About Us
Welcome to the
Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (CRSL)
We hope the information here offers an orientation toward the work of our center and resources that will be helpful to you! The CRSL is staffed by a team of religious and spiritual teachers, referred to as chaplains. Chaplains support exploration of the inner and outer life through teaching, individual care, rituals and by tending to campus culture. Our chaplains serve the entire campus community (students, staff, faculty and alumni), with a special emphasis on students. Our chaplains have a depth of knowledge in their own tradition – Christianity, Islam and Judaism – and an orientation towards interfaith collaboration and learning. The chaplains work collectively to meet the needs of our beautifully diverse community. Through the center you’ll find opportunities to increase religious literacy, build relationships across differences as we affirm that our global community holds diverse wisdom about the sacred.
Our student communities of practice are essential partners for shaping a programmatic life that is dynamic, collaborative and interconnected. Much of the programming led by our student communities of practice and the chaplains is located in Macalesters’ Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel facility. Fondly called “the chapel” it was designed to be a place of gathering for the campus community and welcoming of the many religious and spiritual traditions present on the Macalester campus. The aim has long been affirmed by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the christian denomination in which Macalester was founded.
The chapel is available to all members of our community. We privilege religious, cultural and spiritual practices in our space. And we welcome curious inquirers, seekers, and the many questions you may have – they are welcome here! Our aim is for all to experience a warm welcome, a caring community, a place of rest and respite, and people who are excited to be companions as you explore the depths of your being while imagining and co-creating the world you hope to live in!
Rev. Kelly J. Stone
College Chaplain and Associate Dean for Institutional Equity