Interfaith Council aids students' understanding of diversity

Intermountain Catholic

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Dominican Father Peter Rogers is director of the University of Utah's Interfaith Campus Advisory Council. One of the council's main goals is to ?create a safe campus climate for students to explore issues of faith. Fr. Peter also participates in the university's crisis response program, prompted by the shootings at Virgini Tech. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

SALT LAKE CITY — When the University of Utah’s newspaper, the Chronicle spoofed Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the United States and inferred that the pope is a wizard, it prompted a letter to the newspaper from Dominican Father Peter Rogers. He was writing not only as pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Newman Club Parish, he was writing as director of the school’s Interfaith Campus Advisors Council. Student members of the Council signed the letter, as did four ministers and pastors representing the Council.

"I was very moved by the solidarity shown by the students and ministry members," Fr. Peter told the Intermountain Catholic, it showed that our work on this campus is bearing fruit."

The Interfaith Campus Advisors Council is guided by a mission statement: "The purpose of the Interfaith Ministry Council is to promote good will, cooperation, and dialogue among all the faith groups represented in the student body of the university without any compromise of the beliefs of the particular faiths represented, and to help foster a safe atmosphere on campus conducive to spiritual/religious life and thinking."

The mission statement has four goals, one of which is "to collaborate with one another and with the administration of the University of Utah to create a safe campus climate for students to explore issues of faith."

The advisors council is also guided by a code of ethics that promises respect for the dignity of each student, their faith, and their background, to foster awareness of faith opportunities, to help students to be informed of choices available to them in religious and spiritual beliefs, and other issues of respect and dignity.

"Our main goal is to foster a safe atmosphere for people of all faiths to express their religious beliefs without ridicule or prejudice," said Fr. Peter.

Fr. Peter and Allen Gunnerson, director of the U of U’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute, were invited to help form the council by U of U President Michael Young. The Institute now has a director of campus ministry – Gary Poll. Representatives of the Lutheran, Episcopalian, Muslim, and other faith groups on campus also participate.

"It took just five months of the years 2005 and 2006 to plan and pull together representatives of faith groups on campus," said Fr. Peter. Our first meeting in November 2006, drew 25 ministers and students. Since then, we have developed the mission statement and the goals, as well as the code of ethics.

"Overall, our mission is to help all students, faculty, and staff to fulfill their search for spiritual growth through working with the administration of the University of Utah."

Because of the efforts of the Interfaith Council, Fr. Peter said, they have been able to work with the administration in developing a crisis response program.

"As director of the Interfaith Council I was invited to be a part of the crisis response team, which will go into action in the case of any incident that could cause trauma to our students. It is also active in the cases of students who are coping with any kind of trauma.

"It is good the administration recognizes the need for different faith ministries to have a role and responsibility in the case of any kind of crisis on campus," he said. "In addition to the trauma of a school shooting, for example, the crisis response program is ready to respond to natural disasters, like floods, the occasional tornado, the rape of students, or suicides. We will see that ministers are available and with the counseling department, we will offer spiritual advice. We are seeing the fruits of us coming together. We recognize the importance of counseling, and they recognize the importance of spiritual advice."

Fr. Peter said a teacher on the U of U campus is now trying to pull together some kind of degree program so that students next year may be able to minor in religious studies. "Of course we will all make ourselves available to teach if we are invited."

"We are hoping to have a speakers’ forum in which representative of different faith traditions form a six-week training program in the winter."

Just last week, Fr. Peter was invited to be the moderator for a session of the Lifelong Learning Course program, which is looking at the different faith traditions of world religions. Through word of mouth, the director of the Lifelong Learning program heard of the Interfaith Council and called to see if we would help put this course together, said Fr. Peter. "Because I am working with all of the faith advisors, all it took was a phone call to get the speakers."

Fr. Peter said one of the wonderful aspects of the Interfaith Council is that all of the representatives have become close friends since they began the work in 2005. "If one of us has a need, all we have to do is pick up a telephone and we are there for each other."

The Interfaith Council’s mission statement and code of ethics have been approved by the school’s administration, and if there is any faith advisor who does not agree with the mission statement and the code of ethics, they cannot work with the Interfaith Council. "We have reached out to some of the faith advisors, but there are those who don’t wish to participate. Now, there are 10 groups represented, and five of them are in our core group."

The reason spiritual advisors can exist on campus is their official standing with their faith groups and the cooperation of the administration and the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU). Their office is sponsored by Jerry Basford, associate vice president for student affairs. "He is aware of us and works with students and the Interfaith Council to advise and assist us in promoting understanding and respecting all faith groups on campus."

Assigned to the Newman Center in 2005, Fr. Peter said he had no idea he would become so involved in interfaith ministry. "Now, it’s one of the most exciting aspects of my ministry. It’s just amazing. We on the crisis management team may not be ready for everything, but we’re getting there. The Newman Center is one of three emergency centers to which students can come in case of an emergency, even a national disaster. The other two locations are the LDS Institute and the Jewish Community Center.

"This keeps me busy in a good, fulfilling way," Fr. Peter said. "It’s important that the Newman Center and the Interfaith Council are here, not waiting for the university to come to us. We’re here to give, not just take. Our mission and our code of ethics assures the respect and dignity of each person."