HOW DOES THE VILLANOVA COMMUNITY ENGAGE WITH FAITH AND SERVICE?

Our Augustinian Catholic values are particularly visible in the spaces and programs we have dedicated to nurturing our commitment to spiritual growth and service to the community.

We’ve intentionally created many sacred spaces (including the St. Thomas of Villanova Church, chapels in Corr, Driscoll and other campus buildings, the Grotto, multifaith prayer rooms and meditative areas), placing them throughout campus to make practicing faith more accessible to all. Students, staff and faculty have myriad opportunities to explore their spirituality, quietly reflect and connect with their own faith through student-led liturgies, including the often filled-to-capacity Sunday evening Masses, interfaith activities and retreats.

Spiritual growth is also nurtured through the countless opportunities available to serve the wider community.

The Center for the Common Good is a notable example. Established in October 2022 as part of the Strategic Plan, the center serves as a hub for all community service and engaged learning at Villanova. Its mission is to develop and enhance these opportunities, and to encourage reflection in the spirit of St. Thomas of Villanova, who integrated mind and heart in service to others. 

Also in the spirit of our patron saint and namesake, the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service, held annually since 2006, brings together thousands of Villanovans as they work in partnership with service organizations and community agencies in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond—adding to the hundreds of thousands of hours of service undertaken within our community each year.

Opportunities for students to develop their personal and spiritual growth even extend to our residence halls. Our Residential Ministry programs—Graduate Residential Ministers in first-year residences and Peer Ministers in upper-level residences—build meaningful connections between students. The Communitas Learning Community, which about one-third of Villanova’s first-year students join each year, builds community inside and outside the classroom as students live and learn together.