Saint Louis University is canceling classes for two hours on Feb. 6 to celebrate a little more than just the Jesuits.
The 11th Annual Interfaith Celebration will take place in St. Francis Xavier College Church on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Classes will be canceled from noon to 2 p.m.
Prelude music will begin at 11:50 p.m. and a call to worship will begin by the ringing of the College Church bells, with the service beginning at 12:15 p.m. A luncheon in the Church Ballroom will follow.
“Each year the theme is chosen, and then each faith is asked to offer a reflection or a reading from their tradition that addresses that issue,” said Campus Minister Carol Boerding.
The faiths participating in this year’s program are Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “One Family-Many Faces; Many Minds-One Heart.”
The celebration is meant to “ring in” the spring semester. Unlike The Mass of The Holy Spirit, which signifies the beginning of the fall semester, the Interfaith Celebration goes beyond the Catholic tradition.
“In the spring we celebrate the religious diversity of the people who make up the SLU community,” Boerding said.
One of the features of this year’s service will be a demonstration of Adhaan, the Islamic call to prayer. There will also be a Hindu dance performed and a Christian story told through drama by the campus group “Acts of God.” All other faiths will contribute readings.
