USD’s 30th annual All Faith Service

A variety of religions ‘channel peace’ on campus

 ANJALI DALAL-WHELAN /ASST. NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Since 1994, USD has held an All Faith Service at the beginning of the spring semester. On Feb. 9, the All Faith Service celebrated its 30th anniversary, in the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre. 

The event celebrated the diversity of the many religions and faiths that make up USD’s community. 

As a Catholic institution, Christianity is most represented on campus. However, a diverse array of spiritual beliefs can be found among students, which the All Faith Service seeks to highlight. 

The tradition of an All Faith Service goes back further than 30 years; USD’s service was inspired by the 1986 World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, Italy, which was organized by Pope John Paul II and gathered religious leaders from around the world. 

The theme of this year’s All Faith Service was “Channeling Peace.” Vice president for Mission Integration, Michael Lovette-Colyer, who opened and closed the service, stated the importance of this theme by referring to current worldwide tragedies. He mentioned the disastrous earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the war in Ukraine and the estimated 27 ongoing armed conflicts currently persisting worldwide.

 “In the face of such immense tragedy we can feel helpless and yet, each one of us has the potential to actively channel peace in our relationships, on our campus, in our country and around the world,”  Dr. Lovette-Coyler said. 

Representatives from five faiths in addition to Christianity presented at the service on how peace is represented in their tradition. Vasu Bandhu, the Faith Community Coordinator at the Arizona Faith Network, led a Buddhist meditation on living in peace. Glenda Sack Jaffe, director of Hillel at USD, spoke on the meaning of Shaem in Judaism. Dr. Priya Kannan, the Associate Dean of Faculty and Accreditation at the Knauss School of Business led a Hindu chant with her daughters, Avani Narasimhan and USD junior Shree Narasimhan.

Narasimhan reflected on what it meant to see the various faith practices represented at the service.

“Participating in the All Faith Service brings together a community of people who are together, because they believe in the message of peace for every person, animal and being in our world.” Narasimhan said. “The different prayers from various religions are different mediums in which the message of peace is spread.” 

Following the Hindu prayer, Samie Wytewa, the Tribal Liaison with the Center for Inclusion and Diversity at USD presented on the meaning of peace in the Indigenous Hopi faith. 

Dr. Bahar Davary of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies recited poems by Muslim figures advocating for peace. Dr. Davary praised the importance of the All Faith Service and shared insight on the poetry she shared. 

“All Faith Service has been for years one of my favorite events on our campus. It has been creating a space bringing all of us, together to reflect on what it means to be human.”  Davary said. “My piece was a fusion of Sufi poetry signaling the importance of knowing oneself in order to be able to channel peace. I hope that the All Faith Service does remain a venue for meditation and reflection on ways of becoming better human beings, both to one another and to all beings, not a place for political rhetoric or rousing identity politics.” 

Finally, Garrett Galvin, President of the Franciscan School of Theology, closed with a Christian prayer. 

Each presentation shared a unique perspective, but the hope for peace tied them together. 

As a Catholic university, the annual All Faith Service provides an opportunity for the  celebration of the diverse faiths that exist at USD but may not be as prominent as Christianity. 

For the past 30 years, this service has been an important tradition for the USD community and remains a popular event for faculty, students and alumni.