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Caelin Niehoff is a sophomore at DePaul University pursuing a degree in American Studies. Caelin is an Interfaith Scholar and is involved with Catholic Campus Ministry at DePaul.

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I am a Christian; more specifically, I identify with and practice the Roman Catholic faith tradition. My Catholic “roots” so to speak, came from my grandmother. My grandmother’s experience of Catholicism, however, has been quite different from my own. Growing up in Limerick, Ireland, my grandmother’s encounter with Catholicism was the sight of her strong willed, younger sister receiving physical and verbal punishment from nuns in a classroom. Her experience of Catholicism was the rejection from priests in Perry Square who would not give her mother food. Juxtaposed to this, my grandmother also had positive experiences with the Irish, Catholic Community. Her fondest memories are those of Vincentian priests giving her candy; “they always remembered us children. We were poor, it was all we knew, but they knew we were children all the same”, she would say.

My grandmother’s Catholic history is uniquely different from my own, but I think the important fact is to note this difference. It is my perception and experience that Catholics experience Catholicism and interact with Catholicism in a variety of ways. I, myself, have had a dynamic faith journey as a Catholic that I strongly feel will continue to mold and change overtime.

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Dominique Johnson is a junior at DePaul University pursuing a Religious Studies major. Dominique is on the Executive Board of DePaul Interfaith.

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Truly til weeks earlier, the writer labored under misconceptions, that the system the writer studies—“Theosophy” is a progressive or evolving system of thought; and that this system claiming to be as ancient as thinking man is synthetical in its method. But it is synthesis itself, essentially a philosophy of consciousness. Theosophy is not a religion, but it is religion [not in the ordinary sense] itself. Many things may not be laid out for the eager student, but each one works to unveil gradually a grand panorama, a shoreless ocean. Together humanity can face calmly towards the boundless sea reflecting the radiant light of the Sun. Integrally there is Order when we manifest It in daily life. Humanity is collectively E pluribus unum, and that unum—Infinite Unity. One cannot help, but become optimistic towards humanity, if one perceives the very guiding Force or will-to-exist is the pure Noumenon of Thought, which is the ideal of a universal, all-pervading, immeasurable Noumenon of Spirit—Self-Existing, absolute Non-Being. Ponder upon it deeply. I hope it is very helpful to our mind. I will explain without much tedious historical analysis, what has roused me to write this blog.

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Dominique Johnson is a junior at DePaul University pursuing a Religious Studies major. Dominique is on the Executive Board of DePaul Interfaith.

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…if your discretion and silence are likely to hurt or endanger others, then I add:

Speak the truth at all costs, and say, with Annesly, “Consult duty, not events.” There are cases when one is forced to exclaim “Perish discretion, rather than allow it to interfere with duty.”—Key to Theosophy, p. 202.

I would’ve liked to talk about “What is Theosophy” & the Theosophical Society (TS), but I’d rather ponder upon certain questions in relation to theosophy, and forward them as a concern and as a student, rather than firing away all the principles of the Society I am a member of. I will write again about the necessity of the psychological understanding of the Mind§, but as one is reading, find out what is the writer implying by radical transformation, seeing each other as we truly are, and so on. So, the writer asks to keep in mind the following First Object each TS member is in sympathy with:

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This article was written by Emma CushmanWood, a junior at DePaul. Emma is a former Interfaith Scholar and the current president of DePaul Interfaith.

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The documentary The Interrupters was inspirational. It told the stories of those who call themselves the “Violence Interrupters.” The “Violence Interrupters” consist of men and women who have been involved in youth violence or gangs. These men and women then will work within their communities to combat youth violence and will “interrupt” possible fights.

After watching this film, I had mixed feelings. I felt a sense of hopelessness while at the same time I felt like there could be hope. I felt a sense of hopelessness because it is the same story over and over again—a young man or woman or child is shot and killed. It also mostly focused on the black and Hispanic community. It depicted the violence as a cycle—the father is violent and in a gang and so therefore the children grow up to be violent and join a gang. The cycle never ends. Yet at the same time, it does end.

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This article was written by Peter Dziedzic, a junior at DePaul, who is pursuing a major in Religious Studies and a triple minor. Peter is an Interfaith Scholar and a former co-president of DePaul Interfaith.

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The several-hour hike up the fertile, sloped ledges of the mountain northeast of Bogotá to reach Laguna de Guatavita bloomed into a personal pilgrimage with each step and breath. Reaching the top of the slope, looking down into the sacred lagoon of the native Muiscas, and pausing for a communal reflection in profound stillness, I felt deeply connected not only to myself and the land, to my group members and the history and pain of Colombia, but to the deep roots that bound me in that moment to all narratives of faith and struggle.

Our service immersion group from DePaul University spent days meeting with displaced communities, absorbing the realities of contrast, and engaging with organizations that work to challenge the dominant societal narratives that have fostered decades of internal strife. The images and voices of those affected by the conflict and those seeking to end it echoed not only with a deep pain and sadness, but also a resounding hope.

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Jordan Kelley is a junior at DePaul University. Jordan is an Interfaith Scholar and is a leader in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This is Jordan’s first year as an Interfaith Scholar.

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If you didn’t know it yet, the Advent season has begun. The Advent season begins the new year for the Christian calendar. Advent actually means “coming” or “arrival”. The season of Advent commemorates two main events. First, is the birth of Jesus. The next event is the second “advent” or “coming” of Jesus in his final return. The spirit of Advent is both one of celebration, and of anticipation for the final renewal of creation that is promised by Jesus in his final return. During Advent, Christians reflect both on the birth of Jesus, and what it means to wait for the final renewal of all things. This season usually lasts four weeks leading right up to Christmas, and the Bible readings in the liturgy during these weeks reflect the Advent theme. Two things I reflect on as a Christian during Advent are: what does the birth of Jesus mean for me, and what is it that I wait for?

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Caelin Niehoff is a sophomore at DePaul University pursuing a degree in American Studies. Caelin is an Interfaith Scholar and is involved with Catholic Campus Ministry at DePaul.

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Tranquility and the warmth of the sun’s reflection off the lake permeated George Williams College grounds: Lake Geneva Wisconsin.  DePaul students departed University Ministry vans and buses alike, beginning their reflective, weekend retreat. As VCSO (Vincentian Community Service Organization) leaders, students sought the self and communal reflection of the weekend’s themes: community, diversity and non-violence, while working towards peace.

As a participant at the retreat, I had several expectations for the weekend: rest and energized spirits. While an expectation of rest in the midst of a rejuvenated motivation may appear a paradox or an unrealistic expectation, it manifested itself in much of the weekend’s activities. One of my favorite aspects of the weekend was time to myself. College life can be, how should we say, life consuming, all encompassing and engulfing body, mind and soul.

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Dana Coffey is a senior at DePaul University, pursuing a double major in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies, and Theater Studies. Dana is currently spending her summer in Mombasa, Kenya.

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