23.03.2018
“Spend Your Week Demonstrating the Dignity of All” – Fr Peter McVerry Tells Inner City Faith Representatives
Faith communities and organisations in the North East Inner City build on their connections.
Thirty leaders and representatives of a broad range of faith communities and faith–based organisations from Dublin’s North East Inner City gathered last week to explore their shared past, present and future. Led by the partnership of ACET Ireland and Dublin City Interfaith Forum, participants were inspired in their conversations and new connections by the inputs of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Micheál Mac Donncha, Fr Peter McVerry and Salome Mbugua of Akidwa.
Peter McVerry’s comments struck a particular chord as he encouraged those attending to “spend your week demonstrating the dignity of all, which is declared at your worship services on the weekend.” Those weekly activities include supporting asylum seekers and refugees, addressing unemployment, international development, community development, youth work, prison work, responding to addiction, homelessness and HIV, education, leadership development, supporting migrant women, working with Travellers, encouraging the creative arts and much more.
“This is a great opportunity to establish a positive framework for interfaith work in this local community of rich diversity and significance,” commented Adrian Cristea of the Dublin City Interfaith Forum. “For some faith communities and organisations there is little connection with the area in which they worship and operate. Our hope is that this event will start to change that,” stated Richard Carson of ACET Ireland.
The North East Inner City of Dublin (NEIC) is a community marked by profound challenge, significant inequality, determined resilience and no little hope. Dublin City Interfaith Forum (DCIF) and ACET Ireland partnered to connect the faith communities and faith–informed organisations of the area as part of a new regeneration project initiated by the former Taoiseach and driven by Dublin City Council and many government departments.
Culture, Faith and Community in the NEIC, which took place in Edmund Rice House, Nth Richmond Street, Dublin 1, offered an opportunity for the community to learn from the past and look to a shared future. Leaders and members of the over 20 diverse faith communities and dozens of faith–informed organisations that have made the local area their home were in attendance.
Dublin City Interfaith Forum works with interested members of faith communities to deliver interfaith gatherings and activities in Dublin city. Recognising the diverse nature of the backgrounds of the residents of Dublin, DCIF seeks to provide the space and opportunity for Faith Communities to build relationships with and between Dublin’s communities, statutory and voluntary organisations and the residents of Dublin city.
ACET Ireland run a range of projects across the city at the intersections of addiction, poverty, HIV, faith, migration, sexuality and more. They are project partners with the North Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force. The event was funded by the NEIC regeneration project (www.neic.ie) through Dublin City Council.
All photos with thanks to ACET Ireland/DCIF.
