Forum of Religions in Ottakring | Dialog16
Interreligious dialogue initiatives of the Catholic Parishes in Ottakring
Initiators
Bishop Helmut Krätzl is one of the idea providers and initiators of the interreligious dialogue in Ottakring. Since 2007, Mag. Wolfgang Bartsch has been in charge of the deanery for interreligious dialogue of the Roman Catholic Church in Vienna´s 16th district. The "Forum of the Religions in Ottakring" cooperates, project-based, with the district administration of Ottakring and the MA 17 - Integration and Diversity.
Occasion
An institutionalized exchange between people of different religions in Ottakring has been taking place since 2004. In the "Ottakring Forum of Religions", mainly Roman Catholic parishes and mosques maintain contact with each other and organize various encounter events. "Dialog16" complements these interreligious encounters on a spiritual, intra-Christian level.
Target Groups
The events of the "Religionenforum Ottakring" primarily address Christians and Muslims from the cooperating parishes and mosques, and those interested in interreligious dialogue.
The "Dialog16 Prayer" is an inner-church prayer format for Christians who pray for a positive interreligious coexistence and a "personal identity open to encounter".
Objectives
The Forum´s aim is to contribute to positive neighborliness of people with different religious backgrounds in Vienna's 16th district - through direct encounter formats (within the "Religionenforum Ottakring") or through the power of prayer and inner reorientation (through the "Dialog16-Gebet").
Topics
The central themes of these initiatives include a positive stance towards and social interaction in interreligious neighborhoods and setting impulses for a sustainable contact between religious communities.
Duration
Interreligious activities of the "Forum der Religionen in Ottakring" have been organized since 2004. Dialog16 has existed since 2007. Both activities are not temporary projects but are designed to be open-ended.
Activities
Events organized by the Forum take place at irregular intervals and include lecture and discussion evenings, exchange visits, youth projects (with a social component), multi-religious prayer formats and interreligious excursions. Since the Corona pandemic, online evening events with a range of themes have also been organized.
The monthly "Dialog16 Prayers" held at various prayer locations are organized around different themes, sharing Bible passages, texts on religions, music and silence. The prayer is currently taking place in the chapel of the Neuottakring parish church and in the Gänserndorf deanery (in different parishes) north of Vienna.
Form of Organization
Work group/open platform within the Roman Catholic Church and with other Christian churches and religious communities (local).
Funding
The initiative is funded by donations and supported by volunteer work of the religious institutions taking part in the activities.
Products
- 15 podcasts: „15 Jahre Dialog16“ (15 years of dialogue)
- Every other month: Prayer templates on different topics
- Short reports on the events of the “Religionenforum Ottakring”
- Greeting messages for Muslim neighbors
Website | Social Media | Contact
www.dialog16.at/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Dialog16/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dialog_16
E-mail: gebet@dialog16.at