One Center to set the Bar- The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center at Penn State.

Way back in 2012, I had the chance to attend the Global Chaplains Conference, the largest gathering of Chaplains in U.S. history, at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.  Living in Minnesota, it would have been easy to simply get on a plane and end up out east.  But in a little spot of land in Pennsylvania stood a university with a big secret I just had to see.  So I drove, all the way to New Haven, just to stop in Happy Valley, where I found the most remarkable thing in my young career: a 60,000 square foot multifaith center on Penn State’s Campus.

The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, home of the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development, is arguably the most advanced center of its kind in the United States.  The largest multifaith center in either a private or public university in the United States, the Center houses over 50 religious, secular, and spirituality affiliated student groups.  Its massive center includes 14 multi-purpose spaces including space for up to 750 in a worship setting.  Three kitchens, including a complete kosher kitchen, as well as a prayer room for Muslims that faces directly toward Mecca, all are part of the center.  Originally built as a 20,000 square foot chapel space in the 1960s, the expansion of the space took place in the late 1990s and was finished and opened in 2003.

Why is this important?  To answer that question, I went to Bob Smith, Director of the Center, who has extremely helpful words. “It shows that religion and spiritual play a role in everybody’s life and even if you are an atheist, everybody has a chance to respect and understand each other and learn to live and support one another. “  Bob goes on, “Especially at a time when so many young people are not participating in religion, it's extremely important to emphasize the benefits, such as mental health, physical health, and retention rates when looking at participation.  This is more than just about religion; these groups and the interactions between these groups help develop student’s persona, their moral and ethical development, and so much more.  We can still learn from others even if don’t necessarily practice those traditions.”

Visiting the Pasquerilla Center was a life changing moment for myself as a professional as well.  Bob’s leadership has taken the center to new heights within the State College community, but the importance of this center is further reaching that just in Pennsylvania and Happy Valley. “It represents the opportunity and the possibilities for (spiritual and secular diversity) to part of higher education and that the development of our students.  Students have the ability to live and work side by side and in peace with one another.”            

Bob also mentioned that “When administration get involved, it shows others, the students, and other staff, that it is important to be supportive and involved.  This spring the Muslim Student Association (MSA) wanted to host the Friday Jummah prayers on the lawn of Old Main so people could see what was going on.  The administration supported them, and the MSA is completing a video where students, staff, and even the President share their struggles, or jihads.”