Doctor Frank Pisciotta, GMU board member and graduate of the GMU Doctor of Theology degree program, passed from this earth on February 6, 2024, in Crystal Springs, Florida. 

Frank was a core team member of GMU's interfaith training team in Kenya over the past decade. Frank was a graduate of the Maryknoll School of Theology in Ossining, New York, and a founding member of the first Maryknoll Affiliates interfaith chapter in Kenya.

He participated in the development of the GMU strategic plan in 2022-23 and contributed to the development of GMU's engagement with FCM over several years.

Frank also helped prepare for the 2023 Parliament of Religions meeting by sponsoring a communal meal for the GMU team attending the Parliament, which included our interfaith guests.

Frank supported Esther Nditi's ministry in Kenya and the US as the first GMU candidate for the Doctor of Ministry in Prison Chaplaincy.

A celebration of Frank's life will take place on:

Monday, April 1, 2024

9 AM PDST, 12 noon EDST, and 8 PM in Kenya

On Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82551632202

Meeting ID: 825 5163 2202

Please email if you need more information on local dial-up numbers.

To honor the memory of Dr. Pisciotta, President Gerald Grudzen and Marita Grudzen donated $500 to the Harmony Institute in Kenya for an organic farming project cosponsored by GMU and Harmony Institute. Esther Nditi is an advisor for this project, which will involve graduates of the GMU interfaith training education program in the Mombasa region of Kenya, of which Frank was a core member.

Donations can be made to GMU to honor Frank's legacy. The "Dr. Frank Pisciotta Endowment" provides scholarships for African students.

President Grudzen will speak at two venues on April 3, 2024. At Niagara University, he will focus on the history of interfaith relations among the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from the period of the Abbasid caliphate beginning around 800 CE and the cooperation of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars in developing the scientific, philosophical, and theological curriculum of medical universities. This period of cooperation helped to create the intellectual foundation of European culture. Unfortunately, it was followed by political conflicts leading to the Crusades and the eventual collapse of the center of Eastern Christianity in Constantinople in the 15th century. 

President Grudzen's talk at Buffalo United for Peace will focus on contemporary conflicts in the Middle East and efforts to create a new paradigm of interfaith cooperation and peace-building led by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar University in Cairo, who collaborated in the publication of the Fratelli Tutti encyclical. 

Niagara University is a major academic center for Middle Eastern studies. Professor Mustafa Gokcek, chair of the History Department, will be President Grudzen's host both at Niagara University and Buffalo United for Peace.

Munira Faraj, a graduate of GMU's interfaith training program and a Kenyan representative at a US State Department educational program, participated in a special interfaith event held in Kenya on March 8, 2024, International Women's Day. The Coastal Interfaith Clerics Council (CICC) hosted "Include and Invest" in Mvita Sub County, Mombasa, Kenya. The day was filled with engaging discussions, a lively peace procession, interfaith prayer, and inspiring speeches honoring the achievements of the Women's Desk at CICC. One of the other highlights was a dynamic plenary discussion focusing on the pivotal role of women in the community, with a spotlight on women in religion. This interactive dialogue brought together diverse perspectives, enriching our collective understanding. There were 50 participants drawn from the diverse Mombasa religious community. 

Munira states, "Let us embrace our diversity and seek knowledge."

The CICC is an interfaith organization that brings together Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and African Traditional Religions. Agiamondo, a German Catholic Development Organization, assisted in this event through its Civil Peace Service.

Using Websites for Academic Research

Anyone can create a website about anything, no matter how crazy, and it might very well stay on the Web forever. There are no editors, reviewers, or investigators to ensure that information on the World Wide Web is accurate. For these reasons, you may have been told not to use websites as resources when writing a scholarly, academic research paper. Using websites exclusively or primarily is never a good idea, but judicious inclusion of a few is often helpful. You must be very careful, though, to critically evaluate the credibility, reliability, and relevance of the site before you consider it. 

Here are a few questions to consider: 

1. How credible is the site? Who are the authors? What organization has created it? Is it an educational institution, government agency, or an established expert in the field? If so, it’s probably OK. 

2. How accurate is the information? Be sure the information is supported by evidence, references, or citations from credible sources. Try checking the information you see on a website with other, more consistently reliable sources such as scholarly books and journal articles found in databases.  

3. How up-to-date is the website? Be wary of outdated sites whose information may no longer be accurate or timely. Look for publication dates or last updated timestamps to determine the currency of the content. 

4. What’s the purpose of the website? Was it created to provide objective, well-researched information? Hopefully, the answer is yes. Be wary of websites with commercial or ideological agendas that may present biased or misleading information. Ask yourself: are they trying to sell me something, or convince me of their point of view? 

Sometimes, though, you may want to use a quotation from a website to provide an example of erroneous information on a topic, a point of view that differs from established scholarly research, or to elucidate the belief system of a marginal group or sect. Of course, these uses are perfectly OK. Just be sure to make the reader aware of your purpose. 

And always remember to “cite the site” correctly in your bibliography and footnotes according to the style manual you’re using. Check the APA, MLA, CMS websites for the correct format, or use Zotero (see last month’s Librarian’s Corner.) Send me an email or consult your faculty member for further assistance.

~Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian

Creation Spirituality

Spring into Spirituality! To help everyone afford this unique experience, Dr. Margie Schneider is offering her two 8-week courses, Creation Spirituality TH580 and Eco-Art & Creation Spirituality TH581, to be taken in succession at the substantially reduced price of $150 each. That's less than $20 per session! Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to "Embrace Creation!"

The two successive courses can now be taken at any time of the year and do not require joining a cohort. Study at your own pace!

