Interfaith center marking 10 years

In the decade since its creation, the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary at The College of Saint Rose in Albany has hosted events and worship by Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others.

To mark its tenth anniversary, that tradition will continue: Starting March 26, a Buddhist monk will spend a week creating an intricate sand mandala in the sanctuary, while a series of speakers of different faiths will address a host of aspects of art and religion each day.

The Evangelist spoke with two participants in the lecture series: Chana Cotter, an Albany artist who focuses solely on Judaic artwork, and Dr. Fred Boehrer of Emmaus House, Albany's Catholic Worker House.

Cutting-edge art

Ms. Cotter's talk is titled, "On the Cutting Edge of Jewish Spirituality: Finding a Path through the Visual Arts." Her work ranges from oil paintings highlighting moments in Jewish life to "Ketubahs," or Jewish marriage contracts that are pieces of art in themselves, with calligraphy and watercolor illustrations.

She also does papercuts, a form of Judaic folk art in which she captures biblical themes.

Although she had a background in art, Ms. Cotter had gotten her master's degree in English from CSR and begun teaching when she discovered the technique of papercutting.

"I was inspired by some of the 17th- and 18th-century papercuts made by Jewish people in settlements in Eastern Europe," she explained. "I couldn't help myself; I had to see if I could do it. People liked them, [so] I kept making them."

Faith and art

She was particularly drawn to "mizrahs," or illustrations that Jewish people hang on an eastern wall of their homes to remind them of the direction to face when praying.

These and other pieces of her artwork will be included in Ms. Cotter's discussion of the connection between Jewish spirituality and art.

Jewish tradition often mentions the concept of "the work of your hands," said the artist, and "by doing this, I've found an increase in my own spirituality. I'm able to connect with God closer through art."

She plans to ask attendees to try the art of papercutting themselves "if they're willing. I feel I've been given a gift by God, and I need to use it to further the idea there is a God in this world. We need to watch our behavior and listen to the stories" in the Bible.

Living faith

Dr. Boehrer will address an entirely different aspect of spirituality in a talk titled "Arrested Development: Christians Who Work for Peace and Risk Arrest."

"I'm going to talk about different Christians who were committed to trying to live out the Gospel by standing in solidarity with the poor or oppressed," he said, listing well-known activists like Dorothy Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez and Rev. Daniel Berrigan, SJ.

Dr. Boehrer will also highlight lesser-known peace activists, like Rev. Roy Bourgeois, a Catholic priest who has worked for many years to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly known as the School of the Americas), a combat training school for Latin American soldiers located in Fort Benning, Georgia.

Among the school's graduates are many accused of torture of their own people, terrorist acts and genocide.

Objections

Sgt. Camilo Mejia, a Catholic who served in the U.S. Army in Iraq, will also be on Dr. Boehrer's list of modern-day activists. When called back for a second tour, Sgt. Mejia refused to return. He was denied conscientious objector status and served a term in a military prison as a result.

"All Roman Catholics have the right to conscientiously object to participating in war," Dr. Boehrer stated, but he believes the Church is not doing enough to support such activists, and pointed out that media focus tends to be on soldiers being wounded or returning home, but not those who refuse to go to war.

Time to change

Dr. Boehrer will encourage those who attend his lecture to change.

"During this time of Lent, we're called to turn away from injustice and violence -- to be a people of hope, a 'resurrection people,'" he pointed out.

Taking steps toward that resurrection, he said, could mean writing to elected officials to voice an opinion on public policy, listening to music about peace, attending a peace vigil at a church or a demonstration for peace, or even refusing to buy from companies that support the war in Iraq or to pay federal taxes that fund it.

Dialogue

Being part of the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary's anniversary, he added, is itself a move toward peace.

"All the major faith traditions are paths to love and peace," he said. "As Roman Catholics, we are taught to respect the truths found in the major religions of the world.

"The sanctuary is a great space for people to gather to reflect about the sacred and the divine, and a great opportunity to encounter people with the same inclinations and also people who come from different perspectives."

(The Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary was dedicated in February 1997 to honor Bishop Howard J. Hubbard's commitment to promoting ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in the Albany Diocese. On that occasion, he said: "Today marks a significant step in the process of fostering understanding and tolerance between religions, a process that will involve more members of the community now that there is a permanent place where we may continue this important mission.")

The sand mandala will be started by Lama Karma Chopal in the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary on March 26 at 10 a.m. and be finished March 30 at 3 p.m.

The lecture series includes:

* March 26, 7 p.m.: "Art and the Catholic Church: An Uneasy Relationship?" by Rev. David Mickiewicz;

* March 27, 5:30 p.m.: "Buddhism and Impermanence" by Dr. Laura Weed;

* March 28, noon: "Buddhism and Tibetan History," by Dr. Tong Xu;

* March 28, 3 p.m.: "Arrested Development: Christians Who Work for Peace and Risk Arrest," by Dr. Fred Boehrer;

* March 28, 7 p.m.: "The Beauty and Meaning of Islamic Calligraphy," by Talib Talib; and

* March 29, 7 p.m.: "On the Cutting Edge of Jewish Spirituality: Finding a Path through the Visual Arts," by Chana Cotter.

For more information, go to www.strose.edu/news or call 454-5250.

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