WELCOME! Visit Your Neighbor Tour, Sunday, September 10

Join a walking tour of five houses of worship, six congregations on Summit Avenue in St Paul on Sunday, September 10, starting at 12:45 pm.


12:15 Rabbi Spilker has invited us to attend “Shofar on the Roof,” a light and brief 15-minute introduction to the spirit of the High Holy Days. Meet outside. Tour will start in the sanctuary directly thereafter.

12:45 Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue

Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker, Rabbi Esther Adler, Cantor Strauss-Klein, and Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker

Welcome to Mount Zion, the oldest synagogue in the Upper Midwest. You will be visiting our fourth building since our founding in 1856. Placing this building, designed by the internationally renowned modernist, Bauhaus architect Erich Mendelsohn, on Summit Avenue in 1953 was a way of marking the full inclusion of Jews in the fabric of St. Paul cultural and civic life. The congregation was founded before the State of Minnesota by eight German Jewish families and today is about 680 households. In 1897, the Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society founded Neighborhood House in the West Side Flats to welcome Eastern European Jews, and Mount Zion members continue to support this important work. The congregation conducts an active religious school twice a week, three weekly study groups, a full adult learning and social calendar, and daily services along with Shabbat (Sabbath) and Festival services. After a two year “Mount Zion 2040” strategic visioning process, the Board adopted a new vision: Our Jewish congregation envisions a community and a world where all people experience Shalom (wholeness and peace), Tzedek (justice), Shayachut (belonging), and Simcha (joy). No drinks in the sanctuary. Restrooms available. www.mzion.org


1:30 The House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Avenue

Rev. Dr. Scott Kenefake, Transitional Pastor; Rev. Dr. Julia Carlson, Associate Pastor

In 1914 two Presbyterian congregations who worshiped in downtown St. Paul since 1849 and 1855 merged and moved to the grand new Gothic Revival building on Summit Avenue designed by architect Ralph Adams Cram. Formally dedicated in 1917, it subsequently emerged as The House of Hope Presbyterian Church, a "high church” among Presbyterian churches with magnificent music, a focus on liturgy and preaching, and ongoing learning. The House of Hope organ is the magnum opus of Charles Fisk, one of the first to use “tracker actions.” At the core of House of Hope is a deeply embedded commitment to the greater community exemplified by its major participation in what became Prior Crossing housing for homeless youth, the Jeremiah Program, the Ain Dah Yung Center, Habitat for Humanity and the community garden. The church is home to a choir school, maintains an art gallery, continues to host programs in all of the arts and sponsors a Speaking Series and Theological Seminar featuring the outstanding thought leaders of our time. Drinks allowed in sanctuary. Restrooms available. www.hohchurch.org


2:15 St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 900 Summit Avenue

Rev. Sarah Brouwer, Lead Minister and Rev. Eli'jah Carroll, Associate Minister; Moderator Rick Panning; Geoff Olson, organist, host

Building completed in 1952, Mid Century. Original Organ, Wicks Organ Company, brought up from the old church; additional pipes added in 1952 by the Hunt Organ Company. SPUCC was started 143 years ago by German Immigrants. The current building was constructed because the previous building in downtown St. Paul was torn down to build an approach to the state capitol. The congregation was part of the German-American Evangelical and Reformed Tradition, which was a denomination formed in the wake of the Reformation as some German Protestants reformed beyond Lutheranism. Five streams of Christian denominations in the United States came together, officially, in 1957, and St. Paul's Church joined the United Church of Christ. Of interest, the congregation almost closed 12 years ago, having gotten down to about 30 members. But, they decided to revitalize, called their first female Senior Minister, Norma Rae Hunt, and now number at approximately 350, including children. The St. Paul Childhood Center, a renowned program for infant through Pre-K is located in our building. Our programs consist of Worship, Music and Spiritual Life; Belonging and Community; Social Justice and Outreach; and Faith Formation across the age span. SPUCC acknowledges its position on historic Dakota land in a Land Acknowledgement. Drinks allowed in sanctuary. Restrooms available. www.spucconsummit.org


