College to host forum on faith communities

Newburgh — Mount Saint Mary College will host a forum on faith communities in the City of Newburgh, at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30 in Aquinas Theatre. The forum is free and the public is welcome. “Faith in Newburgh: How the City and its Religious Communities Influence One Another” will bring together leaders from four religious institutions in the city to share their observations about how the city has affected their congregations, and in turn, how their congregations have made an impact on the city. Panelists include Assistant Pastor Danny Dottin of Amazing Grace Apostolic Church; Rev. Deborah M. Dresser of St. George’s Episcopal Church; Imam Salahuddin M. Muhammad of Masjid (Mosque) Al-Ikhlas; and Rev. William Scafidi of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. Dottin, a 1995 Mount graduate, is an assistant principal at Gidney Ave. Magnet School. Dresser is co-chair of Project L.I.F.E., a residential shelter in Newburgh for homeless families, and a member of the Episcopal/Muslim Relations Committee. Muhammad has worked as a prison chaplain and an adjunct lecturer at Marist College. Scafadi, a 1988 Mount graduate, is vice chair of the Newburgh Housing Authority. “Faith in Newburgh” is the inaugural event for Community Connections, a lecture and performance series sponsored by Curtin Memorial Library and the Cultural Center. Speakers and performers will be drawn from the greater Newburgh community to address topics connected to the college curriculum. To learn more, call 569-3421.