Abigail Hebert

At the College, students can opt to develop their spiritual life in a multitude of ways if they so choose, including through structured faith groups such as the Catholic Student Union (CSU), Christian Student Association, Hillel and Muslim Student Alliance (MSA).

Events embracing religion are primarily led by faith groups, with student leaders serving as both keepers of tradition and drivers of change as students come together through weekly events, religious holidays and faith-based experiences.

“I like to think of CSU as a community as close as you want it to be. There is never an obligation for members to be present, which is something that I find beautiful about it. While I do wish many students felt compelled to attend events with us every week, especially Mass, I believe it is important to note that a relationship with faith and with the Lord is something sacred that can only grow from someone’s own heart and calling,” CSU president Mateo Pacelli ’26 wrote in an email to the Orient.

Former president of MSA, Aniqa Chowdhury ’26, noted that friendships often form out of this shared experience, especially given the student-driven nature of these groups.

“It’s true for both cultural and religious affinity groups that these types of clubs are extremely student run, or at least the ones I’ve been a part of,” Chowdhury said.

Bowdoin’s location can limit the accessibility of the religious opportunities students can easily reach from campus. To remedy this, faith groups have hosted events tailored to their needs, including bringing in affiliated speakers. For example, CSU is hosting Bishop James Ruggieri of the Diocese of Portland later this month as part of an annual visit.

Some students have expressed interest in developing their spiritual life beyond Bowdoin. Phoebe Lewis ’29 plans to become a rabbi, but faces limitations in course options as Bowdoin does not offer the Hebrew classes required for admission to rabbinical school.

“Being a rabbi is not one of Bowdoin’s main career choices postgraduation. I would not say that there is a ton of support for that field, because obviously it’s a very small field,” Lewis said. “That’s something that I’ve been a little frustrated with, [Bowdoin] not having Hebrew and not having a Judaic studies program, but overall, I feel like I’m still getting a great education here, and I know that I can take classes and learn things outside of Bowdoin.”

Nevertheless, Lewis believes Hillel has served as a key component of her religious life on campus.

“I would say [Hillel] is more of a cultural and community space for me. It does give me the space to practice my religion and be a part of Jewish life, and for that, I’m very grateful. But I feel like I mostly associate it with community and tradition,” Lewis said.

Beyond the immediate campus community, the faith-based groups each have their own alumni networks which vary in involvement. Recently, the MSA has led an internal initiative to database their alumni network to deepen the organization’s institutional roots in an attempt to mirror the alumni financial support of Hillel.

“We started making a Google form and collecting alumni [emails] two years ago. Obviously, nobody’s grown enough to have enough money to start an endowed fund or anything like that, but we’re trying,” Chowdhury said.

As students grapple with the individualized experience of balancing social and religious practice within the college setting, these faith-based clubs offer community and the chance to engage on various levels.

Given the deeply personal nature of faith, Bowdoin’s secularism appeals to some students, like Andy Mugisha ’28.

“[I appreciate being able] to grow my relationship with God by myself…, proving it was something that I actually wanted to do versus having [institutional] prayers before school,” Mugisha said.

Faith groups make an intentional effort to invite anyone, including non-religious students, to engage with their events. Furthermore, Ladd House, where the Rachel Lord Center for Religious and Spiritual Life is based, is open to all students.

Mitchell Jefferson ’28 does not identify as religious and has not felt a secular and non-secular divide on campus. Rather, he appreciates the various events hosted by faith groups.

“I think faith is a beautiful thing, and it’s nice to see how people practice it in various ways on campus,” Jefferson said.