A Message from the Dean of Religious Life
January 2010

Dear Incoming Students:

What a joy it is to greet you as we begin this second decade of the 21st century.  And how delightful it is to say, “Welcome to Mount Holyoke!” This college is a warm and wonderful place and we’re glad that you are now a part of our campus community. I know that your time here will be enriching in many ways and that it will prepare you to be a global citizen in this multicultural, multifaith age in which we live.

The mission of Mount Holyoke’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is described on a banner in the front of Eliot House: “We are a multifaith community committed to spiritual exploration, community service, moral development and social justice.”

Eliot House is 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 vegan lunches. Within our walls we nurture individual spiritual practice, support communal religious life for students, faculty and staff of all faiths and humanist traditions, and encourage dialogue about common spiritual, moral and ethical issues that shape our lives 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 meals, 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, strengthen our sense of religious literacy, and wrestle with some of the difficult moral and ethical issues that face us in this century. Please check out our website for event listings, etc. And if you would like to receive email from a particular faith group regarding their events, fill out the Faith Group Contact Request Form located above.

On this Web site you will find a link to a listing of 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.  Every service – every offering – is open to the entire community.

Some students at Mount Holyoke identify strongly with a particular religion; others would define themselves as spiritual but not religious.  At Eliot House, we welcome everyone! Our doors and hearts are always open. We are here to listen, guide, counsel, and encourage you.  We look forward to greeting you in person 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