Festival of Faiths

08/19/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 📣 ...

There's still time to submit a poem (or poems) to our annual Poetry of the Sacred contest! This contest is inspired by the contemplative life and legacy of Thomas Merton — poet, monk, activist, artist and interfaith pioneer.

Learn more about the contest, which ends Aug. 31, 2026: https://www.centerforinterfaithrelations.org/poetry/

08/07/2026

Join us at Speed Art Museum for the next installment of our 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 “Faith on Film” series — 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟮𝟯, 𝗮𝘁 𝟯:𝟯𝟬 𝗽.𝗺.

In collaboration with Speed Cinema, we’ll be presenting 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, a moving film that tells the story of Khorshid, a blind 10-year-old boy who tunes musical instruments to earn money for his single mother. Beyond its compelling storyline, the film has been praised for its gorgeous music and cinematography, with the San Francisco Examiner calling it “a flip-book of gorgeous, lyrical images.”

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Cockfighter at Speed Cinema July 29 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Cockfighter at Speed Cinema Three Starring Warren Oates Cockfighter Directed by Monte Hellman Wednesday, July 29, 6 pm | BUY TICKETS $12 | $8 Speed members “Hellman embraces, with visual nuance, a world of back […]

07/28/2026

📣📣 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Our annual Poetry of the Sacred contest is now open! This annual contest encourages poets to consider the many varied aspects of spirituality and explore the deep meaning and beauty of a contemplative life.

Poems will be evaluated based on literary excellence, authenticity and spiritual tenor. Winners

Learn more, read past winners, and submit your own work: https://www.centerforinterfaithrelations.org/poetry/

07/23/2026

🎉It’s a milestone year for the Festival of Faiths: Not only are we celebrating our 30th anniversary, we’re also among a select lineup of U.S. fests chosen to participate in "Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals.”

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Smithsonian is taking its annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival beyond Washington, D.C., by collaborating with diverse festivals that cultivate curiosity, understanding and belonging — and we're proud to be a part of this effort!

We hope you’ll join us at this year’s 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝘀 (Nov. 11-13, 2026) to celebrate the theme of 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 and explore the many ways we can lead with radical love, stand for justice and embody bravery rooted in purpose. Passes on sale now! https://festivaloffaiths.org/

07/16/2026

We’re kicking off our FREE 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 series at Speed Art Museum Cinema this 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟵, with a showing of “The Passion of Joan of Arc." This film frequently appears on lists of the greatest films of all time, and its themes of faith, conviction, sacrifice and moral courage continue to resonate with audiences nearly a century after its debut.

The movie starts at 3 p.m., and there will be a brief post-film discussion moderated by Rev. Suzanne H Barrow, director of Congregational Life at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, and Dr. Justin Klassen, professor of Theology & Religious Studies at Bellarmine University.

The event is free — first-come, first-served. Learn more...

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Collection Highlights Drop-In Tour July 2 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Collection Highlights Drop-In Tour Explore the Speed and engage in conversations during this one-hour Docent-guided tour focused on the highlights of our collection. Free with admission. For more information, visit o...

07/03/2026

Join us for the 30th annual Festival of Faiths, where we’ll explore the many ways we can lead with radical love, stand for justice and embody bravery rooted in purpose.

Festival passes are ON SALE NOW! Get your pass and join us for an impressive lineup of speakers, art and music, along with a stacked schedule of interactive workshops 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴.

Get your pass: https://tinyurl.com/yet5srnv

𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯...

07/01/2026

In partnership with Speed Cinema, we’re thrilled to present a FREE film series exploring the many ways faith, spirituality and the search for meaning have been expressed through cinema. First up on 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟵 𝗮𝘁 𝟯𝗽𝗺: “The Passion of Joan of Arc” — a film celebrated as a masterpiece of both religious and world cinema, frequently appearing on lists of the greatest films of all time. Its themes of faith, conviction, sacrifice and moral courage continue to resonate with audiences nearly a century after its debut.

Learn more: https://www.speedmuseum.org/cinema/the-passion-of-joan-of-arc/

And watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/C4_KDf4xhU8?si=aI7v2qUkrko_Jqws

06/29/2026

“It is true that we make many mistakes. But the biggest of them all is to be surprised at them: as if we had any hope of never making any. Mistakes are part of our life, and not the least important part. It is by making mistakes that we gain experience, not only for ourselves but for others.” ⁠ —Thomas Merton⁠, from 𝘕𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥
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𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 | 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘩 𝘌𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘺 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘭 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