Religious life and Multiculturalism
John Cabot University is nonsectarian, and Religious Life in our institution strives to enable our community to appreciate, respect, and contribute to its multicultural richness and diversity.
The Office of Religious Life serves as a resource to the entire community of all backgrounds, to help develop knowledge in the areas of religion and spirituality through chaplaincy, inter-group meetings and special events. The Office also serves as an umbrella to the Interfaith Initiative student group.
The Office of Religious Life can:
• Connect you with a place of worship
• Connect you to a friendly chaplain
• Connect you to faith-based service opportunities
• Organize interfaith events
For more information, please email [email protected]
Interfaith Initiative
The Interfaith Alliance is a club at John Cabot University for students interested in questions of religious meaning and identity, and interfaith dialogue in a pluralist world. The goal of the Interfaith Alliance is to engage JCU students in establishing an even more religiously mindful environment through dialogue, respect, and understanding, and making religious and cultural diversity on campus one of the University’s great assets. The Interfaith Alliance will host interfaith discussions, off-campus tours, and interfaith religious celebrations.
If you are interested in joining the club, please visit the Interfaith Alliance page or email [email protected].
Multiculturalism
John Cabot University welcomes students from over 70 different countries in the world. The Office of Community Service, Religious Life and Multiculturalism serves as support to events promoting culture, diversity and inclusion, and provides guidance to the Multicultural Club and all of its sub-groups.
For more information, please email [email protected]
FAITH-BASED SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
John Cabot University offers faith-based service opportunities where you can volunteer to make a difference in the local community.
STAND
Born out of the fight to stop genocide in Darfur, Sudan, STAND is devoted to creating a sustainable student network that actively fights genocide
wherever it may occur. The mission of the STAND chapter at JCU is to raise awareness
on the local underprivileged communities, and to volunteer at Centers that welcome
those in need. STAND currently carries out community service activities at the three
Centers: the Church of Santa Lucia del Gonfalone, Vo.Re.Co and at the Baobab Experience.
For more information please contact [email protected]
L'ARCHE COMMUNITY
Students can volunteer their time at L’ARCA, located by Ciampino, in a Community made up of people with and without physical
and intellectual disabilities. The main goal at l’ARCA is to make new friends and
give a hand in the variety of laboratories that the association offers. Volunteers
are required to have beginners to intermediate knowledge of the Italian language.
SANT'EGIDIO COMMUNITY
The Community of Sant'Egidio was created in 1968 and has over 60,000 members today. It is a movement of lay people
that are dedicated to charity in Rome as well as all over the world. JCU students
can volunteer their time preparing meals at San Bartolomeo, on the Tiber Island, and
walk around the neighborhood distributing food to the needy of Trastevere.
THE MEDITATION GARDEN
In cooperation with Student Government and Grassroots, The Interfaith Initiative has proudly established a Meditation Garden on the JCU campus. The Garden is situated next to the Administrative Office in the Kushlan Wing and is open at all times for all John Cabot students.
The idea of the garden was born at an Interfaith meeting in Fall 2013 when students proposed the project. The 60 students at the meeting agreed that in regards to interfaith at John Cabot University, there was a need for a space dedicated to meditation and prayer, which has now been realized by a collective effort.
The Garden provides an environment for students to have a moment of contemplation in their busy lives. In addition, it is meant to serve as a place of prayer where students from different religious backgrounds can pray. The Garden welcomes all JCU students and will not exclude anyone. At the same time, the Interfaith Initiative invites all visitors to be mindful of the garden's spirit and purpose and kindly ask them to make sure that the space is used for meditation, reflection and prayer. The goal of the Garden is to be a place of individual reflection and at the same time a catalyst for symbolic sharing and respect among students.
Besides Student Government, all other clubs and STAND (student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network) have made donations, which made the finalization of the garden possible. Through teamwork and collaboration, the Garden has become an important project for students, by students.