Holy Presence Catholic Community

Rev. Colleen Woodley and Rev. Joan Flood

This Old Catholic community holds services in the chapel of St. Paul’s. We are a Community of The Old Catholic Church but our style and thoughts are far from Old! Our name, Holy Presence. was born in the midst of the pandemic. After prayer and contemplation, the thoughts of the things we were most in need of were the presence of the Divine and the much-missed presence of each other. The name Holy Presence was born in the summer of 2020. The Old Catholic Church has its roots in Northern Europe. The seat of leadership is in Utrecht, Netherlands. Old Catholics have many of the same beliefs as the Roman Catholic Church, however, we ordain women and therefore have inclusive rights for all to the sacraments. We are a small denomination but we enjoy a close, relational and Spirit filled, loving community. We have a vigorous schedule of prayer and worship. We celebrate two Masses each week, one virtual and one in person. We have two virtual evening prayer meetings each week and a virtual Rosary each Wednesday. We are members of Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul and actively support Walking With a Purpose, Neighbors Inc, Second Harvest, Hallie Q Brown and Casa Guadalupana. www.holypresence.org


3:00 St. Thomas More Catholic Community, 1079 Summit Avenue

Rev. R.J. Fichtinger, S.J., Pastor; Rev. Peter Etzel, S.J., Associate Pastor; Kellen O'Grady, Director of Liturgy and Music

Church building is considered Romanesque Revival. The parish was founded in 1888 with the construction of the building completed in 1925. The organ is Casavant, Op. 1153 (1926). The parish of St. Luke merged with the parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary and, in 2008, was renamed St. Thomas More Catholic Community. We have many thriving ministries including our parish school, social justice programs (immigrant support, racial equity, & care for creation), young adults group, Ignatian Spirituality programs, free store, and music ministry. We are a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis run by the religious order the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Drinks allowed in sanctuary, water only in front area. Restrooms available. www.morecommunity.org


3:30 St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue

Father Perikles Kallis (“Fr. Perry”); Mr. Stephen Arsenault, host

Byzantine building style. First service in current church edifice July 05, 1968. First church edifice was 1939. Missions and Benevolence Ministry (participation at Loaves and Fishes at St. Matthews CC, FOCUS MN on Rice St.), Philoptochos (women’s philanthropic ministry), MEOCCA Intro to Orthodox Christianity cooperative catechism program hosted at St. George in the fall and winter (12-weeks each semester), Icon writing (painting) classes hosted at St. George in the winter. No food or drink in sanctuary. No restrooms available because of concurrent program in building. www.stgeorgegoc.org

Harmony for Humanity: A Night of Multifaith Unity

By Bob Hulteen • October 27, 2026
Sunday, November 1, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.; Hamline Church United Methodist, 1514 Englewood Avenue, St. Paul A free community concert celebrating the values of love, peace, and compassion through music. Choirs include those from Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church (Duluth), Hamline Church United Methodist, ISKCON (Hare Krishna), and the Minnesota Saints Chorale from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition to the musical performances, the event will include a winter clothing drive in partnership with Neighborhood House, a vital local nonprofit. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations to assist individuals and families in need during the cold Minnesota months.

Timely Conversation on Religious Freedom

By Bob Hulteen • October 27, 2026
Friday, October 30; 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue, St. Paul The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Minnesota Multifaith Networkare sponsoring a religious freedom symposium on Friday, October 30, 2026, at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul. The event will focus on coming together to learn, discuss, and have productive conversation about the topic of “The Constitution, Pluralism, and Peacemaking.” The keynote address will be given by Alexander Dushku, who is a General Authority Seventy and general counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has authored numerous briefs in important religious liberty cases before appellate courts across the US, including the United States Supreme Court. He was a primary negotiator of the 2015 “Utah Compromise” legislation that received national attention for reconciling religious and LGBT rights. His talk will be followed by an opportunity for a Q&A and a roundtable discussion concerning current challenges to our shared and various understandings of religious freedom. The Religious Freedom event will be a safe and honest space where all can share their perspectives on this very timely topic. 

A Play to Save Democracy

By Bob Hulteen • October 7, 2026
Thursday, October 8, through Sunday, October 11, 7:30 p.m., except Sunday at 3:00 p.m.; Frey Theater, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul “A Star Full of Skies: The Values Play Experience” is a new play about our nation's culture wars, from the perspective of Minnesotans and their values. The show was created from interviews conducted with more than 400 people about what matters most to them. This play is sure to inspire thoughtful conversations about society, democracy, values, and freedom. This show is best seen in groups because it's designed to provoke thoughtful, open-hearted, curious conversation. Also, it’s fun. The audience gets to participate in its own democracy as it votes for which scene to see next, and no two performances are the same. Remaining performances take place Thursday, October 8, through Sunday, October 11, at the Frey Theater on the campus of St. Catherine University. You can purchase tickets, priced on a sliding scale, and find out more about the production using the button below. 

