Overview
The University took a pioneering step forward when the Interfaith Chapel was built in 1970. At that time, few schools could boast a facility intended to be a religious gathering place for all people. In 2026, the Joseph P. Mack Catholic Center expanded the footprint of Religious & Spiritual Life on campus and created more spaces belonging on campus.
Now, Religious & Spiritual Life creates opportunities for people to worship in their particular faith and a place where people of different faiths, or no religious tradition at all, can share in dialogue, worship, and interfaith education. Our multi-faith community and our interfaith engagements contribute significantly to the rich diversity that is the University of Rochester experience.
We welcome those who strongly identify with their religious tradition, those who are “spiritual but not religious,” and those who want no affiliation at all. Religious & Spiritual Life holds space where students can connect, create community, join together in fun and service, learn about the faith of others, deepen their own faith, discuss the “Big Questions,” and explore their own values and identity.
Spiritual Life Education
In support of the University of Rochester Student Life, Religious & Spiritual Life is dedicated to the student experience by offering space for Care, Cooperation, Community, and Contemplation.
Care
College carries real weight, and no one should carry it alone. Whether you're navigating stress, grief, big decisions, or just a hard week, Religious & Spiritual Life offers spaces where you are known and welcomed, from one-on-one conversations with chaplains to communities that show up for each other. Whoever you are and whatever you believe, care is here for you.
Cooperation
Our campus holds a remarkable range of religious, spiritual, and secular identities, and we believe those differences are a place to connect, not divide. Through interfaith dialogue, shared meals, and serving side by side, you'll practice listening generously, sharing your own perspective honestly, and finding common purpose with people who see the world differently. These are skills you'll carry into every workplace, neighborhood, and friendship that follows.
Community
Belonging doesn't just happen; it's built. Whether your home is a religious tradition, a spiritual practice group, or a values-based gathering, our communities offer what campus life often lacks: regular gathering, shared ritual, and people who notice when you're not there. Come find your people, and discover what you have to offer them, too.
Contemplation
College moves fast. Contemplation is the practice of slowing down anyway. Through meditation, prayer, journaling, labyrinth walks, and retreats, we invite you to step out of the rush, notice your inner life, and make meaning of everything happening around you. No experience necessary, and every tradition (or none at all) is welcome.
United Religions Initiative
Religious & Spiritual Life at the University of Rochester is a recognized Cooperation Circle within the United Religions Initiative (URI). URI is a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences, and work together for the good of their communities and the world.
Our Building
In addition to the large, street-level sanctuary, on two more floors we have two kitchens, the Brennan Room, a conference room, and a spacious river-level room for social gatherings, religious services, meals, and meetings. For those looking for a quiet, centering space, we have a small meditation room on the second level. The chapel has an indoor labyrinth that is open for meditative walking on the river level several times a month and gender specific ablution stations are available.
Religious & Spiritual Life is equipped to meet the many different needs of individuals and groups. The director and the various chaplains and religious community leaders are here to serve students and other members of the University community in whatever ways are most helpful as spiritual and/or religious issues, questions, concerns or joys arise in the course of daily living.