The Interfaith Prayer Service at St. John’s Church on Nov. 16 gave students the opportunity to immerse themselves in various religious traditions.

     The ceremony, which usually occurs in the spring, was held during the Opus Prize week to celebrate the finalists and promote cultural awareness on campus.

     “Creighton is home to people of many different faith traditions, and that’s why the interfaith prayer service is so important,” said Hank Elbert, a senior in the Heider College of Business and the service’s student representative for. “It’s a celebration of the beauty and truth within every faith, and it gives an opportunity for all of us to experience prayer in traditions beyond our own.”

    The religious traditions that were represented in the service included Judaism, Protestant Christian, Greek Orthodox, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism and Catholicism. Students from each tradition gave traditional calls to worship, read scripture and some wore traditional dress.

     At the front of the beginning procession were the three Opus Prize finalists: Sr. Anne Jordan, PBVM, Sarah Lance and the Rev. Peter Balleis, S.J. They were followed by student representatives from each faith.

     One of the parts of the service consisted of the Native American prayer of Four Directions, which involved the blowing of a whistle made from the talon of an eagle and the attendees to turn to the North, South, East and West.

     The service concluded with a candlelight circle where each attendee faced toward the center of the church with a lit candle. The representatives as well as the audience then processed out of the church, extinguishing the candle as they stepped outside.

     “I think that the Interfaith prayer service was especially meaningful and timely this year,” said Sam Stoupa, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “There is so much in our country and in the news that seems to be pushing people more and more toward division, and I think that a service like this shows Creighton’s willingness to embrace unity and acceptance in the face of all that negativity.”

     “I think it was an incredible experience to feel connected to and solidarity with people who may have a different beliefs than myself,” said Brian Boerner, a junior in the Heider College of Business. “We all have a common interest in making the world a better place.”