Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
Grounded in our Catholic, Vincentian heritage, DePaul is an institution that openly welcomes people of every faith. We encourage our students, faculty, and staff to celebrate within their own traditions, while honoring traditions other than their own. We believe that recognizing and honoring diverse religious celebrations is part of our Vincentian mission and the story we continue to write together as an inclusive community and for our world.
This spring, many religious communities will gather, as Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Jewish faiths all observe major holy days:
- This past Sunday evening, the Muslim community began the holy month of Ramadan, a time of prayer, charitable giving, and communal fasting from sunrise to sunset each day. Ramadan continues until the sighting of the moon and the holiday of Eid al-Fitr which is expected to be April 9 or 10.
- Catholic and Protestant Christians, currently walking through the season of Lent, observe Holy Week and Easter during the week of March 24-31, while Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on May 5.
- The Hindu community will celebrate the festival of Holi on March 25.
- The Jewish community will celebrate Passover beginning at sundown on April 22 through nightfall on April 30.
We ask that all members of our DePaul family help to create space for these religious traditions to be practiced and recognized.
In some cases, religious accommodations may be requested, as some students, staff, and faculty may choose to participate actively in the holidays. If you would like more information, please contact
Rachelle Kramer (Catholic Campus Ministry Director),
Imam Abdul-Malik Ryan (Muslim Chaplain), or
Rev. Diane Dardón (Religious Diversity Dir
ector).
Thank you for your respect as our diverse religious communities celebrate upcoming holidays and others throughout the year. Our hope is that this spring season of holy celebrations will bring warmth and joy to the entire DePaul community.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President
Salma Ghanem
Provost
Mark Laboe
Interim Vice President, Mission and Ministry