Interfaith Panel Discussion at Elms College to Focus on Mercy

CHICOPEE — The Elms College Religious Studies Department, the Diocese of Springfield Office of Faith Formation, and the Interfaith Council of Western Massachusetts will host a panel discussion, “Looking at the Face of Mercy Through the Eyes of God: An Interfaith Dialogue,” on Sunday, April 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Alumnae Library Theater at Elms College.

The presenters at this event will offer Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim perspectives. They include:

• Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, director of spiritual life at Jewish Geriatric Services Lifecare in Longmeadow, a board-certified chaplain in the National Assoc. of Jewish Chaplains, and a faculty member at Florence Melton Schools in Springfield and Northampton.

• Father Warren Savage, a lecturer in the Religious Studies department at Elms College. He also is the Catholic chaplain at the Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center at Westfield State University, an instructor in the Diocesan Permanent Diaconate Formation Program, and a member of Spiritual Directors International, the Academy of Homiletics, and the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality.

• Imam Rasul Seifullah, the resident imam at Al-Baqi Islamic Center for Human Excellence in Westfield, instructor/counselor at Hampshire County House of Correction, and chaplain at the Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center at Westfield State University. He is also a member of the New England Council of Masajid and a U.S. army veteran.

Each presenter will give a lecture. A discussion and question-and-answer session will follow the three presentations.

“Mercy is a universal principle that is embraced by the three major religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,” Savage said. “In these religious traditions, mercy is considered an attribute of God, and, because all people are created in the image and likeness of God, the human person is called to be a sign of God’s mercy and be merciful towards one’s neighbor.”

This free event is open to the public. To register, call (413) 265-2575 or e-mail [email protected].