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Main Image for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life

Spiritual Life at Bard College actively promotes and develops a richer understanding of what we believe and how to use our beliefs to transform the world.

Chaplaincy Events

  • 5/12
    Monday
    6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
    Center for Spiritual Life Buddhist Meditation Room

    Guided Meditation

    Monday, May 12, 2025 | 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 | Center for Spiritual Life Buddhist Meditation Room

    Mondays and Thursdays 6pm

    Mondays: Guided Meditation
    6-6:15 pm: Dharma words
    6:15-6:45: Meditation
    6:45-7 pm: Walking meditation and chanting
    Followed by a Sangha get-together with herbal tea and popcorn.

    Thursdays: Silent Meditation
    6-7 pm: Meditation in stillness
    Followed by a Sangha get-together with herbal tea and rice.

    Join at any time and stay for any length of time.
    Contact: Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron
    Phone: 845-752-4619
    E-mail: [email protected]
  • 5/15
    Thursday
    7:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
    Center For Spiritual Life, Resnick Commons A

    Cooking and Baking for Shabbat

    Thursday, May 15, 2025 | 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 | Center For Spiritual Life, Resnick Commons A

    Every Thursday evening, come bake challah and help prepare Shabbat dinner for our Friday evening community gathering. Although these evenings serve a practical purpose, they are also a wonderful opportunity for students to chat, relax, and engage with one another with the openness and closeness that seem so natural in kitchens. All are welcome.
    Contact: Joshua Boettiger
    Phone: 802-733-6342
    E-mail: [email protected]
  • 5/16
    Friday
    6:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
    Center For Spiritual Life, Resnick Commons A

    Shabbat

    Friday, May 16, 2025 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 | Center For Spiritual Life, Resnick Commons A

    Every Friday evening, we gather for a short Shabbat prayer service with singing and discussion, followed by a vegetarian Shabbat dinner. All Bardians are welcome to join us for any part of the evening.
    Contact: Joshua Boettiger
    Phone: 802-733-6342
    E-mail: [email protected]
  • 5/18
    Sunday
    9:45 am – 12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
    Church of St. John the Evangelist, 1114 River Road, Barrytown

    Christian/Episcopal Service

    Sunday, May 18, 2025 | 9:45 am – 12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 | Church of St. John the Evangelist, 1114 River Road, Barrytown

    Join us for services (Holy Communion) at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist (1114 River Road) in Barrytown. Rides to the church are provided every Sunday throughout the academic year. Please be at the Bard Chapel at 9:45 am to get picked up.

    All are welcome!

    Christians, non-Christians, spiritual but not religious, agnostics, believers, doubters, seekers, those who have questions about faith and religion, those struggling to understand where God is in our challenging world—anyone wanting to use their faith to change and act in the world!
    Contact: Mary Grace Williams
    Phone: 203-858-8800
    E-mail: [email protected]
  • 5/18
    Sunday
    11:30 am EDT/GMT-4
    Chapel of the Holy Innocents

    Catholic Mass

    Sunday, May 18, 2025 | 11:30 am EDT/GMT-4 | Chapel of the Holy Innocents

    Catholic Mass will be available at 11:30 in the Holy Innocents Chapel. All are welcome!
    Contact: Jim Hess
    E-mail: [email protected]

What We Do

The Chaplaincy offers spiritual support to all students and members of the Bard community.

We offer spiritual support for all students and members of the Bard community. We provide ways to explore faith academically, often with a focus on social issues, and always with an emphasis on diversity and openness. We are available for pastoral counseling and conversation. We value the varied ways students can explore faith academically and spiritually. Each chaplain also offers religious services and/or opportunities to deepen students’ faith and build community. All are invited to learn more about the diverse perspectives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and other traditions. We work closely with the Student Counseling Service, Student Health Service, Office of the Dean of Students, and others in the Bard community who focus on the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of students, faculty, and staff. The Chaplaincy employs a diverse staff of chaplains to meet the varied spiritual needs of the College. All chaplains are available to provide pastoral care and support for the entire Bard community.

Meet Our Chaplains

The chaplaincy currently includes the Chaplain of the College (an Episcopal priest), a Jewish chaplain (rabbi), a Buddhist chaplain (Zen priest), and a Roman Catholic chaplain (priest), as well as a team of chaplain interns. The chaplains are available to meet with students, staff, and faculty in times of crisis or whenever an attentive and sympathetic ear is needed.

