Faith in the Foxes: Leicester’s Multi-Faith Leaders Offer Blessings at Season Opener

Leicestershire County Cricket Club opened their 2023 home campaign last weekend with faith from not only the fans, but with words & blessings from leaders of Leicestershire’s diverse faith communities.

Led by The Right Reverend Saju Muthalaly, Bishop of Loughborough, the pre-season blessing at Grace Road welcomed 50 representatives from different faith groups to praise the role sport plays in bringing our communities together.

Leicestershire’s Lord Mayor, Cllr George Cole; High Sheriff, Henrietta Chubb; and Deputy Lord-Lieutenant, Riaz Ravat, were also in attendance at the event, and watched on as representatives from each department of the Club offered symbolic items including a cricket bat, microphone and map of Leicester to be sprinkled with water as the Bishop blessed the Club for a successful season ahead.

Faith leaders including Minou Cortazzi (Baha’i faith leader), David Cowie (Chaplain Reverend), Narendra Waghela (Hindu faith leader), Leon Charikar (Jewish faith leader), Yasmin Surti (Muslim faith leader), Resham Singh Sandhu (Sikh faith leader) all joined the event, many of them also speaking to offer words of support and encouragement on behalf of the members of their faith communities and praising the efforts of the Club to bring so many community representatives together.

Also in attendance was Fayyaz Suleman from the Leicester Council of Faiths “ an organisation which aims to establish, maintain and promote Leicester as a place where people of different religions and beliefs co-exist peacefully.

“Almighty and ever-loving God, we thank you for gathering us together today. We thank you so much for Leicestershire County Cricket Club; for the community life which exists in and through it; for its history and the place it holds in many people’s hearts in the city and county. We thank you for the gift of sport which unites, draws together, and inspires. Be with us today as we bless the season ahead. In your precious name we pray, Amen.” - Opening prayer offered by Bishop Saju. 

Namita Patel, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Community Director at Leicestershire County Cricket Club said: “It is so important to find ways to bring our community together, and I’m so pleased that so many were able to join us ahead of the 2023 cricket season to offer prayers and blessings on the Club.

“To have so many faith leaders from communities across Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths join the event was incredibly special. The blessings for not only success on the pitch, but for the work we do within the community, have started our season with renewed positivity as we aim to engage with all facets of our local communities.”

Leicestershire CCC’s commitment to community outreach continues to be a key focus of the Club, with the return of the popular ‘Support Your County’ initiative announced last month, offering up to 4,000 complimentary tickets to Leicestershire’s LV=Insurance County Championship fixture with Glamorgan.

The ticket giveaway will allow entry to any day of the four-day match taking place on Wednesday 27 “ Sunday 30 April, with 1,000 tickets on offer for each day’s play of Leicestershire’s second home fixture of the 2023 season.

Tickets for each day of the fixture can be claimed HERE.