Staying Safe During Our Sacred Times

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

We are writing on behalf of the Council for Faith and Spirituality with a message for all members of our campus community.

The next few weeks are especially sacred times for people of Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith traditions. The month-long observance of Ramadan; the Hindu festival of Holi; the celebration of Passover; and the solemnities of Holy Week and Easter are essential to members of these communities. We understand the importance of celebrating these holidays with our friends, families and congregations, but we want to remind everyone that the pandemic is not over and we must all continue to be vigilant.

Our religious teachings place the highest value on protecting health and preserving life, so it is incumbent upon us to only celebrate together if we can do so safely. Remember that we all have a responsibility to the communities we belong to, including Montclair State University and the world beyond.

Most mosques, temples and churches offer live-streams of their services and that would be your safest option (religious law permitting). If you do choose to worship in person, please observe the rules about social distancing, masking and avoiding large crowds. And especially be careful about planning family celebrations so that all members can be safe.

With the end of the semester in sight – and, as we hope and pray, the pandemic as well – all of our faith traditions call us to be mindful and caring of our neighbors. One essential way to do this is to fulfill our responsibility to protect one another’s health.

Wishing you all the best,

Father Jim Chern,
Catholic Chaplain / Co-chair of the Council for Faith and Spirituality, Montclair State University

Rabbi C. Rosenblum,
Jewish Chaplain / Member of the Council for Faith and Spirituality, Montclair State University