Shasta Interfaith

06/07/2025

I found this in the magazine section of Safeway! Beautiful photography!

05/31/2025

Join Arvol Looking Horse, Lakota Native American spiritual leader, the 19th keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe and Bundle, as he leads the World Peace and Prayer Day on June 19 & 20, 2025 at 9 AM and Noon Pacific Time. These are the streaming times. There are in-person events also.

Go to: https://www.worldpeaceandprayer.com/2025

05/17/2025

Minds Matter Fair, presented by Shasta County, Sat, May 17, 2025, Caldwell Park. Important to show how faith plays a role in mental health.

05/09/2025

Fellow cardinals describe Pope Leo XIV as the most un-American among the American cardinal electors at the conclave.

For one, he is a true polyglot. Apart from English, he speaks fluent Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. He can also read Latin and German.

His long missionary work in Peru and his Vatican experience have shaped his multilingual abilities, and he often uses Italian, Spanish, and Latin in official settings.

Pope Leo XIV has Creole roots that can be traced in New Orleans. Creole peoples are ethnic groups formed historically through the blending of diverse populations such as European colonists, African slaves, and Indigenous peoples who went on to develop distinct cultural identities.

He is brainy and a heavyweight intellectual. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania in 1977 before studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, obtaining a Master of Divinity degree in 1982, the same year he was ordained a priest.

He went on to pursue advanced studies in canon law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he earned a licentiate in 1984 and a doctorate in 1987.

Much like Pope Francis, he spent most of his life at the ends of the world. He served for over 20 years in Peru. He led the Diocese of Chiclayo, a city in a region prone to heavy rains and flooding.

Pope Leo XIV was known for his hands-on pastoral care, often wading through mud to help the poor and needy. He earned the nickname "Saint of the North" for his closeness to the poor.

During the pandemic, he secured not just one but two oxygen plants to aid local health care. The area he served has about 1.3 million people, with 83% Catholics, and he was deeply involved in social justice and community support there.

His reputation and experience led Pope Francis to bring him to Rome in 2023 and made him a cardinal to serve as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a key Vatican office responsible for vetting bishop nominations worldwide.

It seemed as though Pope Francis chose his Latin American successor who just happened to be born in Chicago.

Catholics wanting a Francis 2.0 got their wish after all.

05/09/2025

The Peace Lantern Processional of May 8, 2025 was to honor diversity and promote peace. It was part of the Glowing Wild Lantern Festival at Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Lanterns bearers included individuals from Shasta Interfaith, Shasta Beloved Community, Shasta County Citizens Advocating Respect, City of Redding, McConnell Foundation, Wintu of Northern California, Mien, Hmong, Hispanic/Latino, LGBTQ+, Redding Refugee Circles, volunteers who helped to facilitate the project, and the Architect who handcrafted the lanterns 20 years ago.

The event was presented by Lynn E Fritz and co-sponsoed by
Shasta Interfaith, Shasta Beloved Community, Shasta County Citizens Advocating Respect, Anti Racism Task Force, Redding Refugee Circles and Reciproka.

Special thanks to our volunteer helpers lead by Dave Forseth that made this event possible and to our brilliant event photographer Jill Matthews.

05/03/2025

A special event that you won’t want to miss! Peace Lantern Processional honors diversity & promotes the creation of peace. Witness the beauty of the processional. Details are listed on the flyer!

05/03/2025

Today, we honor Saint Catherine of Siena, a powerful and inspiring woman who became a Doctor of the Church. Known for her unwavering faith, deep spirituality, and commitment to justice, Saint Catherine was a voice for the marginalized and a champion of peace. Despite living in a time when women were often overlooked, she broke barriers and became a respected theologian, mystic, and writer, leaving behind a legacy of wisdom and courage.
Saint Catherine's life teaches us the importance of listening to our inner convictions, standing up for what is right, and embracing compassion in the face of adversity. Her deep connection to God and her dedication to the well-being of others remind us that we all have a role to play in creating a more just and loving world.

How am I bearing witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus?
Acts 4:32-37

04/21/2025

Today, April 21, 2025: Pope Francis, the Pope of the People, died. He will be missed.

04/21/2025

Before the world called her a w***e...
before the church buried her story beneath centuries of shame...
Mary Magdalene was the counterpart.
Not a follower.
Not a bystander.
But the equal.

The feminine frequency of Christ consciousness.

While others scattered...
she stayed.

She wept at the tomb...
waited in the silence...
and became the first to behold the risen light.

She witnessed the resurrection.
Felt it in her bones.
Heard her name spoken by the divine.

And in that moment...
the most sacred truth was revealed:

Life is eternal.
Love transcends form.
The feminine was never secondary...
she was the portal.

Jesus may have carried the light..
but Mary carried the remembrance.
The knowing.
The codes.

The gospel that could never be written in ink...
because it was always meant to be felt.

And maybe this is the real gospel...
That death is not the end.
That rising is real.

That the divine lives within us...
in our grief...
in our devotion...
in our return to truth.

The resurrection wasn’t a miracle for one man.
It was a prophecy.
A legacy...for all of us.

A call to remember that no part of you is ever truly lost.
Not the parts that broke.
Not the parts that wandered.
Not the parts that were crucified by life.

They rise too.

This Easter...
I honor the Magdalene within all of us.
The one who stays.
The one who knows.
The one who doesn’t need a pulpit to be holy.

And I honor the Christ not just as a savior...
but as a mirror of what’s possible when we embody love...
and die to all that is false.

He rose.
She remembered.
And their story still lives in us.

Essene Wisdom for the 21st Century

04/15/2025

Christianity celebrates Easter, April 20, 2025

What is Easter? Learn more about the Christian meaning of Easter, its connection to a pagan spring festival, and why it's celebrated today!

03/23/2025