WASHINGTON, March 15 —At its National Leadership Gathering in Nashville, The Interfaith Alliance, a nonpartisan grassroots organization representing more than 150,000 members of various faith traditions, presented the 6th Annual Bishop P. Francis Murphy Local Activism award to The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado for its advocacy and educational work throughout the state.

 

The award honors the memory of Bishop Murphy, an Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, and founding board member of The Interfaith Alliance, who believed passionately that religion can be a constructive and healing force in public life.

 

Accepting the award for TIA Colorado were Sister Maureen McCormack (Order of Loretto), President of TIA Colorado, and Sigrid Higdon, board member of TIA Colorado.

 

“Bishop Murphy’s passion for social justice and his tireless commitment to the role of religion as a constructive and healing force in public life is an inspiration to our chapter and to people across many faith traditions,” McCormack said. “Through this award, The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado hopes to connect with his courage and his wisdom.”

 

Presenting the award, the Rev. Welton Gaddy, president of The Interfaith Alliance, cited the chapter’s outstanding grassroots work and public awareness of religious freedom.

 

“We are a national organization, but our real work is done in the grassroots,” Gaddy said.  “We are thankful to have a group in Colorado which recognizes the threat religious liberty is facing and is willing to stand up and fight to preserve rights for all Americans.”

 

In 2005, TIA Colorado opened interfaith dialogue on Islam, participated in statewide coalitions and lobbied to restore funding to healthcare and education.  TIA Colorado also advocated to protect the filibuster and oppose a federal budget cut that would harm programs providing food stamps, student loans and health care to those in need.


Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.