  • Mary Grace Williams
    Chaplain of the College, Episcopal Priest
    Cell: 203-858-8800
    Email: [email protected]

    Mary Grace Williams

    The Rev. Mary Grace Williams, chaplain of the College and dean of community life, came to Bard in 2016 and has taught First-Year Seminar every semester since the 2018 spring semester as well as other courses in religion and the Bible. She received her BA from Rutgers University where she studied theater arts, which led her to move to New York City directly after college to pursue a career in theater. While living in the West Village, she rediscovered her deep interest in spirituality and religion and that inspired her to do a MA in religious education from Fordham University. Eventually this led her to seek ordination as an Episcopal priest, and she attended Yale Divinity School, where she earned a MDiv. Mary Grace has two daughters: Grace, who is currently in medical school in New York City, and Kate, who graduated from Bard in 2020 as a double major in human rights and dance and who now lives in Brooklyn performing and designing and creating clothing. Mary Grace lives in Rhinebeck and has three Cavalier King Charles dogs (Harry, George, and Charles).
  • Joshua Boettiger ’96
    Jewish Chaplain, Rabbi
    Cell: 802-733-6342
    Email: [email protected]
     

    Joshua Boettiger ’96

    Joshua Boettiger ’96 began at Bard in the fall of 2022 after spending the previous nine years serving a congregation in Ashland, Oregon. He was ordained through the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2006 and received his master of fine arts in creative writing (poetry) from Pacific University in 2018. He is a Bard alumnus of the class of ’96, a Rabbis Without Borders fellow, and in the larger community continues to teach meditation and Mussar—Jewish approaches to mindfulness and service. Joshua is excited to be back at Bard with his wife, Vanessa, and their 10 year old daughter, Paloma—and to work as part of the interfaith chaplaincy.
  • Jim Hess
    Catholic Chaplain, Roman Catholic Priest
    Cell: 845-978-6122
    Email: [email protected]

    Jim Hess

    Jim Hess joined the Chaplaincy team in the fall of 2023. Jim is a member of the Carmelite Order and was ordained a priest in 1976. He graduated from the University of Maryland in Jewish Studies and went on to attend the former Washington Theological Union where his concentration was on Systematic Theology and Pastoral Care. Jim has served as a pastor, educator, retreat director, and seminary formator, and is drawn to Bard’s commitment to critical thinking, social engagement, and the arts.
  • Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron
    Buddhist Chaplain, Zen Priest
    Phone: 845-752-4619
    Email: [email protected]

    Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron

    Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron (CCS '99) is an ordained Zen priest in the Soto Zen lineage. She founded the Bard meditation group in 2001 - in response to September 11 - wishing to share the Buddhist teachings of compassion and mindfulness. She describes her 26 year long Zen path in a Bard TEDx talk "My Zen path to liberation: Enjoy a cup of tea!" Her interests include practicing chanoyu, Japanese tea ceremony, and sumie ink painting. She helped establish the Bard Center for Spiritual Life and has taught in various programs at Bard College. She holds a PhD in comparative literature and teaches primarily in studio arts, combining the arts with spirituality.

    Myoko Osho started practicing with John Daido Loori, founder of Zen Mountain Monastery (ZMM), Mt. Tremper, NY in 1997, and took jukai with him, the Buddhist precepts in 2002. After the passing of Daido Roshi in 2009, she turned to Seido Suzuki Roshi who had helped build up ZMM in the 1980s. By now, Seido Roshi was the abbot of Toshoji, an international Zen training monastery in Okayama prefecture, Japan. She was ordained in 2017 and completed a three-year residency at Toshoji. Subsequently she received transmission in 2022 and zuise, full authorization as a Zen teacher, in the summer of 2023.

Our Programs

  • Christian Services

    Christian Services

    Christian Service at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Barrytown (Episcopal)
    Rides provided from the Bard Chapel at 9:45 am every Sunday throughout the academic year. Services begin at 10:00 am.

    Roman Catholic Mass at Bard Chapel
    Mass will be celebrated every Sunday during the academic semesters at noon in the Bard Chapel with prayers for healing. Confessions will be available before Mass, and following Mass all are invited to Breaking Open the Word (a time to share what we heard God saying to our hearts in scripture).

