New Multifaith Centers on the Rise at U.S. Colleges and Universities
Thursday, September 23, 2010
By: Cecilia Bonn

Reinforcing their commitment to religious tolerance, institutions of higher ed. across the country -- and most recently Ramapo College (opening Oct. 5) -- are building or have built one-stop religious centers where all faiths can worship under one roof.

For Immediate Release

Salameno Spiritual Center Designed by Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture Opens Oct. 5, 2010, at Ramapo College in Matwah, NJ.

Designed by Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture (a national design practice that specializes in creating multi-use, evocative spaces for public use), Ramapo's more than 5,000 students will soon have a new place for reflection in the form of the Salameno Spiritual Center. Anchored by a main building, the Padovano Peace Pavilion, which, according to the college, is modeled after "an ancient and evocative symbol for religious encounter," the center is comprised of four single-story structures, two outdoor gathering places, and a deck with views across the surrounding woodlands and pond.

Increased spirituality and religious expression among college students was recently documented in a survey of 112,000 college freshmen nationwide entitled "The Spiritual Life of College Students" carried out by the University of California, Los Angeles's Higher Education Research Institute, http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu/about/spirituality.html. The 2004 study found that 80 percent of students interviewed believed in God and had an interest in spirituality. A 2007 follow-up discovered that, as juniors, sixty-seven percent added that they prayed daily.UCLA's findings confirmed that religion and spirituality have a place at the table on campus, and since 2004, new or renovated spiritual and multifaith centers across the country in addition to Ramapo include:

· New York University Kimmel Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, (New York, NY, scheduled for completion 2012)

· USC's planned Multi-Faith Center for Research, Reflection, and Practice (Los Angles, CA, TBD)

· Chicago University Spiritual Center (Chicago, IL, renovation, 2009)

· Oberlin College Multifaith Center (Oberlin, OH, 2009)

· Denison University The Open House: Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (Granville, OH, renovation, 2009)

· Wellesley College Multifaith Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (Wellesley, MA, renovation, 2008)

· Tufts University Interfaith Center (Medford, MA, renovation 2007)

· Duke University Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health (Durham, NC, 2007)

· Boston College Multi-Faith Center (Boston, MA, renovation, 2007)

· University of North Dakota Hopper-Danley Memorial Chapel (Grand Forks, ND, 2007)

· Stanford University Center for Inter-Religious Community, Learning and Experiences (Oakland, CA, 2007)


The Salameno Spiritual Center was conceived as a sanctuary for meditation, reflection, and celebration. Students and members of the College community can practice their faiths, discuss ethical issues, seek refuge, and use it as a place for quiet contemplation. Serving as the newest addition to the College, and established on what was originally sacred ground (a former gathering place for Native Americans who named it Mahwah, "meeting place"), the Center occupies a scenic and sheltered, one-half acre on the south shore of Kameron Pond at the center of the campus.

According to Dr. Peter P. Mercer, Ramapo's President, "A campus community provides the means to discuss and debate and to engage and empower. The Salameno Spiritual Center will offer opportunities for members of our community to have honest interfaith dialogue, to explore values, and to search for meaning."

"The Center will meet the very important needs of our diverse student organizations such as Hillel, Catholics at Ramapo United, the Campus Crusade for Christ and the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. Many of our students now closely link their religious and spiritual development with voluntary service. I imagine that organizations like the Community Builders Coalition, Ebony Women for Social Change, and Brothers Making a Difference will find the Center a wonderful place in which to conduct some of their activities," adds Dr. Pat Chang, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs.

The Center was first proposed in 2001 by Dr. Anthony T. Padovano, a founder of the College and professor of literature and philosophy, and was approved by the Ramapo College Board of Trustees in 2005. Said Dr. Padovano: "We modeled the Center upon the United Nations Meditation Room, which is open to all cultures for contemplation, with the hope that students and other members of the diverse Ramapo Community will use this Center to meet and to better understand and appreciate each other in the context of a multicultural society."

Evoking a special place for gathering and tranquility, the use of sunlight and central placement of a three-ft high, dark brown, granite block from South Dakota in the Padovano Peace Pavilion, echoes the arrangement of simple, symbolic, and universal elements found in the UN mediation room.

According to Malcolm Holzman, FAIA, partner of Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, "Shaping spiritual spaces at the start of the 21st century is a unique undertaking. We chose the granite block as the focal point for the Pavilion as it represents a sacred, impermeable material that has, throughout the centuries, marked a sense of passage -- a fundamental concept behind the Center's design. No other symbols exist to distract from inner or outward reflection, rather the building's orientation to the pond and the preponderance of natural light denote a place of refuge."

Spokespeople available for comment regarding key factors including what type of spaces locations, facilities, and designs represent good "fits" for a wide diversity of students, and constitute successful, non-denominational Spiritual Centers include:

Architect Malcolm Holzman, principal at HMBA, the firm responsible for the design of the Salameno Spiritual Center. Mr. Holzman is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and Gold Medal award recipient from Tau Sigma Delta, the honor society of architecture and the allied arts.

Anthony Padovano, responsible for conceiving the Center. Mr. Padovano, a member of Who's Who in Religion, is also a noted theologian.

Background on Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture:

Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture is a national architectural and interior design firm specializing in the design of evocative cultural, civic, and academic buildings including libraries, facilities for student life, and performing and visual art centers that welcome public use. By engaging clients in a process of visualization, dialogue, and inquiry directed at every stage by the firm's partners, Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture projects ultimately surpass aspirations and celebrate the distinct identity of each community they serve.

Background on Ramapo College:

Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor's degrees in the arts, business, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include nursing and social work. In addition, Ramapo College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels. In fall 2009, more than 5,660 students attended Ramapo College, including 213 graduate students and 110 undergraduate international students. In The 2011 edition of "America's Best Colleges," released by U.S. News & World Report, Ramapo College was ranked # 4 in the Best Regional Universities, North category.

Press Contacts:

Cecilia Bonn, Communications Consultant, Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture
Cbonn@nyc.rr.com, 212-734-9753

Anna Farneski, Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Ramapo College
afarnesk@ramapo.edu, 201-684-6844