New Students

If you would like to have a faith group contact you about their events, please complete the Faith Group Contact Request form.

A Message from the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life

January 2012

Dear Incoming Students:

It is a joy to welcome you to Mount Holyoke College! May your beginning at this wonderful place be filled with the same hope and fervor with which we greet each new year. Here at Mount Holyoke you will meet new friends, some of whom will become lifelong companions. You will also experience a rich and rigorous academic environment. And at Eliot House, the home of our Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, your body, mind and spirit will be nurtured through the wonderful connections you’ll make.

Situated between the Gettell Amphitheater and the Art Museum, in this special place you can sit quietly for prayer and meditation or join other students for our regular Wednesday noon interfaith lunches. Regardless of belief or practice, all are welcome at Eliot House. You can participate in Jumma Prayer, Community Shabbat, Roman Catholic Mass, Buddhist Mindfulness Mediation or any number of programs and spiritual practices that may help renew your spirit and reflect on your life.

The main purposes of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life are exquisitely noted on the banner in front of our building: We are a multifaith community committed to spiritual exploration, community service, moral development and social justice. While we seek to nurture individual spiritual practices and support communal religious life for all who desire it, we are also increasingly interested in developing the religious literacy of our campus. That is, we encourage learning about and dialogue among our various faith traditions and humanist perspectives as they grapple with common spiritual, moral and ethical issues that shape life within and beyond the academy.

Our chaplains and religious advisors work closely with our students to plan worship services, social events, community outreach, discussion groups, kosher and halal dinners, guest speakers, holiday programming, and a variety of multifaith learning opportunities. We invite you to be a part of this energetic community as we explore what spirituality means to us and wrestle with some of the difficult moral issues that face us in the 21st century.
Please explore our website for more information. There you will find a link to some of the religious groups that are active at Mount Holyoke College. Although the list does not cover every faith group at the College, it does give you a sense of the breadth and depth of religious pluralism on our campus. And if you would like to receive email from a particular faith group regarding their events, fill out a Faith Group Contact Request form above.

Some students at Mount Holyoke identify strongly with a particular religion; others would define themselves as spiritual but not religious. At Eliot House, every service – every offering – is open to everyone, no exceptions! So come join us on a spiritual adventure. We are here to listen, guide, counsel, and encourage you. And we look forward to welcoming you to Mount Holyoke College very soon!

Peace and Blessings,

Rev. Gladys G. Moore
Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life,
On behalf of the Eliot House Staff, College Chaplains and Religious Advisors