Social Justice & Religious Diversity

Living out “Faith that does justice” is a core value here in Campus Ministry that is magnified through our programming.

  1. Life at Seattle U
  2. Faith, Spirituality and Meaning
  3. Campus Ministry
  4. Religious Diversity and Social Justice
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A Faith That Does Justice

We live out a “faith that does justice” in a variety of ways across SU’s campus, and one of the primary places we do this is through Campus Ministry’s Social Justice programming. You can volunteer for service activities, engage in discussion groups, attend awareness-raising events, go on domestic and international immersion trips, join others in simple and community living, and advocate for justice on campus and around the state.

Several of our programs, like the Juvenile Justice Mentors Program, were created by SU students. Other programs, like the St. James Cathedral Kitchen homeless outreach program and Mexico Social Justice Immersion, have been changing lives for decades. Engaging justice is at the heart of Ignatian Spirituality and the mission of SU’s Campus Ministry. 

Capitol Building

Rooted in holistic development and justice

At the heart of our work in Campus Ministry is a commitment to the holistic human and spiritual development of students. At Seattle University, we are a community of many faith and philosophical traditions. In Campus Ministry, we seek to accompany students of all faith and philosophical backgrounds as they explore their own tradition and delve into other traditions. Be assured that whatever your perspective - from devout to spiritual but not religious to atheist - we want to walk beside you in your journey. 

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AT CAMPUS MINISTRY

Interested to see what Campus Ministry offers for in Religious Diversity on Campus? Click through below to learn more.

Attending mass in the Chapel of St. Ignatius on Sundays at 11 a.m. or 8 p.m. 

Serving the Chapel of St. Ignatius community as a liturgical minister or as a music minister in Chapel Choir 

Engaging in personal reflection and communal spiritual practice on Catholic Students' Retreat 

Building up the Catholic student community as a member of the Catholic Student Committee 

Exploring the connections between justice and Catholic faith as a CRS Ambassador 

Participate in an interfaith or ecumenical event - sometimes learning about the traditions of others can be a great conduit for deepening personal faith traditions 

Learn about becoming Catholic or receiving the sacrament of Confirmation 

Join REKINDLED, the Catholic Students Club that meets on weekly in the Chapel of St. Ignatius. 

From our social justice immersions to our retreats, to name just a few, Campus Ministry offers many more programs that Catholic students may find to be a good fit. 

For more information on worship and sacraments in the Catholic tradition offered by Campus Ministry, visit our Catholic Community and Sacraments page. 

Seattle University is home to many students who are non-Catholic Christians. Campus Ministry supports the spiritual development and community of SU's Christian students through an array of programming. Some of the ways you can connect with different Christian traditions and student communities in Campus Ministry include... 

Finding your home in one of our vibrant Christian student groups, including Atmosphere, InterVarsity, YoungLife, Delight Ministries, Asian American Christian Fellowship, and Ohana Christian Fellowship 

Attend our Christian Student Kick-Off Dinner at the beginning of the academic year to get to know other Christian students on campus 

Participate in an interfaith or ecumenical event - sometimes learning about the traditions of others can be a great conduit for deepening personal faith traditions 

Sign up for one of our retreats, where you will have the opportunity to deepen your personal faith 

Peruse our map of local houses of worship or have a conversation with our Ecumenical and Multifaith Campus Minister to get connected with a community of worship in the area 

From our social justice immersions to our retreats, to name just a few, Campus Ministry offers many more programs that Christian students may find to be a good fit. 

Seattle University is home to many students who practice Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other religions. If you practice within one of these traditions or are interested in learning more about them, we hope that Campus Ministry can be a home for your journey. To find a local house of worship within your tradition, check out our map of local houses of worship or schedule a time to chat with Campus Minister for Religious Diversity. Some of the ways you can connect with these and other traditions include:

  • Finding your home in one of our religious student groups, including Muslim Student Association, Jewish Student Union, and EcoSangha Buddhist Meditation Group.
  • Attending Rejoice, a celebration of the many facets of Islam, put on by the Muslim Student Association.
  • Stopping by Campus Ministry for HanuChaos, a celebration of Hanukkah hosted by the Jewish Student Union.
  • Spending your Wednesday night in guided meditation with EcoSangha.
  • Participating in an interfaith or ecumenical event - sometimes learning about the traditions of others can be a great conduit for deepening personal faith traditions.
  • Signing up for one of our retreats, where you will have the opportunity to deepen your personal faith.

From our social justice immersions to our retreats, to name just a few, Campus Ministry offers many more programs that may be a good fit for students who practice Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other religions.

