Newman University held its annual prayer breakfast on Nov. 5, bringing together faculty, staff and students for a time of reflection and prayer centered on the theme “Love and Tolerance.”
The event featured reflections, music and scripture readings that challenged attendees to move beyond mere tolerance toward active, Christ-centered love.
“What a delight to have everyone here to celebrate our faith lives together,” President Kathleen Jagger said in her welcome. “I think one of the things that I’ve always appreciated about Newman is how there’s this welcoming spirit here for people on their faith journeys from any particular faith tradition.”
Jagger, who recently returned from visiting the Adorers of the Blood of Christ sisters in Rome, emphasized Newman’s Catholic identity as “open to everybody.”
Theme evolution
Event organizers initially considered “tolerance” alone as the theme, but expanded it after prayer and discussion.
Anthony Cannavino, redshirt senior outfielder on the Jets baseball team, served as emcee.
“With world conditions being what they are, the planning committee wrestled with the theme for this year’s prayer,” Cannavino explained. “We began with tolerance, but continued prayer and discussion led us to love and tolerance. Tolerance is insufficient by itself, although a positive step. Love must include tolerance or it is incomplete.”
The theme connected to the United Nations’ International Day for Tolerance, observed annually on Nov. 16 to encourage renewed tolerance and respect for all people.
Rials’ reflection
Vanessa Rials, director of Social Work Field Education, delivered the morning’s keynote reflection, drawing a clear distinction between tolerance and love.
“I love that the title is Love and Tolerance and not just Tolerance,” Rials said. “Tolerance alone can create distance or indifference, while love builds genuine connection and fosters true inclusion, not just coexistence.”
Rials challenged the notion that faith communities are entitled to distribute tolerance and love, arguing instead that these qualities are gifts received from God.
“Sometimes, especially when our faith feels strong, it’s easy to slip into thinking that being people of faith somehow makes us the keepers of goodness, that we understand love better, that we know tolerance best,” she said. “But faith isn’t a badge of superiority. It’s a reminder of how dependent we are on grace.”
She cited a former student’s simple but profound statement: “I was created to love.”
“That’s what it means to go beyond tolerance,” Rials said. “Tolerance says, ‘I’ll allow you to exist.’ Love says, ‘I will honor your dignity, even when we disagree.'”
Rials clarified that tolerance doesn’t mean accepting everything without question.
“We are not called to tolerate hate, violence or ignorance, because those things harm others and divide communities,” she said. “True tolerance is grounded in respect and compassion. Standing against hate and injustice isn’t intolerance; it’s an act of love and courage.”
She concluded with a call to action: “The world doesn’t need more people who say, ‘I’ll tolerate you.’ The world needs people who say, ‘I’ll love you anyway.’ To tolerate is to endure. To love is to embrace.”
Student perspective
Brittany Terry-Neff, a Newman student, shared biblical examples of tolerance, including David’s restraint toward King Saul in 1 Samuel 24 and Jesus’ intervention on behalf of a woman accused of adultery in John 8:1-11.
“Tolerance is compassion and forbearance, which means having patience when others’ actions entice us to anger, to withhold judgment, to be lenient and have self-control with others,” Terry-Neff said. “This means showing love, grace and respect to those who are lost or immature, while still not condoning or accepting what is ungodly.”
She emphasized that Jesus “loved the woman for the fact that she was created by God. He did not condone her sins.”
Terry-Neff referenced her childhood memorization of Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Scripture and music
Bob Beumer, vice president for advancement, read from 1 Corinthians 12 on the unity of the body of Christ: “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.”
Jenna Ju, a sophomore biology major, shared a passage from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech that emphasizes urgency: “This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”
Mary Ellen Swords, assistant professor of music, and international student Kelly Lotsu-Morgan led the congregation in singing “Draw the Circle Wide,” described as “an invitation to live our theme, Love and Tolerance.” The service also included “We Are Many Parts” and closed with “Peace is Flowing Like a River.”
Be tolerant and forgive
The service included responsive prayers with the antiphon from Colossians 3:13-14: “Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another…to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.”
Sister Therese Wetta, ASC, led prayers of petition, including requests for “tolerance towards those whose thoughts and ways conflict with ours” and for leaders to “act with a spirit of tolerance.”
Cannavino closed the breakfast by challenging attendees to action: “Together we leave to add peace, tolerance and love to our campus and world.”
