CAMPUS ALMANAC

Celebrating the Many Faces of God at USD’s Annual All-Faith Service

Hope Against Hope

by Kelly Phillips

The watchword of USD’s annual All-Faith Service is welcome. It welcomes students and faculty back from winter break. It welcomes guests onto campus. Most important, it truly welcomes all faiths.

The All-Faith Service is an important part of how the campus walks the walk when it comes to the 1960s-era Second Vatican Council’s theme of being more open to expressions from other faiths. The service is based on the belief that a person’s faith only deepens with an understanding of other religious traditions.

“We are a Catholic university, but the contributions of other faiths are very important to us,” says Sister Virginia Rodee, assistant vice president for Mission and Ministry. “We are enriched by knowing how they approach their God.”

Many of the major faiths on campus — including Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian and Hindu — will be represented during the Feb. 4 program in The Immaculata church. The service draws on the prayer tradition of those faiths, as expressed through traditional prayer or another medium such as chanting. The point is to pray together, even though, as Rodee says, we might understand our God in different ways. With a country and a planet that can sometimes seem hopelessly divided, this 12th annual service has a fitting theme: Healing a Broken World.

“We are all seeking healing because our world is so broken and pained,” Rodee says. “Sometimes there’s nothing more we can do than come together in prayer to ask for that healing.”

Indeed, the campus practically grinds to a halt each year in order to welcome all comers who want to partake of the varied religious offerings. It’s one of the few campus events deemed so important that class schedules are adjusted; the library even closes down for the hour-long ceremony. And, of course, The Immaculata’s bells call everyone to the service.

“People really love it,” Rodee says. “It really meets a need in the community.”

The late Monsignor I. Brent Eagen, USD’s first vice president for mission and ministry, created the All-Faith Service as a way to reach out to those of other religious persuasions.

“He was a person who always had a great ecumenical spirit,” Rodee says.

While there may be songs, dances and other performances designed to keep attendees engaged, there is no doubt that this is — first and foremost — a religious service.

The audience tends to manifest a respectfulness, a reverence and a silence that can permeate the entire space. But then again, there have been expressions of faith — the gospel choir from a few years back comes to mind — that brought everyone in attendance joyfully to their feet. And at one memorable service that featured children from the on-campus Manchester Child Development Center singing the first song in a precious performance, many were moved to tears.

This year, the service will begin with a call to worship given by a member of the Muslim faith. Another expected highlight is the presentation of an American Indian folk tale — told by a man, his sister and her son — that expresses the theme of healing, and combines the dramatic with religious expression. The Founders Chapel Choir and its associated interpretive dance group also will perform.

“It’s a celebration of the differences in our faiths,” Rodee says. “In seeing the diversity and experiencing it right there, you really appreciate or understand your own faith more deeply.”