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"We pray to Allah different people will come to build bridges of understanding in this Multi-Faith Center," pronounced Ahmed Elewa, coordinator of the Muslim American Society (MAS) Boston Outreach, during his sermon for the Muslim Student Association's rededication ceremony for the newly renovated Multi-Faith Center in 66 Commonwealth Ave, on Friday.
The Muslim rededication service is one of three celebrations being held to commemorate the reopening of the center, which has been undergoing extensive renovations since 2005. The Jewish community at Boston College held their ceremony, sponsored by BC Hillel, on Oct. 26 and the Ecumenical Christian service, sponsored by United in Christ and the Episcopal Chaplaincy, will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Multi-Faith Center (originally the Multi-Faith Chapel) was dedicated for multi-faith prayer services back in 2000, giving BC students and faculty of non-Catholic backgrounds a place on campus to practice their religions. This was a big moment in BC's history, showing the traditionally Roman Catholic institution's willingness to accept and encourage other faiths on campus.
"Having this positive representation of other faith groups on campus is quite radical for a Catholic school," said Ruth Langer, professor in the theology department and associate director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning.
Langer, who has been a member of the BC community since 1995, said she has noticed much advancement since she first came to BC in the University's efforts to further support the recognition of other faiths and to promote inter-faith discussion.
Lauren Galinsky, president of United in Christ and A&S '09, has also noticed a change in the entire BC community over the past couple years.
"On campus people are more open to have conversations about their faiths," Galinsky said. "I think the Jesuit nature of this school is something that makes people want to go out and explore more."
"[The Multi-Faith Center] shows BC is heading in a good direction, trying to be well rounded religiously as it is academically," said Fuzieh Jallow, MSA member and A&S '08.
More than 10 different groups on campus that have been limited to classrooms and function rooms for their religious services for the past two years are thankful for the new space and excited to have a place to call home base.
"The Muslim community has been disorganized on campus," said Ibrahim Dayib, council member of the MSA and A&S '09. "The MSA was dormant when I came to school, so my freshman year here was spent looking in and building a community, and now we are looking outward more to be better heard on campus."
For the MSA and other non-Christian faith groups looking for a stronger representation on campus, the Multi-Faith Center is a great new resource coming just in time. The Rev. James D. Erps, S.J., director of Campus Ministry, said that of the undergraduate students who reported their faiths, 3 percent are Jewish, 2 percent are Muslim, and 2 percent are Buddhist or Hindu.
"Father Appleyard got the community together and set aside this space for multi-faith gathering and worship [back in 2000]. It was a nice space, but it needed some sprucing up," Erps said. "Everyone who I've talked to has been so pleased with the new architecture and the flexibility of the space."
The new center, aside from boasting air conditioning and better insulation, also has new furniture and artwork, and more storage for the communities' different religious artifacts.
It has also been designed to be completely devoid of any religious symbolism, giving each group free range to use the space as they see fit.
While the Multi-Faith Center's reopening is a major sign of BC's initiative to provide better resources to the non-Catholic faith communities, it is just one of many steps the school will be taking in the near future to further this mission.
Galinsky said BC is in the running to be awarded an inter-faith grant, which, if received, would provide funding for all the different groups on campus.
She also noted the school is in the process of creating a prayer map, showing students and faculty different places on campus where people often go and use for reflection and prayer.
"The school is really working hard to make everything more accessible to people," Galinsky said. "There have always been resources, but before people really had to go to look for them among the inundation of fliers and e-mails."
Although each group does schedule its own time to use the space, many of these diverse student groups are eager to share the space and develop stronger relationships with each other.
"There's a bond that's growing here," Dayib said.
"We're all really excited about working together," Galinsky said. "There's always the stereotype that separate religions want to remain separate, but that's not true here."
An interfaith dialogue club was recently established on campus to promote such connections among students and foster a respectful, compassionate, and hate-free society on campus.
"The Multi-Faith Center is a place where we can enrich our lives with the experiences from other people," said Elewa as the MSA rededication ceremony came to a close, "Take the opportunity this center provides and BC's diverse student body to enjoy this blessing."
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