DETROIT – Marygrove College, a private Catholic school sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (I.H.M.) in Detroit, Mich.,  celebrated earlier this month the grand opening of an interfaith prayer room for Muslim students on campus, according to Arab-American News.

In its press release, the University states that the interfaith prayer room “flows out of the rich traditions of our founders and sponsors, the IHM Sisters – a rich respect and acceptance of all.”

“I was very excited. I wanted to see it happen before I left,” one former student reportedly said. “This room makes us feel equal. They have a place to pray; we have a place to pray. We believe in the unity of all religions.”

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Marygrove is hardly alone in this.

Recently, the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., reportedly converted a former seminary building room into a prayer space to accommodate the growing number of Muslim students.

The University reportedly created its own Islamic prayer rooms as well as “Wudu” stations for the ritual washing of hands and feet in Loras Hall, which used to be part of a seminary, at a cost of approximately $60,000.

Georgetown University also has a Muslim prayer room called “Masjidal-amoodayn,” according to the Jesuit University’s website.

In a 2011 interview with National Public Radio, Catholic University of America President John Garvey stated the policy of the faithful University concerning the growing number of Muslim students.

We don’t set aside prayer rooms, although we make our space available so that students who have daily prayer needs—Muslims who are observant pray five times a day—they can pray. We make classrooms available, or our chapels are places where they can pray. We don’t offer Halal meat, although there are always meals that conform to Halal regulations, that allow students to do what they want.

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Authored by Matthew Archbold – Cardinal Newman Society 

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