Joshua Bennett
Stanford University, a private research university in Stanford, California, is a non-denominational school that does not identify with a specific religion. However, it has a Catholic Community that has been serving Stanford Catholics for over 100 years, providing Sunday masses and liturgies. The university also planned to buy the campus of the financially struggling Notre Dame de Namur University, a Roman Catholic institution in California, to expand its academic reach to Belmont.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of University | Private research university |
| Religious Affiliation | Non-denominational |
| Religious Support | Offers support to students who want to pursue and be part of a spiritual and religious community |
| Religious Student Groups | Atheist, Bahá’í, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and Sikh groups |
| Catholic Community | Offers Sunday masses and liturgies throughout the year |
| Catholic Saint Names | Removed from some buildings due to their treatment of Native Americans |
| Purchase of Catholic Colleges | Plans to buy the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, a struggling Roman Catholic institution |
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What You'll Learn
Stanford University is a non-denominational school
Stanford University, or Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, in memory of their only child, Leland Jr. The university admitted its first students in 1891 as a coeducational and non-denominational institution.
From its founding, Stanford has been committed to being a non-denominational school, meaning that it does not identify with a specific religion. Despite this, Stanford has a Catholic Community that has been serving Stanford Catholics for 100 years. The community provides Sunday Masses and liturgies throughout the year to Stanford students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others affiliated with Stanford.
Stanford also has an Office of Religious Life, which includes a meditation centre and an interfaith centre called CIRCLE. Its mission, according to the ORL homepage, is "to guide, nurture and enhance spiritual, religious and ethical life within the Stanford University community."
Stanford University has also been associated with Catholicism in other ways. In 2018, Stanford University decided to remove the name of a Catholic saint, Father Junipero Serra, from some of its buildings, citing the saint's treatment of Native Americans. Additionally, in 2021, Stanford University announced plans to buy the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, a struggling Roman Catholic institution in Belmont, California.
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Stanford University plans to buy a Catholic college campus
Stanford University, a private research university in Stanford, California, has always been a non-denominational school. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, in memory of their only child, Leland Jr. The university admitted its first students in 1891 as a coeducational and non-denominational institution.
Despite being non-denominational, Stanford University announced in September 2021 that it has agreed to work toward buying the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, a struggling Roman Catholic institution in Belmont, California. This purchase will help Stanford expand its academics to Belmont, about a 30-minute drive northwest from the university.
For Notre Dame de Namur University, the sale of its grounds will provide the cash needed to fuel a transition to a primarily online institution. The university will use the funds to develop new programs that include a mix of in-person, hybrid, and fully online instruction. The university will also be able to lease back some space on the campus for its operations once the sale is complete.
Stanford Provost Persis Drell has stated that the new campus will give Stanford additional space to enhance its teaching and research activities, without moving them off the main campus. Stanford will gather input from Notre Dame de Namur, the Stanford community, the city of Belmont, and local residents to forge a campus plan. The university's provost will also work with a faculty advisory group to determine future academic uses for the grounds.
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Stanford University has a Catholic Community
Stanford University, a private research university in Stanford, California, was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane. The university has always been a non-denominational school, meaning it does not identify with a specific religion. Despite this, Stanford has a Catholic Community that has been serving Stanford Catholics for over 100 years. The community provides Sunday masses and liturgies throughout the year to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others affiliated with Stanford.
In 2021, Stanford University announced its agreement to purchase the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, a struggling Roman Catholic institution in Belmont, California. The acquisition will allow Stanford to expand its academic reach to Belmont, about a 30-minute drive from the main campus. The new campus will provide additional space to enhance Stanford's teaching and research activities, while Notre Dame de Namur will receive the funds needed to stabilize its finances and transition to a primarily online institution.
Stanford University's commitment to being a non-denominational school is further demonstrated by its decision in 2018 to remove the name of a Catholic saint, Father Junipero Serra, from some of its buildings. This decision was made due to the saint's treatment of Native Americans and the harm inflicted on them by the California mission system he founded.
While Stanford has a Catholic Community and has engaged with Catholic institutions, it remains a non-denominational university, supporting students from a variety of religious and spiritual backgrounds.
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Stanford University removes a Catholic saint's name from buildings
Stanford University, a private research university in California, was founded in 1885 by Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford, as a coeducational and non-denominational institution. Despite Stanford's non-denominational status, over 70 percent of students identify with a certain religion.
In September 2018, Stanford University announced that it would be removing the name of Father Junipero Serra, a Catholic saint, from some of its buildings, including Serra Mall, a pedestrian and bicycle mall in front of the campus. Serra was a missionary in modern-day Mexico and worked to convert Indians up and down the North American coast to Catholicism. He founded nine missions from San Diego to San Francisco and established the California mission system. However, he had no role in the founding of Stanford University, which occurred about a century after his death in 1784.
The decision to remove Serra's name was made by a committee of Stanford faculty, students, staff, and alumni who reviewed his role in state history. The committee concluded that while Serra's establishment of the mission system was a central part of California's history and led to his canonization by the Roman Catholic Church, the mission system also inflicted violence and harm on Native American tribes and communities. It contributed to the destruction of their cultural, economic, and religious practices, leaving many tribal communities decimated and vulnerable to subsequent colonization.
The university planned to rename Serra Mall after Jane Stanford, a co-founder of the university, recognizing her role in ensuring the university's continued operation during financial crises. Additionally, the university decided to retain Serra's name on some less salient features on campus, such as a street, to acknowledge the influence of the mission system on Stanford's founding and design.
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Stanford University has an interfaith sanctuary
Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California, founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane. The university admitted its first students in 1891 as a coeducational and non-denominational institution. Stanford has always been committed to being a non-denominational school, meaning that it does not identify with a specific religion.
Despite being non-denominational, Stanford University has an interfaith sanctuary and a dean of religious life, Dean Shaw. The university also has an Office of Religious Life, which includes a meditation centre and an interfaith centre called CIRCLE. The Office of Religious Life's mission is "to guide, nurture and enhance spiritual, religious and ethical life within the Stanford University community."
Stanford University announced in 2021 that it had agreed to purchase the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, a struggling Roman Catholic institution in Belmont, California. The acquisition will allow Stanford to expand its academic presence to Belmont, about a 30-minute drive from the main campus. The university has also removed the names of Catholic saints from some of its buildings due to their treatment of Native Americans.
The Catholic Community at Stanford has been serving Stanford Catholics for over 100 years, providing Sunday Masses and liturgies throughout the year to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others affiliated with the university.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Stanford University is a non-denominational school, meaning it does not identify with a specific religion. However, it does have a Catholic Community that has been serving Stanford Catholics for over 100 years.
The Catholic Community at Stanford University provides Sunday Masses and liturgies throughout the year to Stanford students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others affiliated with Stanford.
In 2021, Stanford University announced plans to buy the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, a struggling Roman Catholic institution in Belmont, California.
