The Office of Campus Ministry held a blessing ceremony to signify the opening of its newest interfaith prayer space on Oct. 30. Located inside the Humanities Building in room 213, this space will act as a central location for students of all faiths to gather in worship. The space is currently open 24/7.
Several students and faculty members gathered for the blessing ceremony, which opened with remarks from President Terry Sawyer, followed by music and prayers from the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian faith traditions.
“I know it was a prayer and a desire of yours to create this space, and it was a prayer of mine to get it done … I am so glad that we built it right across the hall from my office, because we have demonstrated that if we build it they [people] will come,” Sawyer said.
This is Loyola’s second designated interfaith prayer space on campus outside of the Campus Ministry office. The other is the Fava Chapel, located in Hammerman Hall on Hillside.
Ecumenical and Interfaith Intern for Campus Ministry Lexi Frenda ‘27 explained that while the Fava Chapel is frequently utilized, students had been asking that another prayer space be built in a more central location. Frenda said that it was a top priority for the Interfaith Advisory Board within Campus Ministry to get this accomplished.
“Even though we are a Jesuit, Catholic campus, we have quite a number of students that don’t identify as Catholic. Whether that is Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or another denomination altogether, it’s really important that those groups feel that they have a space where they can pray and observe their traditions,” Frenda said.
Assistant Director of Ecumenical and Interfaith Ministries Saima Sitwat echoed Frenda’s statement. She added that having these interfaith spaces helps keep the university aligned with its core Jesuit values.
“From the administration’s point of view, this space is in keeping with our Jesuit values of cura personalis [care for the whole person]. We have a fairly big community of students who identify with diverse faith and spiritual traditions. Therefore, it is important to have this central space on campus,” Sitwat said.
Yukesh Aryal ‘28 attended the blessing ceremony and shared what the opening of this new prayer space meant to him.
“This space isn’t just about faith but more about giving every student a moment of peace and belonging no matter what they believe in. For me, this space delivers a really special feeling of inclusion, respect and reflection for all. I cannot wait to see how [we] as students are going to be utilizing this space and forming a community of inclusiveness,” Aryal said.
When asked about what the future of this prayer space looks like, Sitwat said that it is entirely up to the Loyola community. She emphasized that her team at Campus Ministry is ready and willing to provide students with the resources they need to help shape this space.
“I would love to see the community make this space their own. I wish that there was a way to send that message out and say please connect with us and let us know how we can help you make this space your own,” Sitwat said.
Student organizations who want to host events in the interfaith prayer space should contact Saima Sitwat at [email protected].