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| Welcoming Interfaith and Spiritual Exploration (WISE) 2023 at the New Emory Interfaith Center
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Dear Alumni and Friends,
The new academic year has begun, and I think you'll be pleased to know we are witnessing a wonderful level of positive student engagement as we return to campus spiritual life this fall.
Early in August, we welcomed to Emory an energetic cohort of 40 incoming students and peer leaders for our week-long interfaith immersion -- the WISE interfaith preorientation program. Through this program, students are introduced, through the lens of interfaith cooperation, to 10 key campus and community spiritual centers, from Ebenezer Baptist Church and Glenn Memorial Church, to a Jewish synagogue, a Hindu temple, a Sikh gurdwara, a Buddhist monastery, and a local mosque. In our closing circle shared after a Friday night Shabbat dinner, we heard testimonies about how profoundly the students were impacted by a week of learning about one another and their faith traditions in a context of deep respect, reverence, fun, and friendship. It was a delightful way to start to the new year, and the energy has continued through Orientation, and even now as we have entered our rhythm of weekly worship services, holiday celebrations, and special events.
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Emory Interfaith Center hosted a welcome dinner for undergraduate spiritual student organization leaders, September 2023
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| Especially exciting this fall is that we are fulfilling the long-time dream of opening the Emory Interfaith Center. A key complement to the heart of our Atlanta campus which is our multireligious Cannon Chapel, the Interfaith Center will be and has already become a hub and a hive for spiritual practices, student meetings, meals, scripture studies, meditation sessions, and of course, pastoral care with our multifaith chaplaincy team.
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Emory Interfaith Center hosted a summit meeting of interfaith leaders from Atlanta and Georgia, August 2023
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| The new center has also drawn the attention of our neighbors across the city, and we have hosted summit meetings of the leading interfaith organizations in Atlanta that we are seeking to deepen our collaborations with, especially as we seek to emerge from the pandemics time and address the many social issues that call to our attention as people of faith and conviction.
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We have planned several opening celebrations for the Interfaith Center to welcome all of our various constituencies, but our largest Opening Celebration will be on Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday, October 21 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at 1707 N Decatur Road. We hope you will join President Fenves, our team, our students, colleagues, alumni, families and friends for a time to celebrate our belief in the importance of building mutual understanding, friendship, and common action across our traditions. You can register here. See the full list of our many Homecoming and Family Weekend programs here.
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As we begin the new year, we often reflect on the past year, and we're happy to share with you our 2022-2023 Annual Report that showcases the ways we have continued and strengthened many longstanding OSRL programs, while adding new programs and forms of service. We've also witnessed significant growth in the alumni and other donors who are generously contributing to making our work on campus possible and lively today.
We are deeply grateful to you, and as we begin this new academic year, we would be so grateful for your continued support to help make spiritual life at Emory as vibrant as it can be. Your contributions are especially needed as we open the new Interfaith Center and discover many new opportunities to support student leadership and spiritual development. You can always make a gift here.
Thank you as always for your prayers and support, and we wish you all the blessings of autumn.
With heart,
Greg
The Rev. Dr. Gregory W. McGonigle
Dean of Religious Life and University Chaplain
Office of the President
Emory University
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