Mercy College Newspapers
Fifty years ago, on March 4, 1964, Mercy College was host to Michigan’s first ever Catholic Jewish Dialogue conference. This was not only an important event for church leaders and their respected communities, but it seemed an important way to heal wounds and open a conversation that persists today. Catholics can trace their roots back to the early Jewish Christians, yet the fissure between religions that began with the Crucifixion never seemed wider than during the second world war. The changes in Church doctrine allowed for inclusion, rather than exclusion and the Catholic Church seemed to be the perfect place to start mending the tear. First step? Open dialogue, communication, listening, teaching, accepting.
So Mercy College joined forces with the Anti-Defamation League to bring about something positive, something that had never been done before. And they began to talk, to discuss, to listen. They found common ground in the two areas where both religions shared responsibilities and goals, even if they approached these from different perspectives.
The headline on the February 27, 1964 issue of the Mercy College student newspaper, read “Mercy College Hosts Dialogue Day,” and stressed the importance of the event. Visit the Mercy College Student Newspapers collection to read about this and other news published between 1941 and 1989.
