Hendricks Chapel is hosting an interfaith spiritual event from Sept. 22-25, called Discovery Weekend, where students can experience and attend multiple religious and spiritual events.

The event is collaboratively organized among chaplains of multiple faiths and the Spiritual Life Council, an interfaith council that was created two years ago and represents every religious, non-religious and spiritual group present on the campus.

The goal is “to try and create a weekend where it’s easy for students to find out what’s going on at Hendricks Chapel, to find out about the religious life that’s already present,” said Ryan Milcarek, member and leader of the Spiritual Life Council.

Milcarek said they hope to raise awareness of different religions and to create dialogue among religious groups.

The four-day event will include traditionally religious events such as a Jumu’ah prayer by the Muslim Student Association, Buddhist meditation, a Shabbat Dinner, a Lutheran worship service, an interfaith dinner, a sung evening prayer and many other events that will give students a glimpse into the workings of the various faiths that are represented at Hendricks.

“The major idea is to give students, whether or not they participate in a particular faith tradition, the opportunity to experience what others do in their traditional services,” said Bonnie Shoultz, the Buddhist chaplain at Hendricks Chapel.

Shoultz will not be present at the event herself, as she will be attending a Buddhist event organized by the the White House Office of Faith-based and Neigborhood Partnerships in Washington D.C., along with five other students from the Buddhist faith group.

However, she said she hopes the event would help students.

“It has so many positive effects, and it also counteracts so many negative things, for example, Islamophobia, or anti-Semitism, or even anti-Christian bias that people might have,” Shoultz said.

The event is open to students who may not identify as religious, but consider themselves to be spiritual, or want to explore spirituality and how different religious services incorporate the teachings and values of each religion. In addition, students who belong to a faith get an opportunity to explore other religions and faith groups present on campus.

Shoultz described one of the religious practices that will be demonstrated, the Buddhist meditation. She said the first 15 minutes are spent sitting in posture, answering questions with the students. Then a silent, half-hour meditation follows.

Milcarek said this event is a chance for students, both new and old, to check out what resources and services Hendricks Chapel offers.

Said Milcarek: “We’re not necessarily trying to create a lot of new events, we’re just trying to take a lot of the events that happen on a weekly basis and put them out there so everyone knows that they are happening.”

Published on September 22, 2016 at 11:51 am

Contact Malavika: mnrandiv@syr.edu