meeting with Tenzin Palmo |
| 18 | Refugees | Circle of Silence Vigil for Asylum seekers |
| July 24 | Laudato Si' | Laudato Si’ Animators webinar |
| 24 | Interfaith | Interfaith Matters (Zoroastrian) |
| August 8 | LtC | Centre for Islamic Thought & Education Living the Change presentation |
| 9 | Interfaith | Call with President of Religica website (Seattle) |
| 22 | Chaplaincy | Disaster & Recovery Ministry Training |
| 28 | Interfaith | Beit Shalom Synagogue visit |
| 29 | LtC | Catholic Clergy Reflection Day on Environment |
| Sept 5 | LtC | OCEANIA Ecosystem Services Forum, NZ |
| 5 | Climate | Creation Care Symposium, St Peter's Anglican Church |
| 16 | Interfaith | Meeting with Hon Vincent Tarzia, Speaker of House |
| 21 | Interfaith / LtC | International Day of Peace – Declaring Peace on Earth |
| October 9 | First Nations | Blackwood Reconciliation Uluru Statement from Heart |
| 22 | Chaplaincy | Disaster & Recovery Ministry Training |
| 27 | Interfaith | Baha’i Celebration of the Birth of the Bab |
| 30 | Interfaith | Interfaith Blessing, Adelaide Town Hall w Lord Mayor |
| 31 | LtC / Laudato Si' | Catholic Dialogue on Ecological Conversion Laudato Si' implementation |
| Nov 7 | Interfaith | Yom Hashoah - Jewish Commemoration of the Holocaust |
| 8-9 | LtC / Climate | Australian Religious Response to Climate Change conference |
| 30 | Interfaith | Interfaith Blessing of new Multicultural Hub for Salisbury Council (30 representatives from 15 faiths) |
| 2018-11-28 | Interfaith-Climate | Human Face of Climate Change – the Real Costs of Our Inaction”, Parliament House, Canberra |