    Contemplative Prayer
    Contemplative prayer is when we use our minds and hearts, and sometimes our imaginative ability, to recognize God’s presence and fix our gaze on the Divine. Join us on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm in the Chapel.
  • Shabbat and Other Holidays

    Shabbat and Other Holidays

    Shabbat is held on Friday evenings beginning at 6:30 pm at the Center for Spiritual Life.

    We gather for a brief Shabbat worship service and a vegetarian Shabbat dinner. All Bardians are welcome to join us for any part of the evening.

    For a full list of Jewish holidays during the academic year at Bard, please click here.
  • Jummah Prayers

    Jummah Prayers

    Pickup for Jummah Prayers is on Fridays at 12:00 pm to go to the Kingston Mosque.

    The Muslim Student Organization (MSO) offers transportation for anyone who would like to go to the mosque on Fridays for Jummah Prayers. Please contact Wais Kakarr at [email protected] or Amirat Maiyegunam at [email protected] for more details.
  • Buddhist Meditation

    Buddhist Meditation

    Meditations are held on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:00 pm at the Center for Spiritual Life.

    All are welcome to participate in a guided meditation on Mondays (with Sangha gathering with herbal tea and popcorn) and a silent meditation on Thursdays (Sangha gathering with herbal tea and a simple bowl of rice). Everybody welcome: newcomers, seasoned meditators, and practitioners from various Buddhist countries. “Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind”: with each conscious breath we are cultivating our appreciation, interconnection, and compassion.
  • Cooking and Baking for Shabbat

    Cooking and Baking for Shabbat

    Cooking and baking for Shabbat takes place on Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm at the Center for Spiritual Life.

    Students meet to bake challah and prepare Shabbat dinner for our Friday evening community gathering. Although these evenings serve a practical purpose (preparing food for Shabbat), they are also a wonderful opportunity for students to chat, relax, and engage with one another with the openness and closeness that seem so natural in kitchens. All are welcome, and no culinary know-how is necessary!
  • Bard Parsha Circle

    Bard Parsha Circle

    The Bard Parsha Circle takes place on Fridays at 12 pm in the Hannah Arendt Center Seminar Room

    There is an ancient Jewish practice of studying a specific Biblical portion, known as the parsha, each week. We're re-inaugurating the Bard parsha circle, open to everyone (though especially students) of all religious backgrounds, and meeting weekly on Fridays at 12 pm in the Hannah Arendt Center seminar room. As a group, we’ll wrestle with the familiar-foreign biblical text, using multiple translations. Snacks will be provided! With Joshua Boettiger.

Facilities and Resources

The Center for Spiritual Life

The Center for Spiritual Life

The Center for Spiritual Life is the primary programming space for the Bard College Chaplaincy. Located in the basement of the Village A dorm, it is home to the Buddhist meditation room, the Beit Shalom Salaam House of Peace meeting room, the Muslim Prayer room, the Center for the Study of James, and a Kosher/Halal kitchen.

Chapel of the Holy Innocents

Chapel of the Holy Innocents

The College chapel was built in 1857 with local oak and stone from quarries across the Hudson River in Ulster County. A gift to the local parish school from John Bard, who later founded St. Stephen’s College, the chapel was dedicated to his son Willie. The structure was rebuilt in 1859 after the original edifice was destroyed by fire.

Resources for Grief

Resources for Grief

These resources are for those who are experiencing grief from loss and are looking for ways to deal with the hurt and/or pain that accompanies it.

Grief Resources Booklet (PDF)

Local Faith Communities

Dutchess County has a vibrant multifaith community. For off-campus resources, please see the list below, compiled by the Bard Chaplaincy.

Dutchess Faith Communities (PDF)

Contacting the Chaplaincy

For more information, please contact:

Bard College Chaplaincy
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000
Phone: 203-858-8800
Email: [email protected]

The Chaplaincy Offices are located in Albee Basement.

The Festival of Lights
Photo by Kay Bell ’26

The Festival of Lights

The annual Festival of Lights interfaith service, hosted by the Bard Chaplaincy every December.

Bard College
30 Campus Road, PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission Email: [email protected]
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