Spiritual Life News

Spiritual Autobiography Series: The Life Sojourn of Professor Steven Sacks

March 18, 2012

This semi-seasonal series explores our lives as sacred texts. Religion Professor Steven Sacks will share the life experiences, people, places, ideas, and traditions that shaped him spiritually, including his sense of meaning and purpose found in his academic field. Join us on March 21st. Read More

Progress on Afghan Women’s Rights

January 18, 2012

Esther Hyneman of Women for Afghan Women, a grassroots women’s human rights program in Afghanistan, will speak this Jan 25th about problems, obstacles, and victories of the women they work with. She will discuss progress made on women’s rights, what this organization sees as the future of this country, and the real story on not [...] Read More

Alternative Gift Market: Third World Crafts, Turkish Coffee, & Cards with a Cause

December 7, 2011

Give a gift that makes a difference. 100 percent of sales of SERRV artisan items goes back to the communities which made them. Or, consider making a gift in the name of a beloved professor or family member that will enrich the lives and education of Native American middle school students in Laguna, New Mexico, [...] Read More

Silent Night….A Candlelight Advent & Christmas Service

December 1, 2011

An hour of gentleness, love, hope, and healing peace. Experience the meaning of lessons and carols, Chamber singers, Octave, prayers of peace, and a hope-filled holiday homily by Cornell’s chaplain. Come Dec. 8th. Everyone welcome. Sponsored by the chaplain and Spiritual Life Office and its SoulFriend leadership team. Read More

Interfaith Alliance National President Speaks on Keeping U.S. Politics & Religion Separate

November 23, 2011

The Chaplain and Spiritual Life Office is co-hosting a non-partisan evening event at Coe College addressing the dangers our country faces as politics and religion become increasingly intertwined on Nov 30th. The chaplain is seeking a delegation of Cornell students, faculty, staff and friends to attend this Coe-Cornell-Interreligious Council of Linn County public lecture featuring [...] Read More

Gratitude as Spiritual Practice at Inter-Spiritual Healing Wisdom Wednesday

November 9, 2011

Speaking out of Christian, Native American, and 12-Step spiritual traditions, The Rev. Dr. Bill Daylong of Mount Vernon’s United Methodist Church will offer a celebrative spiritual tribute to the gift of gratitude on Nov 16th. An inter-faith Thanksgiving service follows on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 4:30 p.m. featuring Imam Taha Tawil of the Mother Mosque [...] Read More

Hunger Banquet

November 4, 2011

Find out your fate as you acquire an identity at the door on Nov 16th. A meaningful, interactive, educational eating experience that enfolds learning about the distribution of wealth, access to food, and local and global hunger. Consider bringing a free-will offering of a canned good, ramen noodles, etc. for an area food pantry. Guest [...] Read More

Prayer & Science

October 12, 2011

Do prayer and distant healing work in terms of cure or other means of healing/wholeness? Does prayer physiologically impact the person who engages in this and related spiritual practices? Lori Erickson will share the results of her journalism interviews with various scientific researchers on the psychological effects of those who pray this Oct 19th. Numerous [...] Read More

St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day with Blessing of the Animals

September 29, 2011

The Soulfeast Chapel on Oct 5th will feature St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, lover of creation’s beauty, kisser of lepers, and one who lived in solidarity with the poor and oppressed. The service will include a Blessing of the Animals ceremony which is welcoming of all friendly faculty and staff pets, [...] Read More

Inter-Spirituality Retreat with Canoeing at Pictured Rocks Camp

September 19, 2011

Relax. Re-center. Reconnect with nature and the Sacred on Sep 30th. This overnight retreat includes gentle hiking, meditation, praying with the senses, friendship, and canoeing. We will hold an inter-faith dialogue circle; tell stories by the fire; honor the Jewish New Year with honey & apples and Tashlikh; perform Night Prayer from New Zealand prayer [...] Read More

10th Anniversary of Sept. 11: An Inter-Spiritual Observance for National & Global Healing

September 4, 2011

Remember. Reflect. Respect. Renew commitment to defiant love, humanity, hope, peacemaking, and inter-religious understanding and graciousness in the face of fear, ignorance, and hate. This event enfolds inter-spiritual prayers of healing peace for those who died on 9/11, and amid the bombings and warring since. Participants include President Brand, Rabbi Todd Thalblum and Cantor Kathy [...] Read More

Healing vigil on 10th anniversary of 9/11

September 2, 2011

Cornell College will host a vigil for national and global healing on campus at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The vigil will be held at the Peace Pole, just outside Allee Chapel, on Cornell’s campus. The event will challenge participants to renew their commitment to [...] Read More

Heroes, Chutzpah and Hope in the class of 2011

June 8, 2011

College Chaplain Catherine Quehl-Engel '89 spoke to the class of 2011 at the Baccalaureate service on May 28 about the way they can move forward, make a difference and realize their purposes in life. The full story contains video excerpts and a complete transcript of Quehl-Engels words. Read More

Healing vigil for Japan

April 13, 2011

The Cornell College Chaplain and Spiritual Life Office, it’s Soul Friends and Interfaith Understanding/Exploration team, Civic Engagement Office, and Eyes of the World held a candlelight healing vigil for Japan disaster relief on Tuesday, April 12. The event raised money for Red Cross Japan. View a photo gallery in the full story. Read More

