Religious Observance

Religious Observance During First Days 2023

Students with particular needs or interest will want to bear several things in mind as they choose an EphVentures program:

  • Catholic Mass is celebrated on campus every Sunday night throughout the academic year at 7:30 PM in Thompson Memorial Chapel. This year, students who choose WOOLF and are on overnight camping trips will not be able to attend Catholic Mass on Sunday, September 3. All other EphVentures programs have schedules that make Mass attendance possible on Sunday, September 3 at 7:30 PM on campus in Thompson Memorial Chapel. We hope that you will join us at mass and for snacks afterwards. If you have any questions, please contact Catholic Chaplain Bridget Power at [email protected].
  • Jumuah, the Muslim Friday prayer service, will take place at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 1, in the Muslim Prayer Room (MPR) in the lower level of Thompson Memorial Chapel. Jumuah conflicts with the “Dean's Office/Office of Campus Life” session, scheduled at the same time on Friday. If you are a Muslim student, you may attend Jumuah and provide your name to Muslim Chaplain Sidra Mahmood thereafter. For Muslim students who observe the five daily prayers, salah, please let your group leaders know that you may need a wudu (ritual washing preceding prayer) and salah break(s) depending on the time of the day. If you have any questions, please contact Muslim Chaplain Sidra Mahmood at [email protected]
  • Friday evening Shabbat services take place during the academic year at the Jewish Religious Center every Friday evening at 6:00 PM, followed immediately by Shabbat dinner at 7:15 PM. All EphVenture programs begin right before the regular time for Shabbat services, so we will hold our first Shabbat gathering of the year on Friday, September 8. If you are a Jewish student and have concerns about traveling or activities on Shabbat, or about kosher food, while you are on your EphVentures program,  please contact Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Seth Wax at [email protected].
  • EphVenture participants whose practice includes Sunday morning worship services may not be able to participate in local church services. Most of the student-led worship services will not begin until after the Purple Key Fair on September 7th. Here is a list of Places of Worship for Protestant students: 
    • St. John’s Episcopal Church, 35 Park Street, Williamstown, (413) 458-8144, Nathaniel Anderson, Rector, saintjohnswilliamstown.org/, Worship Services: Sunday 8 & 10 a.m, 
    • First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), 906 Main Street, Williamstown, (413) 458-4273, http://firstchurchwilliamstown.org,, Worship Service: Sundays, 10:00a.m. 
    • Williamstown Community Bible Church, 160 Bridges Road, Williamstown, (413) 458-5556, Tyler Hallenbeck, Pastor, email: [email protected], www.cbcwilliamstown.com, Worship Service: Sundays, 10:30-11:45 a.m., 
    • First Baptist Church (American Baptist), 731 Main Street, Williamstown, (413) 458-4811, Chuck St. John, Pastor, www.fbcwilliamstownma.org, Worship Service: Sundays, 10:00 a.m.
    • Terra Nova, 85 Main Street, North Adams, MA  01247, Pastor Paul Gordon, www.terranovachurch.org, email: [email protected]
  • For more information about the Religious and Spiritual Life groups, visit the Student Religious Organizations. For more information or if your community is not listed, please contact Rev Valerie Bailey Fischer at [email protected] or call or text 413-517-5364.

If you have any concerns or questions about religious observance and your EphVentures choice, please feel free to contact the program director by phone or email, or one of the Chaplains in the Chaplains’ Office at 413-597-2483.