Campus Begins New Semester with Multifaith Community Prayer

For the seventh year in a row, the College of the Holy Cross community has kicked off the spring semester by coming together at the Multifaith Community Prayer. The overflowing Mary Chapel served as a gathering space for students, faculty, and staff to celebrate the diversity of faith traditions practiced on campus and the values and commitments shared among them.

After an acknowledgment of the breadth of faiths present in the chapel — from Unitarian Universalism to Agnosticism to Orthodox Christianity — invited religious leaders from the Worcester community and Holy Cross students offered readings and hymns from sacred texts of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity.

Whether surrounded by chanting in Arabic, Sanskrit or Hebrew, the community joined together in solidarity and commonality.

"The global reach of our respective traditions reminds us that we are also citizens of the world," said Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, president of Holy Cross, who presided over the service. "Clearly our world needs our active presence and engagement and service in this time of global upheaval, war and suffering, and in this season of national division and acrimony and social unrest in our own country."

"How important it is then," Fr. Boroughs continued, "that we come together to recognize our unique perspectives on the meaning and purpose of our lives before God and with each other. How important it is that we reach out to each other with respect and love."

The service was rounded out with a special musical offering written by Osvaldo Golijov, Loyola Professor of Music, titled "Aria of Peter’s Tears" and performed by Ying Hong '19, bass, and Matthew Pinder '20, piano. The creation of this piece and all pieces of music, Golijov shared during the service, is "in itself an act of faith."

The 7th annual Multifaith Community Prayer was organized by the Office of the College Chaplains, Student Government Association, Office of Mission, and the Office of the President.