Ecumenical, Interreligious Commission plans collaboration with Interfaith Ministries in 2022

Rev. Greg Han welcomes Jan Skrehot, vice chair of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Commission, and Father Orrin Halepeska to The Brigitte and Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston in December 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs)

HOUSTON — The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Office of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs (OEIA) recently visited Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston to discuss collaborative ideas and how to better represent the Catholic voice in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue efforts.
They met with Jodi Bernstein, vice president of Interfaith Relations and Community Partnerships, Rev. Greg Han, director of Interfaith Relations and Education, and Kim Mabry, program manager for Interfaith Relations and Community Partnerships.
Father Orrin Halepeska, officer of OEIA, said it’s imperative that the commission and other Catholics work with Interfaith Ministries.
“The work they are doing serves our Houston community in so many ways, and Catholics need to be a part of the great work they are doing,” Father Halepeska said. “Our commission is dedicated to being a Catholic presence at their events going forward to show the diverse faiths already involved that we are dedicated to a shared mission of hospitality and care for the most vulnerable among us to carry on the great work of Archbishop Fiorenza.”
Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza was one of the pioneers of these efforts, and the OEIA is excited to carry on the great foundation he has started with other faith leaders.
OEIA strives to foster the ecumenical goals of Christian unity and to deepen interreligious relations with Jews, Muslims, and followers of other religious traditions.
The office commits to promoting knowledge and understanding among all religious traditions through prayer, dialogue, formation and collaboration in civic undertakings, with the primary goal of forming the Catholic faithful in Church teachings on matters of ecumenical and interreligious affairs.
Those interested in participating in the commission can visit the webpage on the Archdiocesan website at www.archgh.org/ecumenism or contact Father Halepeska at [email protected].
Interfaith Ministries brings people of diverse faiths together for dialogue, collaboration, and service. They manifest the strength of shared beliefs through four areas of service to the greater Houston community:
• Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston delivers more than one million meals each year to seniors in Harris county.
• Refugee Services, in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, resettles hundreds of refugees in Houston each year.
• Office of Disaster Preparedness and Response facilitates communication on behalf of Houston’s faith communities during relief and recovery efforts.
• Interfaith Relations provides a safe harbor for greater Houston through its many interfaith programs and dialogue efforts.
For more information, visit imgh.org. For more Archdiocesan Office of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs, contact Chair and Officer Father Orrin Halepeska at 281-342-3089 or visit www.archgh.org/ecumenism.