HDS - Religious and Spiritual Life - Prayer, Meditation, Worship

Religious and Spiritual Life

Prayer, Meditation, and Worship

Religious Groups at HDS | Prayer Meditation, and Worship Opportunities at HDS |
Prayer, Meditation, Worship at Harvard and Nearby | Spiritual Direction and Accompaniment

Religious Groups on the HDS Campus

Each of these organizations regularly sponsors gatherings on campus for prayer and meditation, for study, and for socializing. For descriptions, visit the Office of Student Life's Student Organizations page, visit the Andover Hall bulletin boards, or contact the related denominational counselor. For student contact information, members of the HDS community may visit the Office of Student Life section of Student Services on the HDS intranet.

Divinity United Church of Christ Students

Emerging at HDS

Faith for All: LGBTQI Students at HDS

Full Immersion: HDS Baptists

Harvard Buddhist Community

HASH: Humanists, Atheists, Skeptics at Harvard

HDS Catholic Students

HDS Christian Fellowship

HDS Episcopal/Anglican Student Fellowship

HDS Jewish Student Association

HDS Latter-day Saints Society

HDS Lutheran Students

HDS Methodist Students

HDS Presbyterian Students

HDS Zen Peacemaker Order

HUUMS: Harvard Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Students

Shura': Islamic Forum

WomenChurch (Community Opportunity)

Yum Yoga

Prayer, Meditation, and Worship Opportunities at HDS

Throughout the academic year, individual communities host gatherings for prayer, meditation, and worship on the HDS campus. Additionally, each year the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life arranges special multireligious services, such as the Seasons of Light celebration in December and the annual Commencement Service in June.

See the bulletin boards in Andover Hall or visit the "Student Organizations" section under "Student Services" on the HDS intranet to get the most recent meeting and/or contact information for these and other activities. Check with the denominational counselors in the Office of Ministry Studies for information about additional tradition-based gatherings.

Episcopal/Anglican Student Fellowship meets twice daily for prayer, Monday-Friday, and on Friday mornings for Eucharist.

Divinity United Church of Christ Students meets on alternating Mondays.

A yoga class, taught by a certified instructor for a modest weekly fee per participant, meets on Monday evenings. Contact Jeff VonWald for the latest information.

HDS Lutheran Students meets on Monday evenings.

Sitting meditation is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon-12:30 pm, in Andover Chapel.

HDS Zen Peacemaking Circle meets Tuesday evenings.

HDS Methodists meets Wednesday mornings.

Wednesday Noon Service at HDS is held Wednesdays, 12:10-12:45 pm, in Andover Chapel. Hosted each week by a different religious community of the HDS campus, and overseen by a steering committee of students and the director of religious and spiritual life, this service allows all in the HDS community to pray with our companions across the boundaries of our many respective traditions.

HDS Catholic Students meets for lunch on Wednesdays.

Christian Eucharist is celebrated on Thursdays at 8:30 am, preceded by silent prayer at 8:15, in Andover Chapel.

WomenChurch meets monthly in Andover Chapel.

HASH (Humanists, Skeptics, and Atheists at Harvard) meets monthly on Thursday evenings.

HUUMS (Unitarian Universalist) holds services on Fridays at 12:15 pm.

The Harvard Buddhist Community hosts regular sitting meditation sessions and dharma talks in Andover Chapel and other locations on campus.

Emergent Church. See the HDS intranet or the Andover Hall bulletin boards for the latest information.

The HDS Christian Fellowship gathers to pray each week and to share fellowship dinners.

Shura': Islamic Forum works to meet the spiritual needs of the Muslim students at HDS and provides venues for discussion and learning.

The Jewish Student Association meets regularly for a text study and social gatherings. They also host several special events throughout the year for such occasions as High Holidays, Purim, and Passover.

The HDS Latter-day Saints Society meets to discuss issues of faith in the context of the study of religion.

Faith for All: LGBTQI Students at HDS. See the HDS intranet or the Andover Hall bulletin boards for the latest meeting and contact information.

Prayer, Meditation, and Worship at Harvard and Nearby

HDS students, staff, and faculty are also encouraged to worship with the many faith communities that meet on the Harvard University campus as well as throughout the cities of Cambridge and Boston. A partial listing follows:

The Harvard Chaplains
The Memorial Church, Harvard Yard
Houses of Worship in Cambridge and Boston, a list maintained by the Pluralism Project of Harvard University.

Spiritual Direction and Accompaniment

Spiritual direction is the contemplative practice of helping another person or group to awaken to mystery and holiness in all of life, and to respond to that discovery in a growing relationship of freedom and commitment. The director of religious and spiritual life is available to meet with any member of the HDS community for spiritual direction and/or for referral to other spiritual directors in the area.