WHAT:   Sustaining the Civic Purpose of Sacred Places: How the Public Sector can Support the Community-Serving Role of Congregations

WHO:     Confirmed Mayoral Candidates: United States Representative Bob Brady; Pennsylvania Representative Dwight Evans; United States Representative Chaka Fattah; Former City Councilman Michael Nutter; Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce President Al Taubenberger

               Invited Candidate:  UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Tom Knox

               Sponsors:  Partners for Sacred Places; Robert A. Fox Leadership Institute at the University of Pennsylvania; Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania; and The Gesu Institute   

               Moderator:  John DiIulio, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Political Science Professor

WHEN:   Monday, April 30, 7:30-8:30 pm

WHERE: Historic Christ Church, 2nd Street above Market Street, Old City, Philadelphia

WHY:     Philadelphia hosts more than 1,000 historic churches, synagogues, meetinghouses and mosques, and 90 percent of the city’s congregations open their doors to the larger community.

In a national study, Partners discovered that 81 percent of community program users in houses of worship are not members of the congregation.

• Of these service program clients, children and youth benefit more than any other group.
• More than 75% of congregations use their older buildings to meet basic human needs through food and clothing programs.

Candidates are invited to discuss:

• The role that congregations play in sustaining social service programs, and how the city can help support key resources – such as aging, historic buildings – that are key to housing these programs
• The role that religious schools that serve low-income populations will serve in meeting the candidate's educational goals for Philadelphia
• The role that faith-based organizations will play in providing after-school and other important services in our City’s neighborhoods.

To submit questions for the forum or for more information, contact Monica L. Davis, Director of Communications, at mdavis@sacredplaces.org or (215) 567-3234, ext. 20.