Spiritual Advisors
Bates College has welcomed the following people as volunteer “Spiritual Advisors.” They serve particular religious communities on our campus. If you are looking to connect with someone from a particular religious tradition, this is a good place to start. If you do not find someone from your religious tradition, please contact the Multifaith Chaplains for assistance.
Sruli Dresdner
Jewish
Rabbi Sruli is a native New Yorker who recently moved to Maine to become the spiritual leader of Temple Shalom in Auburn. He is a very musical Rabbi and plays the clarinet, accordion, drums and banjo (some simultaneously) as well as some wackier instruments. He and his wife, Lisa, have been featured on TV and have performed all over the world and at colleges all over the country. Rabbi Sruli is looking forward to working together with the Bates Hillel and he is always up for a good discussion on everything from Philosophy to Papa Pear. He hopes to welcome students to many special events throughout the year that combine scholarship, music, food, and, of course, Shabbat and Holiday celebrations.
Frank Daggett
Catholic
Deacon Frank became involved with college ministry while earning his Master of Pastoral Theology degree from Saint Joseph’s College, where he received the Spirit of Mercy Award and the Xavieran Award for Service. He and his wife Barbara have served in a broad array of church ministries and community service as they lived around the USA and Canada during his career as a naval officer and after settling down in Maine. Ecumenical and multifaith engagement are both essential and mutually enriching and, Frank believes, can be an effective model for collaboration in the public sphere as well, especially in seeking solutions to problems of poverty, violence, and injustice. Volunteering with interfaith groups such as Habitat for Humanity has taken him to New York, Appalachia, Guatemala, and Haiti. Frank enjoys sailing, outdoor activities, listening to many kinds of music, and is especially active in environmental stewardship, writing and working with Catholic Charities Maine in Parish Social Ministry.
Rev. Patrick J. Finn
Catholic
Patrick.Finn@portlanddiocese.org
Father Patrick Finn is Parochial Vicar at Prince of Peace Parish, the Catholic community of Lewiston, Lisbon, and Sabattus. A native of the coastal Maine city of Bath, Father Patrick earned a B.A. in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2006 and a Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America in 2012. Following one year working at a national Catholic fundraising and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. and two years leading parish youth ministry and religious education here in Lewiston, he completed additional studies at Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Robert Deeley on June 16, 2018 at Saint John the Baptist Church in Brunswick. After two years serving at Corpus Christi Parish in the Waterville area (including ministry at a certain other NESCAC college in that city), he has found great joy in his priestly ministry in the Lewiston area—returning here in August 2020—and is thrilled to be working with the Bates College Catholic Student Community.
Venerable Tenzin Dasel
Buddhist
Venerable Tenzin Dasel is a teacher and meditation instructor at Tashi Gatsel Ling in Maine, USA. They graduated from Bates College in 1988, Bangor Theological Seminary in 2006, and received monastic ordination with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2017. She founded the Maine Mindfulness Project in 2008 and has served as a retreat teacher at the Thosamling Institute and Nunnery in 2017 and as a meditation leader at the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women in Hong Kong in 2017 and Australia in 2019. She is active as a retreat leader, speaker, and moderator in the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and currently serves on the Female Sangha Leadership Committee. Ven. Dasel has taught in many venues including the Parliament of World Religions in 2015 and 2018 and continues this work as a Dharma Teacher at tenzindasella.com.
Debbie Rogers Duval
Christian
Reverend Debbie Rogers Duval (she/her/hers) is the pastor of High Street Congregational Church, UCC in Auburn, Maine. Debbie has been active in ministering to the unhoused, those who are experiencing trauma and those facing food insecurity. She is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School where she also earned certificates in pastoral care and interfaith studies. She is a lifelong learner who enjoys movies, camping, hiking, cycling, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Sarah Gillespie
Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Sarah Gillespie is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and board-certified healthcare chaplain. She works at Androscoggin Home Healthcare & Hospice and tends to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families from a wide spectrum of faiths, including the non-religious. She grew up in New Jersey has lived, studied, and worked in DC, Boston, and western NY before finally planting roots in Lewiston (just down the street from Bates). She lives with her spouse, Adam, and their growing toddler, Luke. You’ll see them walking around the puddle or sometimes grabbing a meal at Commons. She looks forward to engaging UU students and spiritual seekers in conversations around religion, reason, meaning-making and the theology of baseball.
Mark Jones
Christian
Mark Jones is a Chrisitan minister who centers his call to ministry on athletes. Mark received his Bachelor of Arts from St.Joseph’s College in Standish in 2000 and was commissioned as a minister at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Topsham in 2018. He felt the call to ministry in 2012 after several years in TV news and manufacturing. While Mark is passionate about serving and encouraging athletes and coaches at Bates, he is equally excited to serve and encourage any who need it. Mark lives in Richmond with his wife, Denise, three children, his old cat and young dog (a real house full).