Believe it or not, many of the students who Campus Ministry serves do not identify within a particular faith tradition. Perhaps you are spiritual but not particularly religious, or maybe you are agnostic or atheist. We seek to support the holistic human development of Seattle University students regardless of faith background, so we are here for you, as you are, as well. Some of the ways you might connect with Campus Ministry include...

  • Signing up for one of our retreats, where you can explore your own spiritual or nonspiritual identity.
  • Participating in an interfaith or ecumenical event - did you know that non-theistic traditions and positions are welcome under the interfaith umbrella?
  • Joining a Faith and Justice Cohort and explore the relationship between your personal philosophical convictions and social justice.
  • Considering meeting with a spiritual director to explore your relationship to spirituality and/or meaning-making.

From our social justice immersions to our retreats, to name just a few, Campus Ministry offers many more programs that non-theistic students may find to be a good fit.

Service, Education and Conversation

In Campus Ministry, our efforts for justice grow out of and feed back into a cycle of education and reflection in community. Explore some of the many ways you can plug into communities of conversation and learning in Campus Ministry!

The King County Juvenile Division is responsible for the care and custody of youth in detention. State law requires King County to provide a juvenile detention facility. 

King County uses detention sparingly and only for the most serious or violent crimes and high-risk offenders. While in detention, youth attend school and have access to a wide range of programs and services. The focus is on rehabilitation, not punishment, and ensuring community safety. King County is committed to helping youth involved in Juvenile Court develop into healthy, productive adults. 

Following a partnership in Campus Ministry's inaugural Urban Plunge in Winter 2019, Campus Ministry offers intermittent work party opportunities with our neighbors at Yes! Farm. Are you interested in urban farming and food justice? Are you someone who gets excited getting your hand in the soil? Ever wondered what a new farm looks like? Spend some time with happy plants and happy people! Founded by farmer, educator, and member of the Black Farmers Collective, Ray Williams, Yes! Farm is a new urban farm just south of campus near Yesler Terrace Park and the community center.

CRS Ambassadors work together to educate themselves and the broader SU community through a faith lens on pressing issues of social injustice and inequality throughout the world. Some of the benefits of serving as a CRS Ambassador include: 

-Attendance at Seattle regional CRS training with other Washington state participants in Fall Quarter 

-Access to the extensive educational resources available through Catholic Relief Services 

-Participation in current campaigns, focusing on issues such as climate change, human trafficking, migration, and global hunger 

-Leadership in the Catholic student community on campus to integrate faith, prayer, and action for justice. 

-A small and intentional community of peers committed to being changemakers in the world 

The annual Joseph A. Maguire, SJ, Campus Ministry Lecture gathers the community to share a meal and conversation about faith and justice. The dinner is a venue to engage our students, alumni, faculty, staff and community partners in dialogue around current justice issues through the lens of faith. The lecture serves to remind us of the legacy of Fr. Maguire, SU's first campus minister, and his passionate commitment to campus ministry at Seattle University. 

Immersion participants engage in a quarter-long cohort program learning about the complex historical, social, economic, and political realities of the communities they are to visit. Over the years, students have traveled to West Virginia, Belize, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Mexico, among other places, to learn from and serve alongside marginalized and vulnerable communities with whom we have long-standing relationships. Each program draws on the wisdom and richness of Ignatian Spirituality. In passing through the cycle of experience, reflection, analysis, and action, students gain skills for critical reflection and for integrating their experiences into their vocational discernment.

Sacred Spaces on Campus

Sacred spaces on campus are meant to provide quiet time for prayer and reflection. They are opportunities to encounter God as individuals or as a community. Join us at one of our many indoor and outdoor places to pause on campus.    

Chapel of St. Ignatius  

The Chapel of St. Ignatius is our main chapel on campus that primarily hosts our Roman Catholic liturgies. Join us for one of our campus liturgies, stop by to pause in your day, or find more information about Seattle University's world-renowned chapel.  

Ecumenical Chapel  

Located off the Campion Hall lobby, the Ecumenical Chapel hosts gatherings for Christian student groups, space for individual prayer, and other special events throughout the year.  

Immaculate Conception Chapel  

Located on the 2nd floor of the Administration building, the Immaculate Conception Chapel is available for private prayer.  

Multifaith Prayer Room  

On the south side of the Campion Hall lobby, the Multifaith Prayer Room serves students from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds for individual contemplation and group prayer. The Prayer Room has two separate washrooms for ritual cleansing, pillows, prayer rugs, candles, and storage for shoes, which are not permitted in the space. All are welcome!   

