About

Community Education and Outreach

The Hickey Center and the IIIT Chair holds specialized conferences, seminars and workshops for professionals in different fields, including continuing education seminars for school teachers, nurses, hospice workers, and prison chaplains. Through these programs, the Hickey Center & IIIT Chair promote peaceful coexistence through interfaith understanding and dialogue into daily public life. Learn more about our programs »

National and International Outreach

In the past years, the Hickey Center and the IIIT Chair worked with the Salam Institute of Peace and Justice of Washington D.C.; the Fuller Theological Seminary of Pasadena, CA; the Catholic Diocese of Arlington County, VA; and, the International Institute of Islamic Thought of Herndon, VA. The Hickey Center and the IIIT Chair is also in contact with interfaith organizations in Morocco, Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. It support  the work of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), Parliament of World Religions and other interfaith organizations in US and abroad.

History of the Hickey Center and the IIIT Chair

  • In 1999, representatives from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist religions in Rochester, New York, came together to further improve relations among people of all faiths, stand against hate, and build bridges of respectful understanding.
  • From this effort, the Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue (CISD) was formally created on November 28, 2001, shortly after the September 11 tragedies.  
  • In 2004, CISD found its permanent home at Nazareth University, and the IIIT came to support these efforts through annual contributions. In 2011, was renamed the Brian and Jean Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue in honor of two of the Center’s most dedicated long-time supporters. At the same time, the IIIT interfaith and Islamic Studies Chair was created.

Strategic Plan