Seminar on Psychosynthesis

Deacon Ricard Weinhagen will give a free presentation on the writing of Roberto Assagioli on the psychology of Psychosynthesis as an introduction to a four-week "voyage" into this method of self-discovery. The presentation on April 15 is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom instructions.

The first presentation is free. Sign up for the remaining three for $75 (plus the $25 application fee). That’s only $25 per session.

Richard Weinhagen

Deacon, Reformed Church

Minister, Federation of Christian Ministries

Chaplain, Vermont State Guard

Education:

BS Human Behavior and Learning

incorporating one year of study and training in Psychosynthesis with Jean Guenther at the Vermont Center for Psychosynthesis.

Psychosynthesis Books by founder, Roberto Assagioli

Psychosynthesis: A Collection of Basic Writings

(also available as Psychosynthesis A Manual of Principles and Techniques)

The Act of Will

Transpersonal Development: The Dimension Beyond Psychosynthesis

Doctorate in Senior Care and Hospice Chaplaincy in Collaboration with Pacific Institute

GMU will oversee a Doctor of Ministry in Senior Care and Hospice Chaplaincy. Prospective students should have the interest and background necessary to work with senior populations. Students will take one unit of clinical pastoral education (CPE) with the Pacific Institute for Essential Conversations led by John Jeffrey.  The Doctorate has two possible tracks. One track is geared toward those working with seniors in some form of senior programs such as housing, community centers, or senior health advocacy programs. The other track is for those in end-of-life care, such as hospice or medical professionals in geriatric care.

Students would take four GMU courses, including "Integrated Chaplaincy," "Spirituality and Aging," and "Ethics and Pastoral Ministry." For the final course, students can choose from a mentored research project or a supervised internship.

Community Chaplaincy

The collaboration with All Faiths Seminary on a Community Chaplaincy Program is progressing. The curriculum and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) structure are being developed, and funding is being sourced. The program is scheduled to be launched in January 2025.

Religion and Science

A new cohort in the GMU's Religion and Science Program will begin in the spring of 2024. Discover the compatibility of scholarship and faith. The Alliance for Shared Values in New Jersey (a Hizmet affiliate) has agreed to fund three scholarships for students in developing countries in the next Science and Religion cohort.

New Collaboration with People's Catholic Seminary

GMU seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of those who wish to start Intentional Eucharistic Communities. Together with PCS, GMU is now offering:

Creating Inclusive Eucharistic Communities in an Emerging Synodal Church 5 sessions  $475 + 25 App Fee

Women in the Bible and Christian Tradition 5 sessions  $475 + 25 App Fee

Credit for these courses can be applied towards a GMU graduate degree or certificate.

WHY TRAIN TO BE A CELEBRANT?

You can conduct weddings and funerals and ‘wing it’ when you are confronted with an unforeseen dilemma, but don’t your clients deserve more than that? 

Furthermore, the celebrant has much more confidence knowing the appropriate way to handle these awkward situations. No more guessing!

FREE PCS Forum - Women Called to Catholic Priesthood: Sharing Our Stories of Call, Ministry and Leadership

Inspired by the recently published book: Women Called to Catholic Priesthood- From Ecclesial Challenge to Spiritual Renewal by Sharon Henderson Callahan and Jeanette Rodriguez, this PCS Forum features Roman Catholic Women Priests sharing their call and lived experiences of embodying a new form of priestly ministry in inclusive ecclesial communities of equals that are widening the church’s tents. These sessions will be recorded and available on YouTube for the public.

April 9 - Session 1: Stories of Call

April 16 - Session 2: Sharing Ministries

April 23 - Session 3: Spiritual Practices to Nurture the Journey

April 30 -Session 4: Priestly Leadership

Time for all sessions: 1:00 PM EDST

New PCS Retreat/Independent Course: Celebrating the Sacred Feminine in Your Life with Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan

"Celebrating the Sacred Feminine in Your Life" invites you to explore the beautiful mosaic of names and images that depict God's all-embracing, inclusive love for us. Each section provides imagery of the sacred feminine in Scripture, in Christian mystics, and in contemporary life. Open yourself to your belovedness as an image of the Divine Feminine in prayer and action, and explore new paths to spiritual healing, nourishment, and transformation in our world.

Celebrating the Sacred Feminine in Your Life is available as a private retreat, an independent study, or as a course for sharing in a cohort model.

Cohorts meet in a Zoom video conference to share insights on their meditations.

For those taking this course as an independent study or retreat, Bridget Mary will be available upon request to share with you in phone or Zoom conversations. 

GMU faculty member Dr. Nihal Sahan is developing a mobile APP for for the convenience and enhancement of GMU students' online experience. We are grateful for Dr. Sahan's dedication, expertise, and generosity.

Thanks to the outstanding generosity of GMU's alumni and benefactors, partial scholarships are now available in all areas of study for all GMU students.

The Women's Ordination Conference is in its seventh year of offering the Lucile Murray Durkin Scholarship, a $2,200 scholarship for women and non-binary people discerning priestly ordination—primarily in the Catholic tradition and secondarily in other denominations—and pursuing theology studies. The application process is open, and applications are due by April 29, 2024.

O God, you are the source of life and peace.

Praised be your name forever.

We know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.

Hear our prayer in this time of war.

Your power changes hearts.

Muslims, Christians, and Jews remember, and profoundly affirm,

that they are followers of the one God,

children of Abraham, brothers and sisters;

enemies begin to speak to one another;

those who were estranged join hands in friendship;

nations seek the way of peace together.

Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these truths by the way we live.

Give to us:

Understanding that puts an end to strife;

Mercy that quenches hatred, and

Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.

Empower all people to live in your law of love.

Amen.

Pax Christi USA/Fellowship of Reconciliation

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