A Chaplaincy pilgrimage helps University of Richmond students reflect on faith, history, and understanding
University News
On a visit to Spain in May, junior Ibrahim Khaliq fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the Mosque-Cathedral in Córdoba and the Alhambra palace in Granada.
“The Mosque-Cathedral completely lived up to the hype I had built up in my head,” he said. “And the architecture, the detail, the beauty, and the grandeur of the Alhambra simply blew me away.”
Khaliq made the trip with several other University of Richmond students as part of the Chaplaincy’s Pilgrimage to Spain and Morocco. The program explored the layered, cross-cultural histories of Spain’s Andalusia region and Muslim-majority communities in North Africa. The pilgrimage was co-led by Josh Jeffreys, Jewish chaplain and director of religious life; Waleed Ilyas, Muslim chaplain; and Olivia Rosenblum, multifaith program manager.
Khaliq was especially interested in exploring Spain’s rich history more deeply, particularly the periods of Muslim rule and the Reconquista campaigns by neighboring Christian states.
“I realized that there were a lot of gaps in the things I had learned as a kid,” he said. “Visiting these places and hearing from our local guides gave me a lot more insights into the local perspectives on historical events.”
The pilgrimage also looked ahead, examining how centuries of co-existence among Christians, Jews, and Muslims continue to shape life today.
“The histories of both countries contain promising and painful moments in the relationships between Christians, Muslims, and Jews,” Jeffreys said. “Even the architecture is a testament to the beautiful ways religions can learn from and grow with one another.
“Hopefully, students were able to better understand the ways our traditions continue to mold them, our diverse community, and our shared society.”
Senior Taylor Levy is already taking that message to heart.
“I learned to listen before you judge,” she said. “It is so easy to dismiss people who have different beliefs or customs, but stopping to listen to what they have to say and how they feel allowed me to grow in ways I haven’t before. Hearing from a diverse group of classmates and coordinators while engaging in a completely foreign culture was life-changing.”