Benedictine University, with campuses in the Chicago western suburbs and Mesa, Arizona, celebrates our Catholic Benedictine identity and the identity of all our community members.  

We are proudly the most religiously diverse Catholic Benedictine institution in the nation. It is because of our Catholic Benedictine identity and the radical call to welcome the other as Christ, found in The Rule of St. Benedict. Chapter 53, “The Reception of Guests,” shaped the Benedictine wisdom tradition for 1500 years, reminding us that “all guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.” This command stems from the Gospel of Matthew 25:35, where Jesus says, “For I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”    

In the spring of 2016, BenU’s Interfaith Cooperation Committee, Campus Ministry, and Provost’s Office created the Interfaith Baccalaureate Convocation.  

This established three essential pieces to the University’s Commencement activities: Baccalaureate Mass, Interfaith Baccalaureate Convocation, and Commencement. We are Catholic and interfaith.   

We are quickly approaching the 10th anniversary of this unique interfaith gathering. It has been a gift to countless. The program begins and ends with prayer and reflection. We then recite our Benedictine Hallmark Litany. This is when we reflectively name each of the ten hallmarks or core values our institution espouses and how we live it daily as a community.   

The crux of the program leads to Faith Readings in multiple languages and traditions. A graduating student or community member recites a sacred text from their faith tradition. For most attendees, whether family members, friends, fellow graduates, or guests, we have found this to be one of the first times they are exposed to sacred readings from other traditions outside of their own.   

Over the years, readings have been shared from the Christian Bible, the Hebrew Bible, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and many other scriptures, including Humanist classics. I have been humbled by each reader’s love and care for their recitation. It is a moment they cherish — a moment when they are invited to share one of the most exceptional pieces of their identity with their Alma Mater.   

It is a moment they cherish — a moment when they are invited to share one of the most exceptional pieces of their identity.

Lastly, each year, a student who has contributed significantly to BenU’s interfaith work is selected to deliver an interfaith reflection. They speak on the transformation their Benedictine interfaith experience has provided them. This is when I see one of the many gifts of our ministerial work come alive. I reflect often on the truth that we all plant seeds that one day will grow. The greatest gift of this gathering is to hear about these experiences from our student leaders.   

Benedictine University alum of 2022, Anjali Maliekkal, shared in her reflection, “Hospitality, in particular, is important in our pursuit of interfaith relationships amongst our peers and faculty. As an Indian Catholic student, I had the opportunity to be part of a diverse student body who invites all to experience and learn from each other. It is through my student experience that I have learned that showing hospitality by giving space for students to share their cultural and religious backgrounds not only increases our knowledge but allows us to create a sense of belonging wherever we go in life.”  

Her peer from the same graduating class, Fatima Hussein, provided a moving story of the impact of friendship: “For me, being a part of the Benedictine community and the Campus Ministry truly showed me the meaning of interfaith dialogue. To many of us, the word ‘interfaith’ describes an interaction between people of different religions or faith traditions, but it is actually more than that.”  

She then went on to share how, during her time at BenU, she became good friends with a vowed religious sister. They would often have tea together and discuss their similarities with joy and curiosity. She concluded her story by sharing how they journey together in prayer: “Now, every now and then, we meet at the Interfaith prayer room, where she prays, and I pray.”  

In the spring of 2024, graduate Samiha Syed shared at the Interfaith Baccalaureate, “It is the Benedictine tradition that taught me embracing our differences not only enriches our collective experience but also holds the key to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.” She shared how the Benedictine tradition, particularly the call to dialogue, has shaped her future. “Embracing interfaith dialogue has become a guiding principle of my life’s mission, molding me in my journey of striving to be a peacemaker in this world.”   

For the past three years, we have added the Interfaith Baccalaureate to the Commencement events on our Mesa campus. This past spring, it featured sacred readings from African, Native American, Catholic, Humanist, and Latter-day Saint traditions. 

Each year, I humbly listen to these stories. I can’t help but think this is how peace is made and how we flourish! The Interfaith Baccalaureate Celebration has profoundly impacted our community and remains within the hearts of all those who have experienced its welcoming spirit.  

This is what it means to be Benedictine: Catholic, Benedictine, and interfaith.

Carrie Ankeny, M.A., is the Director of Campus Ministry at Benedictine University.