Franciscan Father Gabriel Zeis, chaplain in Princeton University’s Aquinas Institute and the Diocese’s vicar of Catholic education, curated an exhibit currently on display at the university titled “The Printed Word: Faith Aspirations of a Young Nation.”
The exhibit, which is open to the public by appointment through Dec. 4, houses 140 artifacts that tell the faith story of a country that would become the United States of America.
Spread across two floors of the Aquinas Institute, the exhibit opens with the preface from the journal of Dutch Reformed minister, Rev. W. W. Voorhees, who wrote in 1858: “Soon after my conversion to God, I began to write short notes of my religious experiences in order to mark my progress in divine life. This has grown into a habit, and I now revise what I have before written in order to have a more accurate account of the way over which I have traveled.”
Reflecting on the thoughts of the introspective minister, Father Zeis invited guests to “travel a spiritual pilgrimage through our nation’s past. It is a faith journey that begins with the hopes and prayers of Rev. W.W. Voorhees, a young idealistic minister and holy man. He had aspirations, and so should we all.”
To schedule a time to visit the exhibit, call 609-924-1820. The Aquinas Institute, Princeton University’s Catholic Campus Ministry, is sponsored by the Diocese of Trenton and located at 24 Charlton Street, Princeton.
You can read more about the exhibit in this story from The Monitor.