UdeM prayer room sows consternation
Joseph Facal gets bent out of shape about the Université de Montréal plan to create a room for prayer (although the limited hours mentioned are a little odd). He calls the university “une institution lourdement financée par les fonds publics” – so I was curious to find out what other publicly funded institutions do.
The CHUM doesn’t seem to have a chapel, but it does offer soins spirituels. The MUHC says that in all its facilities a prayer and meditation room is open 24/7.
McGill has the rather posh Birks Heritage Chapel open 8 am-6 pm on weekdays.
UQÀM doesn’t have a chapel as such, but has a page for the Notre‑Dame-de‑Lourdes chapel on Ste‑Catherine. UQÀM’s association with the Lourdes church is, if anything, the most objectionable, since it’s clearly not nondenominational and nobody would expect to do their salah there.
Concordia inherited a chapel from the days when Loyola was a Catholic institution. They also list a prayer and meditation room downtown.
These are all publicly funded institutions and nobody is fulminating against them. And it’s only realistic for universities to recognize that some observant Muslims are among their community, and so – unlike adherents of other major religions – they will want to do at least one set of prayers in the daytime during the week. Other religious, or even nonreligious people, might even want a quiet place to pray or meditate or commune, in an institution where things can become stressful.
And this isn’t a sly attack meant to return Quebec culture to the Grand Noirceur, which seems to be an obsession with some commentators.
H. John 14:30 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
Wait until he finds out all of Montreal universities teach religious studies and have theological programs.
To add to your list the Concordia Chapel on the Loyola campus (where I was baptized, received first communion, was confirmed, and served as an altar boy).
https://www.concordia.ca/students/spirituality/loyola-chapel.html
https://www.concordia.ca/offices/archives/buildings/loyola/chapel-building.html
Kate 14:37 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
H. John, just before you added your comment, I realized I had left Concordia out, and added it in. But thanks for the links.
Uatu 17:39 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
The chapel at the old Vic was basically an unofficial place for nap time. The prayer room at the MUHC is tiny in comparison and is used by some folks. They’re usually in a hurry and pray quickly. It’s almost invisible and you’d never know it was there. Don’t know why it’s such a big deal to some.
Uatu 18:07 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
Oh and Facal shouldn’t worry about the cost since that room will be paid for by out of province McGill and Concordia students lol
bob 19:18 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
The Muslim Students Association at Concordia has a prayer room on the 7th floor of the Hall Building for Muslim students (also one at Loyola). When I was with the GSA we tried to get the Faculty of Engineering to provide another one in the EV building because students were praying in the stairwells (the trek to the Hall building takes 10-15 minutes). The Faculty was extremely stubborn about it even though we found a suitable room (a “study room” that bore no evidence of ever being used). Eventually the students asked us to drop it. MSA McGill also maintains a payer space downtown.
Kate 19:47 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
Uatu, I used to be a study subject at the vision lab in the old Vic. The lab was at the end of the hallway where the chapel was. I went in once to have a look, and some Muslims were doing salah. So I know it got some use for that.
dhomas 20:53 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
Just a quick note about “the days when Loyola was a Catholic institution”. Loyola is STILL a Catholic Institution: https://www.loyola.ca/about. It’s just not in that building anymore.
Kate 21:47 on 2024-03-17 Permalink
OK, but that’s the high school. I was thinking about the part of it that melded into Sir George Williams to create Concordia.