<p>Greetings,</p>
<p>My D LOVED her visit to Swarthmore. But, we noticed that there was no real religious presence on campus to speak of. No chapel. No Newman Center. No Hillel. Etc. Could someone please speak to whether Swat is a place for someone who wishes to attend church? We are practicing Catholics and would like for our D to be in an environemnt that is not hostile to organized religions, especially Catholics.</p>
<p>Here is the link to religious life on the Swat campus: [Swarthmore</a> College :: Religious and Spiritual Life :: Religious and Spiritual Life](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/religiouslife.xml]Swarthmore”>Interfaith Center :: Swarthmore College)</p>
<p>As you can see (scroll down to see Newman on the main list or click on “Catholic” to the left), there are a variety of religious options for students. Swarthmore’s Quaker affiliation, which President Chopp regularly invokes in her comments to the Swarthmore community, creates an environment respectful of all religious traditions. Although a number of students exercise their right not to attend worship services (no parent on hand to insist), many are involved with the religious life on campus. Swat students respect each other, whatever they are doing, and that goes for religious faith also. </p>
<p>One of the more interesting opportunities on campus is a regular dialogue among faith traditions called Scriptural Reasoning, in which students and faculty reflect on their traditions’ sacred texts: [Not</a> Consensus but Friendship - Swarthmore College Bulletin](<a href=“http://media.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/?p=131]Not”>Page has moved)</p>
<p>Just realized that the page that lists all the religious traditions is a different link. Here is the one that is much more extensive than the one posted above:<br>
[Swarthmore</a> College :: Religious and Spiritual Life :: Catholic life at Swarthmore](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8614.xml]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8614.xml)</p>
<p>Here’s the main page for religious life at Swarthmore:</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Religious and Spiritual Life :: Religious and Spiritual Life](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8258.xml]Swarthmore”>Interfaith Center :: Swarthmore College)</p>
<p>Here’s the overview page for Catholic life at Swarthmore, inc. info on he Catholic Newman chaplain:</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Religious and Spiritual Life :: Catholic life at Swarthmore](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8614.xml]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8614.xml)</p>
<p>And the link to Cathoic services, including Eucharist twice a week on campus, larger hoiday celebrations (usually combined with Haverford and Bryn Mawr), and info about the local Catholic church (about 1.5 mile walk from the library).</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Religious and Spiritual Life :: Services](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x9119.xml]Swarthmore”>Services :: Interfaith Center :: Swarthmore College)</p>
<p>Most relgious events at Swarthmore (services, dinners, etc.) are held in [Bond</a> Hall](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/campusmap/destinations/details.php?destination=bond]Bond”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/campusmap/destinations/details.php?destination=bond), which is an old stone bulding in the corner of the Lodges. There’s a large room on the first floor with a fireplace and (if I recall) stained glass windows, and small kitchen.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s a big secret that college years are not generally big religious attendance years for kids and, on a campus of 1400 students, religious services are not a huge affair. However, there are active groups on campus for all major religions. Both the President of the College and her husband are ordained Methodist ministers (her husband was the minister of a church before moving to Swarthmore). My sense is that supporting and increasing the spiritual/religious activities is a particular interest of Rebecca Chopp.</p>
<p>Thanks to Interested Dad and LibArts Mom. Those klinks are VERY helpful. Although, as you note, there is no guarantee that college students will actually attend services, it would be nice for her to have the option. The president also sounds like an impressive lady, and a very positive influence on campus. :)</p>
<p>As a current student, I can tell you that there is a small but active Newman group on campus. In general, the Christian groups (Newman, Swarthmore Christian Fellowship, Swarthmore Progressive Christians) and the other religious groups on campus are well-respected–it’s a very live-and-let-live culture surrounding religious beliefs and practices.</p>
<p>My D. would agree with etselec. She regularly attends the Catholic services. There has been some turnover in priests this year and she is really happy with the current one. </p>
<p>Her roommate is actively involved in Swarthmore Christian Fellowship and attends church every Sunday. </p>
<p>My impression is that the students at Swat are very accepting of various religions or no religion at all. There is no judgment. This past week my D. was commenting about how her Jewish friends were trying to honor their dietary restrictions for Passover. Live and let live definitely seems to be the motto. </p>
<p>One thing I would add is that overall my D. has found Swarthmore students to be very respectful of various people and their beliefs.</p>
<p>Marmaduke,
I know that you asked about practicing Catholics, but I wanted to point out one incorrect statement in your original post. There is a Hillel on campus. They have a Sabbath dinner and services on Friday evenings and there is a kosher kitchen in the aforementioned Bond Hall. Currently, there are perhaps a couple of dozen Jewish students keeping the Passover dining rituals by having their lunch and dinner meals in Bond Hall. Food specifically designated for the week of Passover was purchased before the holidays by the students. Swarthmore allows the students to “turn in” their meals for the week (those they would eat in Sharples) and in turn gives them the money from those meals to buy the food for Passover. I think that your D would find like-minded students on campus.</p>
<p>This will be great news for my D. When she visited last fall, she was able to connect with a ecuemenical Christian group on campus on Sat evening. This live and let live aspect all religious traditions is very appealing.</p>
<p>This probably isn’t an extra representative sample but I was surprised that in the quad I stayed in at Ride the Tide, two of the four girls were practicing Catholics with Bibles on their book shelves.</p>
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<p>This isn’t entirely true. Some of what is perceived as “live and let live” is just people shying away from confrontation, what with religion being such a touchy subject. Some atheists, even at Swarthmore, are highly intolerant of religion in general.</p>