Niagara Foundation and St. Catherine's to Offer an Evening of 'Building Bridges' Through Dialogue

By Bob Hulteen • October 7, 2026
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Rauenhorst Ballroom, Coeur de Catherine, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul The event, "Building Bridges: Interfaith Dialogue for the Common Good," is co-hosted by the St. Catherine University Center for Spirituality and Social Justice and the Niagara Foundation–Minnesota Branch. It aims to foster meaningful cross-cultural connection, shared learning, and community collaboration. Join this evening of shared conversation and food. Dr. Jon Pahl, an author, historian, and community activist, will offer a short keynote address, followed by dinner, table discussions, group sharing, and a Q&A session. The event is free (including dinner). Registration is required. 

StarTribune Opinion: Sharia compels me to follow the Constitution

By Alicia Coombes • September 30, 2026
Minnesota Multifaith Network leader Zafar Siddiqui recently wrote an opinion article that was printed in the Minnesota StarTribune . It is reprinted below. Siddiqui is a Twin Cities-based interfaith and civil rights advocate. He is the co-founder of Islamic Resource Group. Like clockwork, the Sharia scare is back. Each election season since 2006, the same playbook is unleashed on Americans. The goal is to create an irrational fear of a nonexistent threat to divert attention from real issues we are currently facing. It is a solution in search of a problem. Its favorite ploy is the story of a Muslim “takeover” of America through Sharia “law” replacing the U.S. Constitution. Despite Muslims being only 1% of our country’s population, this fearmongering finds traction because foundations and charitable institutions have pumped enormous amounts of money into a deliberate campaign to create fear of Islam and Muslims. Reports from the Center for American Progress and Council on American-Islamic Relations have traced hundreds of millions of dollars to this network. I remember this happening back in 2006 when Keith Ellison successfully ran to become the first Muslim elected to Congress and Minnesota’s first Black member of Congress. His decision to take his ceremonial oath on the Quran caused an uproar, which Ellison sought to douse by using Thomas Jefferson’s Quran from the Library of Congress. During this election cycle, the Sharia-Free America Caucus, comprising 68 House members, including my own congressman Tom Emmer, is spearheading this alarmism. Here in Minnesota, state Sen. Michael Holmstrom announced last month the launch of the Sharia-Free Minnesota Caucus. At the Republican midterm convention earlier this month in Dallas, party leaders made Sharia an explicit election-season issue. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promised to “fully ban Sharia law in Texas,” while U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz declared that it “has no place in America” and is “fundamentally inconsistent with the Constitution.” A University of California, Berkeley’s report identified 223 anti-Sharia bills that were introduced in 43 state legislatures between 2010 and 2018 — 20 of which were enacted in 13 states. Nearly all were disguised as bans on “foreign law” after Oklahoma’s explicit ban on Sharia was struck down by a federal court in 2013 for singling out one religion. American courts already reject any religious rule or private agreement that violates the Constitution or another person’s rights. So what problem are these bills trying to solve? It may come as a shock to many, but Sharia requires Muslims to honor their commitments and obey the laws of the country where they live. That includes upholding the Constitution. What is Sharia? That question should be answered by Muslims, not by those who have made a career of attacking Islam. For me, following Sharia means praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan, giving charity, eating halal food, caring for my family and neighbors and being a contributing member of society. These are personal religious and moral principles that fit into the five central objectives of Sharia, namely the protection of faith, human life, intellect, family and property. Do these objectives sound like a plan to overthrow the Constitution? Some will point to governments or extremist groups that invoke Sharia to justify human rights abuses. That is how Sharia became confused with penal law. But what a government calls Sharia is its own interpretation, not a single code accepted by Muslims everywhere. Penal law is only a small part of fiqh, the human interpretation of Sharia. Judaism has halakha, which guides Jewish religious and daily life, and the Catholic Church has canon law. Journalist Arno Rosenfeld recently asked readers to imagine a “Talmud Free America” caucus based on the claim that Jewish law was incompatible with American values. Imagine also if state legislatures began passing laws against Catholic canon law. We would recognize this as an attack on religious freedom. Why is the standard different when the religion is Islam? The Sharia scare is being created from thin air. No mainstream American Muslim organization is asking to replace our Constitution with Sharia. In fact, American Muslims have been demanding that our country adhere to the Constitution in both letter and spirit, and honor its guarantees of religious freedom, freedom of speech, equal protection and due process. The electoral successes of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan demonstrate that this fearmongering is facing headwinds from a younger America that is not interested in conspiracy theories driven by well-funded special interests. Muslims are very much part of the mosaic of American society with increasing political participation. They are invested in safeguarding and upholding our Constitution precisely because Sharia demands it. 