Candlelight vigil for Japan

April 4, 2011

The Cornell College Chaplain and Spiritual Life Office, its Soul Friends and Interfaith Understanding/Exploration team, Civic Engagement Office, and Eyes of the World are holding a candlelight healing vigil for Japan disaster relief on Tuesday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Ink Pond on Cornell’s campus. Rain location is Allee Chapel. The vigil will feature reflections by Japanese [...] Read More

Holocaust survivor speaking

March 17, 2011

Elane Geller will share her experiences and reflections on her time in concentration camps as a child in a lecture Thursday, April 7 from 11:10 a.m.-noon in King Chapel on Cornell’s campus. The event is free and open to the public. Area high schools and middle schools are welcome to attend. Geller and her family were [...] Read More

AbUSed: The Postville Raid

February 2, 2011

On Feb 9th, director of “The Silence of Neto,” Luis Argueta, will show and discuss his documentary film “abUSed – The Postville Raid” which tells the story of the most aggressive and largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the history of the United States. By weaving together the personal stories of the individuals, [...] Read More

Documentary on the Postville raid

February 1, 2011

Cornell College will host a screening of the documentary film “abUsed: The Postville Raid” by director Luis Argueta on Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The screening will take place in the Hedges Conference room in The Commons on Cornell’s campus. Argueta, award winning director of The Silence of Neto, is visiting colleges, [...] Read More

Events to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

January 11, 2011

Cornell College has a week of events to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. scheduled for Jan. 17 through 21, starting with an event on the Orange Carpet and a candlelight vigil on Monday. Monday, Jan. 17 Cornell College celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Orange Carpet, [...] Read More

Inter-Spirituality Healing Wisdom Series – Muslim Perspective on Forgiveness & Reconciliation

October 7, 2010

Joe Aossey of Cedar Rapids will share Islamic understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation as we continue this year-long series exploring universal life wisdom offered by the gift of our differing traditions. There will be a brief talk followed by a question and answer session on Oct 13th. Everyone is welcome. Sponsored by the chaplain and [...] Read More

Mount Vernon-Lisbon CROP WALK for Hunger Relief

October 1, 2010

All students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the CROP Hunger Walk Oct 10th. Twenty percent of funds raised are used to feed hot meals to low income people at Southeast Linn, which serves as the local food pantry. The remainder is used for global hunger relief through Church World Service. Registration begins [...] Read More

College chaplain and students at 9/11 service

September 14, 2010

Cornell College Chaplain Catherine Quehl-Engel was featured in an article in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette about her attendance at an interfaith 9/11 service at the Cedar Rapids Islamic Center. From the article: Cornell College chaplain Catherine Quehl-Engel , said her Cornell students – a number of whom were at the Saturday gathering – had a [...] Read More

Inter-Spirituality Healing Wisdom Series – Rabbi Todd Thalblum

September 6, 2010

Rabbi Todd Thalblum of Temple Judah will speak about forgiveness and reconciliation. This regular lecture series will occur on the third Wednesday noon chapel of the term. Zen Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, International Politics, Victim-Offender Mediation stories, and other perspectives will be shared throughout the year. Everyone welcome. Sponsored by the chaplain and the Spiritual Life [...] Read More

Talk March 9 about psychological and spiritual care of veterans

March 5, 2010

Cornell College’s Chaplain and The Mt. Vernon-Lisbon American Legion and local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter are co-sponsoring a talk March 9 about the ways to care for the psychological and spiritual needs of veterans and soldiers. The talk, “Understanding the Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Care Issues of Our Soldiers, Vets, & Their Families,” will [...] Read More

Book highlights Cornell as church-related college

January 21, 2010

MOUNT VERNON – A new book examining the place of religious colleges and universities in contemporary American higher education highlights Cornell College as a church-related institution that is distinct from both religious and secular colleges. “Seeing the Light:  Religious Colleges in Twenty-First Century America,” by Samuel Schuman, was published this month by The Johns Hopkins [...] Read More

Peace activist Joe Volk to lecture Nov. 18

November 9, 2009

MOUNT VERNON – Peace activist and lecturer Joe Volk will speak on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and removing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan at Cornell College on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 2:45 p.m. in Hedges Conference Room. His lecture, “Why War Will Fail in Afghanistan and Why We Need a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,” [...] Read More

Holocaust survivor to speak April 22

April 15, 2009

MOUNT VERNON – Holocaust survivor Irene Furst, along with her daughter Linda Hurwitz, will speak at Cornell College on Wednesday, April 22, at 11:10 a.m. in King Chapel. Admission is free and open to the public. Furst will recount her story about growing up Lodz, Poland. She will share the sequence of events of Nazi [...] Read More

Speaker will explore role of black church

March 13, 2008

MOUNT VERNON — The Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will discuss the intersection of faith and social justice on Thursday, April 10, at Cornell College. Warnock will give Cornell’s Small-Thomas Lecture on the legacies of King Jr. and [...] Read More

Quehl-Engel featured in Gazette

February 25, 2008

MOUNT VERNON — The Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel was featured in a profile in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The article dealt with the challenges of a chaplain on a multi-faith campus. “For some people, organized religion just doesn’t speak to them or work for them. They’d rather create their own thing,” she said in the article. [...] Read More

Cornell hosts talk by community development expert Luther Snow

April 6, 2007

MOUNT VERNON — Luther Snow, a nationally known community and faith-based organizer, will speak Wednesday, April 18, at Cornell College on “The Larger Whole: What We Learn About Justice From Networks.” His talk is at 3:30 p.m. in Hedges Conference Room of The Commons. Admission is free. Snow is a member of the teaching faculty [...] Read More