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Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

The Baltimore-based Maryland Center for History and Culture received a $2.5 million grant in January to explore the state’s role in religious diversity with the goal of producing an exhibit on the topic by the fall of 2026. (Courtesy MCHC)

Maryland Center for History and Culture receives $2.5 million grant to explore religious tolerance in state


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Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Religious Freedom, Uncategorized

The Baltimore-based Maryland Center for History and Culture received a $2.5 million grant in January to explore the state’s role in religious diversity with the goal of producing an exhibit on the topic by the fall of 2026.

Lilly Endowment Inc. presented the grant through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support development of a 5,000-square-foot exhibition and a larger programming and research initiative that will interpret the history of religious diversity and contested stories of religious tolerance in Maryland, according to a media release by MCHC. 

Maryland played a critical role in the story of religious tolerance and pluralism in the United States.

With the passage of the Religious Toleration Act in 1649, the colony of Maryland became the first government in the western world to codify a version of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. Despite its revolutionary premise, this legislation applied only to Christians and it was later repealed. 

The MCHC’s proposed exhibition will pull that thread from the 17th century to the present, exploring inflection points when religious tolerance was tested throughout the state. 

Focus areas, according to the MCHC, include early colonization and connections with indigenous spiritual practices, the American Revolution, the political achievements of Baltimore’s early-19th-century Jewish community, and demographic shifts caused by waves of immigration in the 20th century.

“We envision this initiative as MCHC’s legacy project for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, planning toward a public opening in October 2026,” said Katie Caljean, MCHC president and CEO, in a media release. “Because of the support from Lilly Endowment, we will be able to collaborate with partners from across the state of Maryland to share important stories and perspectives on religious thought and spiritual life that have not yet been explored in a comprehensive way.” 

Working closely with the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, based in Baltimore, MCHC plans to hire an endowed Lilly Curator of Religious History, launch a major exhibition, produce an exhibition publication, design educational activities for K-12 students and teachers, and organize public programs aimed to engage religious leaders and the general public.

“As an organization dedicated to increasing interreligious understanding, ICJS is honored to partner with MCHC to share the history of religions in Maryland,” said Heather Miller Rubens, ICJS executive director and a Catholic scholar, in the media release. “We are fortunate to live in such a religiously diverse state, with a rich religious history that is important not only locally, but also nationally. 

“With this generous support from Lilly Endowment, we will be able to advance national conversations on religious tolerance and freedom of conscience as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026.” 

MCHC is one of 33 organizations in the United States receiving grants through the latest round of the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to support museums and other cultural organizations as they strengthen their capacity to provide fair, accurate and balanced portrayals of the role religion has played and continues to play in the United States and around the world. 

“The United States is widely considered to be one of the most religiously diverse nations today,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for Religion, in the media release. “Many individuals and families trust museums and other cultural institutions and visit them to learn about their communities and the world. We are excited to support these organizations as they embark on projects to help visitors understand and appreciate the diverse religious beliefs, practices and perspectives of their neighbors and others in communities around the globe.”

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