Williams College Chaplains’ Office
First Meetings and Services of On-Campus Religious Groups and Spiritual Communities
Welcome to Williams!
Many on-campus religious and spiritual communities will hold services or special meetings to welcome you during your first days in Williamstown.
All of the events listed in this leaflet are open to anyone, regardless of background or religious affiliation.
Our website, www.williams.edu/chaplain, has lots more information on religious services, spiritual life at Williams, and community service. We’ll be updating it throughout the summer.
And you’re always welcome to drop by the Chaplains’ Office in the Paresky Student Center, Room 205 for more information – or just to say hello!
JEWISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION
(All events will be held at the Jewish Religious Center unless noted.)
Friday, September 9 6:00 p.m., Shabbat Service with dinner following
Wednesday, September 28: 6:00 p.m., Rosh Hashanah Dinner, Faculty House [RSVP nluczynsi@williams.edu]
7:30 p.m. Erev Rosh Hashanah Services
Thursday, September 29: 9:30 a.m. Rosh Hashanah Services
Friday, September 30: 9:30 a.m. Rosh Hashanah Service, Second Day
6:00 p.m. Shabbat Services
7:00 p.m. Shabbat Dinner
Friday, October 7: 6:30 p.m. Erev Yom Kippur, Kol Nidre
Saturday, October 8: 10:00 a.m. Yom Kippur
CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY
(All events are held in the Cardinal Newman Catholic Center on the lower level of Thompson Memorial Chapel, entrance facing Stetson Hall)
Friday, September 9: 9:00 p.m. First Year Welcome and Social
Wednesday, September 14: 7:00 p.m. Midweek Mass
Sunday, September 11: 4:30 p.m. First Student Mass (Thompson Memorial Chapel)
Sunday, September 18: Opening Barbeque following Sunday Mass
THE MUSLIM STUDENT UNION
(All events will be held in the Muslim Student Prayer Rm., lower level of TMC)
Friday, September 9th: 12:51 p.m. First Friday Prayers
Every Thursday: 5:00-6:00 p.m. Recite Dua Kumyal
Every Friday: TBA Friday prayers
August 20th – 29th: Lailat ul_qadr
August 1st:: First Day Of Ramadan
August 30th: Eid al Fitr
November 6th: Eid al Adha
December 5th: Ashura
THE FEAST
is an inclusive Christian community welcoming students from many denominations and backgrounds, drawn together to explore the Christian story in the context of the interweaving of faith and worship, justice and service. The Feast meets every Sunday for a home-cooked meal, warm fellowship, and reflections that allow poetry, scripture and our lives to speak to each other – in the Upper Room at St. John’s Episcopal Church (right across Park Street from the Paresky Center).
The First Feast of the year will be on Sunday, September 11, 5:30-7 p.m.
WILLIAMS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Friday, September 9: 7:00 p.m. Friday Night Fellowship, Griffin, Rm. 3
Friday Night Fellowship is WCF’s weekly large-group meeting. In addition to Friday Night Fellowship, WCF also offers regular service trips and conferences, has daily prayer gatherings, and offers six weekly Bible studies, including First-Year Bible Study (FYBS). Attend Friday Night Fellowship for more information about FYBS, contact Keelia.L.Willison@williams.edu
THE MEDITATION SOCIETY-
is a coalition of students interested in exploring a variety of types of meditation including Zen, yoga, sitting and walking meditation and other practices. Sittings and other activities take place in the Zendo and in the O’Connell Room on the lower level of Thompson Chapel. For more information, including contact numbers for current student leaders, call the Chaplains’ Office, ext. 2483.
ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
- located on Park Street facing the Paresky Center, invites you to enjoy worship, fellowship, food, and outreach. We offer the intimacy of a parish family and the opportunity to make a difference in the world through local and global outreach. All members of the Class of 2015 are invited to a BBQ on the Park Street lawn of St. John’s on Thursday, Sept. 8 beginning at 5:30 p.m. (Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are invited, too!) For more information, contact the Rev. Peter Elvin atptelvin@roadrunner.com, visit www.saintjohnswilliamstown.org, or telephone 458-8144.
THE WILLIAMS LABYRINTH
- is an ancient, omni-sectarian technique of walking meditation. Our labyrinth, on a huge sheet of portable canvas painted by students in 2005, is based on the medieval design in the nave of Chartres Cathedral. It’s available for walking several times each semester in various locations. See the labyrinth and read more at http://chaplain.williams.edu/religious-spiritual-life/the-williams-labyrinth/.
First labyrinth walks of the year: Monday-Thursday, September 26-29.
INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE GROUP
––meets several times each month. Join the conversation about faith and life, beliefs and holidays, different practices and common hopes with students from many of the world’s religious traditions over monthly dinners. Look for the IF table at the Purple Key Fair on September 8 or contact Jonathan Schmeling@williams.edu or the Chaplains’ Office for more information or to be added to the mailing list.
WILLIAMS SECULAR COMMUNITY
The Williams Secular Community is an inclusive community of agnostics, atheists, and anyone interested in secular thought. Through its weekly meetings and a variety of other events, the WSC is a safe, secular space for anyone to engage in fulfilling discussions of their personal lives, current events, religion, life philosophy, or anything else.
Look for the WSC table at the Purple Key Fair on September 8th.
The Williams College Chaplains’ Office
The Paresky Student Center, Rm. 205
39 Chapin Hall Drive
Telephone: (413) 597-2483
www.williams.edu/chaplains
The Rev. Richard E. Spalding, Chaplain to the College
Fr. Gary Caster, Catholic Chaplain
Cantor Robert Scherr, Jewish Chaplain
Bilal Ansari, Muslim Chaplain
July 2011
