The 17th annual Festival of Faiths, Sacred Fire: Light of Compassion, continued our investigation into roles of the primal elements in our spiritual lives.  

In 1995, elders from the Ojibwa tribe lit a sacred fire for international peace. Coals from this fire have been shared around the world, and in 2012, Native American spiritual leader Rupert Encinas and firekeepers of indigenous American traditions kept the light burning throughout the festival.  

The Rev. Joan Brown Campbell and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer set the standard for what defines a “compassionate city,” directing festival attendees and the city at large on how to follow the International Charter for Compassion. Our evening program featured a Whirling Ceremony of the Mevlevi Dervishes, combining meditative movement and classical Sufi music.