Chardin Prayer Room  

Located in Chardin Hall, this room is available for individual prayer and small group gatherings. This space is able to host Roman Catholic and Christian liturgies and prayer services for other traditions. 

Seattle University Labyrinth  

Located behind Loyola Hall, the Labyrinth is a tool that allows reflection for those who walk through it. It encourages integrating the head and the heart, igniting the imagination, listening to the wisdom of the body and discerning the movement of the Spirit as you walk the Labyrinth's path.   

If you would like to request the use of a sacred space, please contact liturgy@henxing.net to review the chapel policy, complete a Chapel Request Form, and return it to Campus Ministry at least six weeks prior to the event. Please allow three business days for a response.  Groups interested in walking the Labyrinth should send an email to JoAnn Lopez at least one week in advance of the desired date.  Individuals are encouraged to walk the Labyrinth at any time – there is no need to provide prior notice.  

For more information, please contact liturgy@henxing.net at (206) 296-6075.

Sacred Space On Campus

Jesuit Catholic Identity

STUDENT CONNECTION AND RELIGIOUS STUDENT GROUPS

Campus Ministry is home to a network of religious student clubs and organizations. Whether you are strongly identified with a particular faith tradition or hoping to explore one, we hope that you will find a group that will suit your needs. Our clubs are meeting in person again. If you are interested in connecting with people of a faith tradition not represented in our student groups, please feel free to contact Alex Booker, Religious Diversity Campus Minister.

Queer People of Faith

Campus Ministry fiercely welcomes the experiences, tensions, and gifts of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons in the Seattle University Community.  We honor our diversity as people made in the image and likeness of God by offering hospitality to all. 

Queer People of Faith is a collective of students interested in exploring the intersections of queer identity with spirituality. Queer People of Faith is for you if you are interested in participating in or helping to develop programs for queer students on campus in response to existing needs and interests. If you are interested in being involved with Queer People of Faith, contact our Campus Minister for Social Justice. Some of the programs organized by and for queer students through Queer People of Faith include: 

In addition to these programs, Queer People of Faith is eager to collaborate with student groups interested in bringing relevant events to campus. If you are interested in a possible collaboration with Queer People of Faith, contact our Campus Minister for Social Justice. Past collaborations have included: 

Supporting Triangle Club in their planning of the Colors Retreat 

Working with Queer Trans People of Color to send a delegation of students to IgnatianQ 

  • Queer Brunch for Lunch: Join fellow queer students on Thursday, October 10 to build community and begin brainstorming Queer People of Faith activities for the year. 
  • Trans Day of Remembrance: Each year, Queer People of Faith is a partner in planning and facilitating a memorial service on Trans Day of Remembrance, which takes place on Tuesday, November 20, 2019. 
  • IgnatianQ Conference: For several years, Queer People of Faith has sent a delegation of interested students to IgnatianQ, a conference which brings together students from Jesuit universities across the country to explore issues pertinent to the lives of LGBTQ persons. For the 2019-2020 academic year, IgnatianQ will be hosted by Regis University in Denver, CO. Spring dates are forthcoming. 
  • Queer People of Faith Talking Circles: Guided by peacemaking circle principles, talking circles give students who identify as queer the opportunity share community and engage in meaningful conversation with each other. Shaped and facilitated by students, past conversation topics have included "New Beginnings," "Love," and "Possibilities." 
  • Queer People of Christianity: Similar to Queer People of Faith Talking Circles, Queer People of Christianity is a space specifically for folks who identify as both LGBTQIA+ and Christian and are interested in talking with people of similar identities. Participants sit in circle reflecting on the gifts, challenges, and joys found at the intersections of queer and Christian identities.  
  • Queer People of Faith Leadership: The team of QPOF Leaders helps prepare and create programs, celebrations, circles and topics for conversation and education. If you are interested in serving in a leadership role with QPOF, contact the Campus Minister for Social Justice 

Queer People of Faith is a space for queer students interested in exploring spirituality to come together and plan programs that meet the needs of their communities. Regular features include Queer Brunch for Lunch, Trans Day of Remembrance Memorial, and collaborations with queer student groups on campus to facilitate student attendance at the Ignatian Q Conference (QTPOC) and to support the Colors Retreat (Triangle Club). 

This event, which bridges the Social Justice and Multifaith areas of Campus Ministry, brings together a panel of diverse faith leaders and students to engage the intersection of spirituality and sexuality in dialogue with their respective faith traditions. Dinner is provided for attendees 

Students in Action!

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