Better Together

This week Interfaith Ministry hosted an awesome event! It was called the Better Together Photo Booth Event and focused around getting students on campus to think about how as people of diverse faith and cultural backgrounds we are better together. We set up a photo booth in the middle of the student union and had students write on piece of paper why they think we are better together then take their picture holding the paper they wrote on. The event turned out incredibly! We had tons of students come through the union and enthusiastically write why they think we are better together and take their picture. The students got to keep one strip of photos and the other one we attached to their paper and hung up on giant banners we had made. Now all the inspirational thoughts of Loyola students and staff our hanging up outside the interfaith ministry office. It was fantastic to see so many different groups of students coming together to put on such a great event!

I was inspired and encouraged that our work in interfaith ministry can inspire students to be better together because…

We learn from each other

We don’t judge each other

We’re all made to love each other

And so many more incredible reasons.

-Elaina Jo

Hunger & Hope

This week was Hunger Week at Loyola and Interfaith Ministry helped with two of the events. On Tuesday we had a beautiful interfaith prayer service where students from different faith traditions prayed to end hunger. On Thursday the Muslim Student Association hosted a fast-a-thon that Interfaith Ministry took part in. I pledged with over 300 other students to abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Since I knew that I would not be able to get up at 5 am to eat something I had a late night snack before I went to bed Wednesday. I have fasted before during the Catholic season Lent, but fasting to particularly think about hunger was different. By Thursday afternoon I was feeling hungry and thirsty. I couldn’t wait to break the fast and have a delicious meal. It was challenging to think that there are so many people in the world who don’t have the luxury of breaking a fast with a delicious meal. To feel hunger and consider all those people who have no means to fill their hunger or thirst is difficult. At the dinner where Loyola students joined to break the fast and discuss hunger it was inspiring to see so many people taking about hunger and the desire to end hunger. There was a beautiful message of hope that through our committing to be hungry for a day we can help give hope to the hunger by our witness to their needs. My fasting experience was not only about experiencing hunger and gaining an awareness of world hunger issues. My fasting was a prayer to God, asking for an end to hunger and hope for the hungry, and I have hope knowing that my prayer was shared by so many students.

-Elaina Jo

Puja Prayer

This week interfaith ministry hosted a tour of sacred spaces where various faith traditions on campus gave tours of their prayer space and then invited students to stay for their prayer service. I was particularly moved by the tour of the Puja room and the Puja prayer that followed the tour. The Hindu Student Organization (HSO) had two students give a wonderful explanation of the puja room. I was struck by the similarities to Christian prayer during the explanation. One of the presenters expressed how she sees Hinduism as monotheistic, because all of the deities are different manifestations of the same spiritual being. Another Catholic student at the tour asked how you can tell all the gods apart. The presenter responded that they all have a particular attribute or symbol that accompanies their image. Later the student and I talked about how it reminded us of icons of saints. The HSO presenter also explained the offering of food at the puja by comparing it to the bread and wine in Christian Eucharist. I think it is beautiful that across multiple religions there is an element of offering and receiving the blessings offered. There is something powerful about physically consuming a blessing. In taking in blessings we are connected to the divine and also the spiritual community that takes part in that blessing with us. Going to puja was a beautiful prayer experience, and I’m so glad that at Loyola we can offer that opportunity. 

-Elaina Jo