Press Release - December 22, 2003

Wiccan Youth Interfaith Essay Contest Winner Announcement

The Covenant of the Goddess is pleased to announce the winner of the Wiccan Youth Interfaith Essay Contest - Ms. Michelle Mueller of Bryn Mawr, PA submitted the winning essay. Ms. Mueller will be awarded a grant in the amount of $2,675 and a membership in the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona. Ms. Mueller is a student at Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College, majoring in Religion and Classical Studies. She has worked with several different Wiccan and Pagan traditions, published a Pagan 'zine, engaged in interfaith activities and is a co-founder of Bryn Mawr's Pagan student group, Athena's Circle.

Eight excellent candidates from around the country submitted essay which were judged by a panel consisting of Don Frew (COG National Interfaith Representative) and Deborah Ann Light (COG National Interfaith Representative Emeritus) and Michael Finnegan Rhys ((COG National First Officer Emeritus).

The Covenant would like to thank all of the candidates and wish them well in their interfaith endeavors. We hope that you will consider working with Covenant of the Goddess in the future. COG will be sending out letters to all candidates in the near future.

About Covenant of the Goddess - http://www.cog.org/

The Covenant of the Goddess is one of the largest and oldest Wiccan religious organizations, with members in North America, Europe and Australia. The Covenant is an umbrella organization of cooperating autonomous Witchcraft congregations and individual practitioners with the power to confer credentials on its qualified clergy. It fosters cooperation and mutual support among Witches and works to secure for them the legal protections enjoyed by members of other religions.  The Covenant of the Goddess has supported the United Religions Initiative from its inception and has participated in the Parliaments of the World's Religions. CoG has been a member of the Berkeley Interfaith Council for over 25 years.

About the Parliament of the World's Religions - http://www.cpwr.org/what/events/barcelona/barcelona.htm

The Parliament of the World's Religions is an international interreligious gathering to be held in Barcelona from 7-13 July, 2004. All people of faith, spirit and goodwill are welcome to encounter the vast diversity of the world's religious, spiritual and cultural traditions, to listen to each other with open hearts and minds, to dialogue for mutual understanding, to reflect on critical issues facing the world, to celebrate the richness of our spiritualities, and to commit to discovering and creating new pathways to peace.

Should you have any questions regarding this contest or this press release, please contact Rowan Fairgrove, CoG National Interfaith Representative at interfaith@conjure.com.