Faith

"Open your heart to faith and God will do the rest."

Pope Francis

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Faith is an important guiding light in the lives of the people of Illinois. During his time as Governor, Pat Quinn strove to make Illinois a welcoming place for all faiths.

Whether we turn to faith in times of crisis (such as in the aftermath of the tragic killing of five students at Northern Illinois University), in times of hope (such as Illinois resident Jim Lovell's mission around the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968), or simply to show the meaning of love (such as Mary Doro's campaign to elect her friend Anne Wagner homecoming queen), people of all faiths can take solace in Paul's words in his first letter to the Corinthians: "Love is patient, love is kind...love never fails."(1 Cor 13:4–8)

People of all faiths are welcome in Illinois.

On July 28, 2013, Gov. Quinn observed Ramadan by hosting the first-ever Iftar meal in the Illinois Executive Mansion. Quinn continued the Iftar Dinner in 2014. President Thomas Jefferson is credited with hosting the first Iftar meal in the White House when he hosted a Tunisian envoy in 1805.

View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Hosting First-ever “Iftar” Dinner at Executive Mansion .

View the Governor’s Office Press Release of Quinn Observes End of Ramadan in Illinois .

Governor Pat Quinn joined the Muslim community to observe the completion of the Holy Month of Ramadan at the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer service in Bridgeview. During the occasion, the governor renounced recent incidences of violence against Muslim places of worship and signed a new law to foster religious tolerance.

View NBC5 Chicago's article: "Dalai Lama Praises Ban on Death Penalty".