During Christian Holy Week, our chaplaincies hosted many events for students, staff/faculty and the broader community. Over 1,500 community members attended Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday services at Hendricks Chapel and the SU Catholic Center. Thank you to all who attended!
Whether you are celebrating Easter, Passover, Eid, Diwali or Nirvana Day, Hendricks Chapel is the place for you! And now, everyone knows thanks to Fox Nation! Tania Joseph ’18, a producer at Fox, wrote to Hendricks Chapel last October to inquire about featuring Hendricks and Syracuse University in a new show hosted by Benjamin Hall entitled “America’s Churches.”
As a multifaith chapel that is home to 15 chaplains who cover six world religions, we feel grateful to be included in the series! The 25-minute show includes interviews, historical footage and a tour of the campus. The communications team at Hendricks Chapel would like to thank the entire crew from Fox and our central communications team for being such lovely partners.
Hall interviewed students from SU Catholic Center and Syracuse Hillel, our Sports Chaplain William Payne (Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Coach Fran Brown, Coach Felicia Legette-Jack, former dean Rev. Brian Konkol, and Chancellor Kent Syverud. An additional short video highlighting the new SU Catholic building is also offered on Fox Nation’s site!
A Malmgren Concert on March 29 will include the dedication of the newly installed organ and feature works by professors from the Setnor School of Music.
In a world increasingly shaped by both connection and division, a diverse group of students is embarking on a distinctive journey of leadership and learning. The Global Interfaith Leadership Project (GILP), housed at Hendricks Chapel, represents a pioneering approach to preparing tomorrow’s leaders by combining religious and spiritual formation with practical civic engagement.
There’s warmth emanating from the Noble Room in the lower level of Hendricks Chapel every Monday night whenever classes are in session.
Every sewing machine buzzes and hums as the members of the Hendricks Chapel Quilters make handmade quilts that will keep vulnerable Central New Yorkers warm during the winter months.
“Those are chaotic nights. Everybody is working on a project that will end up at one of our partner charities,” says quilting enthusiast Judy O’Rourke ’75, G’10. “It’s nice knowing you’re helping someone out, and it’s nice knowing that something I enjoy doing is giving somebody else comfort.”
Judy O’Rourke (center) is one of the passionate members of the Hendricks Chapel Quilters who share a love of sewing and community. (Photo by Eliza Shenk ’28)
O’Rourke is one of 10-15 active members of the Hendricks Chapel Quilters—consisting of students, staff, faculty and community members—who put their love of sewing to good use weekly to produce beautiful quilts…
The 41st Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Planning Committee has announced the 2026 Unsung Hero Award winners: Jamie Sterling ’26, Eman Tadros, Pass Da R.O.C.K and Bettie Graham.
The Unsung Hero Award is given to community members, students, faculty and staff who have made a positive impact on the lives of others but are not widely recognized for their contributions. The awards were created to honor Dr. King’s vision of creating positive change in a troubled world.
On April 26, 2025, a small group of students gathered around a table for what would become the first “Peace Feast,” an interfaith initiative designed to cultivate friendship, trust, and meaningful dialogue between Christian and Muslim students at Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF.
Peace Feast was envisioned as a sacred space — one where students could speak openly about their faith, listen deeply to one another’s stories, and build relationships grounded in mutual respect.
City of Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens ’85 will serve as the featured speaker for the 41st Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in the JMA Wireless Dome at Syracuse University. This year’s theme is “The Dream Lives Here.”
The wait is over! Tickets are now on sale for the Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration! Please read the info below, especially if you are buying a table, or two!
Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz has been officially appointed as the interim dean of Hendricks Chapel! Hendricks staff and chaplains have appreciated Rebecca’s support and gentle guidance for years and now we can officially call her Dean Kantrowitz! Please join me in congratulating Rebecca on this appointment and supporting her as she assumes these interim responsibilities. A search for a permanent Dean will begin during the spring semester.
Dean Kantrowitz with Assistant Dean for Religious & Spiritual Life Amir Durić in June 2025.
More about Dean Kantrowitz:
Kantrowitz brings four decades of student life experience and a deep commitment to Syracuse University to this role. She first joined the University in the 1980s as a residence hall director. She went on to hold positions at the University of California, Berkeley and Hamilton College before returning to Syracuse in 2002 as director of residence life.
Following 10 years in senior leadership in the Division of the Student Experience, Kantrowitz was appointed associate dean of Hendricks Chapel in 2018. There she has skillfully supported our chaplaincies, religious and spiritual life groups, and the Student Assembly of Interfaith Leaders, while overseeing critical initiatives including the Student Opportunity Fund and University food pantries.
Her leadership extends across campus through her service on the University Senate and into our broader community as a board member of InterFaith Works of Central New York. This combination of institutional knowledge, interfaith expertise and commitment to student well-being positions her to successfully guide Hendricks Chapel during this time of transition.