Reverend Natalie Shiras of Church-on-the-Hill in Lenox, MA, former WII Board member, shows photo of children in India who benefited from the John A. Sellon Charitable Trust grant and Women's Interfaith Initiative

June 16, 2009

Women's Interfaith Initiatives Cross Borders

with John A. Sellon Charitable Trust

Reverend Natalie Shiras and Pauline Dongala's Faith in Action

Join us on a journey to Ghana and the Congo as Reverend Natalie Shiras and Pauline Dongala share their stories and a slide show about initiatives that were funded through the Women's Interfaith Institute and the John A. Sellon Charitable Trust.

Reverend Natalie Shiras, pastor of Church-on-the-Hill in Lenox, MA, recently traveled building interfaith and cross-cultural bridges in Russia, Turkey, Ghana, Nepal and India. WII funds helped re-build a church roof in Accra, Ghana and funded medical and food supplies for disabled pensioners and their families in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Pauline Dongala, former WII board member, reaches out to the Republic of the Congo with her WII Initiative funded by the John A. Sellon Charitable Trust

Pauline Dongala is supporting two projects in the Republic of the Congo: rebuilding a church and supporting a skills-training center for women in Kinkala, Congo.

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May 14, 2009

The Feminine, Sufism and Islam

Join us for an enlightening talk about the Feminine in Sufism and Islam. Zumurrud Butta from Vienna, Austria, is a Senior Teacher in the Sufi Order, Retreat Guide and European Head of Universal Worship. She will discuss the role of the feminine in the mystical traditions of Sufism and Islam. She is a member of the Ibn'Arabi Society and fluent in Arabic and Urdu. In addition to her many accomplishments, she is a delightful, warm person who is sure to leave us with a deeper appreciation of being women on the spiritual path.