Founded in the Unitarian Universalist principles of radical welcome and courageous love, Heartspace is a spiritual community for Wellesley students from all and from no faith backgrounds to come together and connect. All are welcome!
In Heartspace, we don't all hold the same theological beliefs- some of us believe in god, while others do not, and still others believe in many gods or don't know what they believe. But in spite of these theological differences,we do share certain core values. We are curious about the world, about spirituality and about life's "big questions." We are committed to building an inclusive and just community, one in which Wellesley students can support one another through the many ups and downs of their daily lives. We gather together each week out of a commitment to one another and to these shared values.
We meet for services in the Multifaith Center (MFC) located on the ground floor of Houghton Chapel.
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For more information, contact College Chaplain and Unitarian Universalist Community Coordinator Rumni Saha.
Chaplains are also available for counseling - Why Talk to a Chaplain?
Our weekly, hour-long meetings begin with a short reading and chalice lighting, followed by individual check-ins, group singing and the sharing of joys and concerns. Sharing joys and concerns is a common practice in Unitarian Universalist services. People are invited to come forward to light a small candle and share either a challenge they're facing or a celebration they have. After joys and concerns are shared, we usually engage in a creative and/or spiritual activity, like guided meditation, discussion, journaling, arts and crafts, etc. Every week we provide snacks, but once a month we also offer a dinner catered from a local restaurant.
Each semester we also organize social events like movie nights, trips to Walden Pond and holiday parties!
Unitarian Universalism (commonly abbreviated as UU) is a liberal religious tradition. As a community, Unitarian Universalists are quite theologically diverse, meaning that we don't have one common set of sacred texts or beliefs, but reather hold many different theological views (ranging from theism to atheism and agnosticism and beyond!) What unites Unitarian Universalists across this theological diversity is a shared commitment to spiritual exploration and social justice. You can learn more about Unitarian Universalism by visiting the Unitarian Universalist Association website.
You do not need to identify as a Unitarian Universalist to be a member of Heartspace. While many of our Heartspace members do identify as UU, others come from a variety of different religious backgrounds or from no religious background at all. What connects Heartspace members across our different beliefs is an interest in spirituality and a commitment to support one another in an inclusive community.
Unitarian Universalist Principles
Heartspace at Wellesley is guided by many values, including these seven principles
- The inherent worth and dignity of every person
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations
- Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
- A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
- The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
- The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all
- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
Learn more about these seven principle and UU values.