Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding

09/04/2026

08/31/2026

An exciting Fall semester is underway at the Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding! 🍂✨

This year, we are placing a special focus on deepening our community engagement and building meaningful local partnerships. There are so many great opportunities ahead to connect, learn, and grow together.

📰 Read our Fall Bulletin here: https://mailchi.mp/jcu.edu/fall-2026-newsletter-tuohy-center-for-interreligious-understanding-10342545

📩 Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list while you're reading so you never miss an announcement about our upcoming events, lectures, and programs!

The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding welcomes you to a new academic year and another semester of learning, dialogue, and encounter across religious and cultural differences.

08/28/2026

Mark your calendar for our upcoming events this Fall! Follow us to receive updates and the registration links.
Welcome back, Blue Streaks!

08/24/2026

Mawlid Al Nabi: Honoring the Birth of Prophet Muhammad

​Observed on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal in the Islamic lunar calendar, Mawlid Al Nabi commemorates the birth of Prophet Muhammad. This year it falls on August 25th, with observance starting on the evening of August 24th.

For Muslim communities worldwide, it serves as a period of spiritual reflection, focusing on his life, teachings, and enduring legacy. ​The occasion is marked by scholarly lectures on the Seerah (biography) highlighting the Prophet's virtues of compassion, justice, and integrity. Devotional recitations of traditional poetry, including Qasidat al-Burda, take place alongside widespread charitable initiatives and community welfare distribution. Across the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa, civic landmarks and mosques are illuminated to observe the day. Recognized as a national holiday in numerous countries, Mawlid Al Nabi underscores a shared commitment to peace, unity, and service.

08/11/2026

Join us for the 41st Eastern Churches Seminar!

The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at John Carroll University invite clergy, scholars, and laity from Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and Roman Catholic traditions to gather for learning, dialogue, and fellowship.

Featured Speaker: Fr. Dr. Radu Bordeianu (Professor of Theology, Duquesne University)

Schedule & Topics:
Evening Keynote (Sep. 25): "Yours or Mine: Why Do We Have Different Dates for Easter?"
Location: St. Francis Chapel (John Carroll University)
Details: Complimentary pizza reception to follow.

Morning Session (Sep. 26): "Virtual Community? The Parish in a Technological Age"
Location: St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church (Brecksville, OH)
Admission: FREE and open to the public.
Registration Link: www.jcu.edu/easternchurches

Support the Seminar:
Help underwrite this longstanding ecumenical program! Donors contributing $100 or more will be recognized in the seminar program and invited to the Eastern Churches Seminar Board luncheon.
Mail checks payable to: John Carroll University (Memo: "Eastern Churches Seminar")
Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding
John Carroll University
1 John Carroll Boulevard, University Heights, OH 44118

Sponsorship inquiries: Kenneth J. Kovach at (216) 704-7322 or [email protected]
General questions: [email protected]
Presented in partnership with St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church and the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.

07/07/2026

05/27/2026

Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the two major Islamic holidays, commemorating the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. Celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, it also marks the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims around the world observe the holiday with special prayers, sermons, and the ritual sacrifice of an animal—typically a sheep, goat, or cow—as a symbol of devotion and gratitude. The meat is divided into three parts: one-third for the family, one-third for relatives and friends, and one-third for those in need. Eid al-Adha emphasizes faith, charity, and community, and is a time for festive gatherings, sharing meals, and caring for the less fortunate.
Eid al-Adha lasts for four days in most Muslim-majority countries, beginning on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and ending on the 13th day. However, the first day is the main day of celebration, marked by the Eid prayer and the ritual animal sacrifice.
The remaining days, known as the Days of Tashreeq, are also part of the holiday and are spent in continued celebration, prayer, and distribution of meat, as well as remembrance of God (dhikr). In some countries, the number of public holiday days may vary, but religiously, the festival is observed over this four-day period.