Jay Phillips Center to Host Discussion on "What Counts as Religion"?

By Bob Hulteen • September 22, 2026
Tuesday, October 6, Noon - 1:10 p.m.; Woulfe Alumni Hall North, Room 378N, Anderson Student Center, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul The Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas is hosting Dr. Katharine Gerbner, Associate Professor of History and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, on Tuesday, October 6. Her talk is titled "Who Decides What Counts as Religion? Obeah, Slavery, and the Making of Religion in Colonial Jamaica." The event is free and open to the public. 

'The American Story You Haven't Heard'

By Bob Hulteen • September 22, 2026
Thursday, October 1, 7:00 p.m.; OEC Auditorium, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul As America marks 250 years since its founding, we have an opportunity to tell a fuller story of the people and communities that have helped shape this country. Muslims have been part of the American story for centuries, yet much of their history and contributions remain unfamiliar to many Americans. As IRG celebrates its 25th anniversary, we believe this is a fitting time to share more of that story. Islamic Resource Group (IRG) is hosting a viewing of "The American Story You Haven’t Heard," a special showing of "The Great Muslim American Road Trip." This nationally broadcast documentary series follows Muslim American couple Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins on a 3,000-mile journey along Route 66. Along the way, they meet people from different backgrounds and explore the long history of Muslims in America and their contributions to the country. Executive Producer Jawaad Abdul Rahman will take viewers through the film and share some of the stories behind it. Join this evening of film, history, refreshments, and conversation. The event is free, but registration is required. 

New Howard Thurman Book to Be Launched at United Sem

By Bob Hulteen • September 22, 2026
Wednesday, September 30, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.; United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, 767 Eustis Street, Suite 140, St. Paul This biography and assessment of Howard Thurman’s thought was originally written in the 1970s. Howard Thurman was an active participant with author James Earl Massey in the content. The book was never published. Now, 50 years later, the book is available to the public with additional editorial commentary by the Rev. Dr. Curtiss DeYoung. The foreword to the book is written by Walter Fluker, Senior Director of the Howard Thurman Papers Project at Boston University. This launch event for the book includes a panel discussion on the importance of Howard Thurman for today. Panelists are: Dr. Tamice Spencer-Helms, United adjunct faculty member and DMin alum Rev. Tyler Ho-Yin Sit, Founding Pastor of New City Church, Minneapolis Rev. Alanna Simone Tyler, Associate Pastor for Justice and Mission at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis Books will be available for sale at the event at a discounted price.

Healing to Hope to Sponsor Presentations Regarding the West Bank and Gaza by Rami Khader

By Bob Hulteen • September 3, 2026
Sunday, September 20, 1:00 p.m. (RSVP required); Legacy Dream Space, 2205 California Street NE, Studio 212, Minneapolis Sunday, September 20, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.; Legacy Dream Space, 2205 California Street NE, Studio 212, Minneapolis Monday, September 21, 7:00 p.m.; St. John's Lutheran Church, 500 Third Street West, Northfield Tuesday, September 22, 7:00 p.m.; New City Center, 3104 16th Avenue South, Minneapolis Anar founder and executive director Rami Khader will be touring the U.S. on a "Healing Beyond the Headlines: Building a Movement of Hope for Palestinian Children" tour in September and October. Khader will be at several events in Minnesota September 20-23. Khader will share stories from the ground in the West Bank and Gaza, offering a vision of a healing for Palestinian children and their caregivers beyond the stories often heard in the news. 

Rally and March for Nonviolence With Hands Across the Mississippi River

By Bob Hulteen • September 3, 2026
Sunday, September 20, Noon - 2:00 p.m.; Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge (each side), Minneapolis/St. Paul Participants will gather on each side of the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge at noon, and will walk out to the middle of the bridge to join hands with people from the other side of the bridge at 1:00 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., Imnizaska Indigenous singers and drummers will lead a blessing of the Mississippi. The mayors of the two Twin Cities will offer a proclamation at that time. The gathering will be completed by 2:00 p.m. 
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