CIR - Who We Are

The Center for Interfaith Relations (CIR) is a nonsectarian, 501c3 organization dedicated to promoting and supporting interfaith understanding, cooperation, and action.

The Center for Interfaith Relations was formerly the Cathedral Heritage Foundation (CHF). Founded in 1985, CHF undertook the work of restoring the historic Cathedral of the Assumption. As that work progressed and was completed over a ten-year period, CHF’s mission broadened, and the organization evolved — based upon the role of the Cathedral as a civic resource to the community — and began to offer interfaith programming in the Cathedral’s restored spaces.

The Cathedral Heritage Foundation aspired to complete three goals:.

1. To restore the 1852 Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption to its former glory as an inspiring, historic, sacred space and a downtown gathering point for people of all faith traditions;

2. To model how a house of worship can use its facilities to foster interfaith understanding and cooperation

3. To promote understanding and cooperation among all houses of worship and faith traditions within the Louisville community through such programs as: Arts and Music, Spiritual Life Lecture Series and the annual Festival of Faiths.

Having attained all three goals, in 2006 the board of CHF chose the organization’s new name, Center for Interfaith Relations, to make clear to the whole community its nonsectarian framework and to more accurately reflect its focus on interfaith understanding, cooperation and action.

Center for INTERFAITH RELATIONS

Many Faiths, One Heart, Common Action