The establishment of this endowment fund by the Thomas More Project answers the call of the Second Vatican Council on Christians to explore their common spiritual heritage with Jews. It provides Mercy High School’s Religious Studies Department with funds for a Jewish lecturer or instructor to teach students about the literary forms and content of the Hebrew Scriptures, which were the Bible of Jesus and the foundational community of disciples.

 

This fund is dedicated to the memory of Bishop Frank Murphy (1933–1999), auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, who served as a board member for The Interfaith Alliance, co-founded Interfaith Housing of Western Maryland, and, along with Cardinal William Keeler, endorsed and actively supported this program; and to LeRoy Hoffberger (1925–2016), philanthropist, co-founder of the American Visionary Art Museum, and tireless advocate for biblical studies.