Spaces, Food, and Policies

Whether you're looking for a place to pray or reflect, seeking dining options that meet your dietary needs, or exploring resources that support your faith and beliefs, the Chaplain and Religious Life is here to help. At the heart of this work is Canterbury House, the welcoming home of the Chaplain and Religious Life and a hub for belonging, community, and spiritual life at SMU.

Explore campus prayer and meditation spaces, discover worship opportunities, learn about dining accommodations, and find university policies and resources that support religious and spiritual life. Whether you're visiting Canterbury House for conversation, quiet reflection, worship in St. Alban's Chapel, or connection with others, you'll find a welcoming space where every member of the SMU community belongs.

exterior photo of building, lights stone with red and brown brick, white trimmed windows, arched entryway to porch, trees and bushes around building

Welcome to Canterbury House

Canterbury House at 3308 Daniel Avenue (directly behind the Law School quad) is the hub of belonging and religious life at SMU, and home base for the Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life.  A warm, welcoming space for community building, Canterbury House is a social space offering quiet and connection.  Within Canterbury House, St. Alban’s Chapel is holy space for prayer, worship, and reflection.  

Canterbury House is away from the busy-ness of campus and a center of community building.  At Canterbury you’ll find a space to connect with colleagues and mentors, to engage in meaningful conversation, or to rest with a good book or music.  

Canterbury House is welcoming of all, offers opportunities to integrate intellectual life and spiritual life, and challenges everyone to live out their faith in the world.  Through prayer and worship, open mic nights and faith and the arts events, as well as meaningful conversations and personal reflection, everyone is nurtured mind, body and spirit and welcomed with love and hospitality. 

interior room with dark wood panel and light stone walls, light stone table at back, dark wood chairs for seating in room

St. Alban’s Chapel

small group of people gathered in room with light walls and dark wood furniture

Gathering Space

interior room with light colored walls and built in bookshelves lining the perimeter of the room, long dark wood table with 12 chairs in the middle of room

Library

Campus Spaces

 

Canterbury House and St. Alban’s Chapel

Canterbury House is the home of SMU’s Office of Religious Life and the hub of belonging and religious life on campus. Inside you’ll find cozy, homey study space and St. Alban’s Chapel. Open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Cox School of Business Meditation Space

A quiet space for prayer/reflection in the heart of Cox School of Business.  This space is also designed for nursing moms.

Cox School of Business

Habito Labyrinth

A seven-circuit design, based on the eleven-circuit medieval labyrinth in France’s Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres. The Labyrinth is located in the Frost Marcus Labyrinth Courtyard Gardens, in the open and accessible space between Prothro and Selecman Halls at Perkins School of Theology.

Learn More

Kathy Crow Commons Prayer and Meditation Room

The prayer and meditation room in Kathy Crow Commons offers a quiet space for reflection, prayer, or mindfulness. It is located through the north entrance, just before the Commons classroom, and is open to all on-campus residents. To request access, scan the QR code on the door and complete the Qualtrics form.

Kathy Crow Commons

Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park

The Native Texas Park is open from sunup to sundown 365 days a year. It is located on the south side of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on Bush Avenue.

Moody Graduate School Building Quiet Room

Moody Hall offers a quiet reflection room for meditation and prayer for SMU students, faculty, and staff.

Moody Hall

Perkins Chapel

Perkins Chapel is located on Bishop Boulevard and a centerpiece of the Charles and Elizabeth Prothro Theology Quadrangle. A sign of the University’s Methodist identity, Perkins Chapel is home to worship for Perkins School of Theology and weekly Mass services for Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU, as well as University-wide services.

Perkins Chapel

Prayer Room

The Prayer Room is located on the 2nd floor of Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Two Ablution rooms are located nearby as well.

Hughes-Trigg Student Center

Worship Opportunities

Chaplain and Religious Life offers opportunities throughout the year for prayer, worship, reflection, and community. Whether you are looking for a regular worship service or a meaningful campus tradition, all are welcome to participate.

  • Weekly Worship – Join us for regular worship services that provide opportunities for prayer, reflection, and community throughout the academic year.
  • Service of Memory – An annual service honoring members of the SMU community and loved ones who have passed away, offering space for remembrance, hope, and healing.
  • Ash Wednesday – The SMU community is invited to observe Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes and opportunities for prayer and reflection as the Lenten season begins.

Additional Faith Community Gatherings

Information about Shabbat Dinner, Jumu'ah Prayer, and Hindu holy day observances is available through our campus faith community partners. Please visit the linked pages for schedules and details.

Food

The Office of the Chaplain and Religious Life works collaboratively with to meet religious dietary needs. If you have other special dietary needs, please reach out to SMU Hospitality to schedule a conversation with the campus dietitian.

  • Halal protein is available at every meal in Umphrey Lee Dining Hall [International Station]
  • Halal “grab and go” options are available at:  Mac’s Place, The Market (in Hughes-Trigg Student Center) and POD (in Owen Arts Center)
 

  • While SMU does not have a kosher kitchen, pre-packaged kosher meals are available upon request in Umphrey Lee Dining Hall and Arnold Dining Commons
  • Kosher “grab and go” options are available at:  Mac’s Place, The Market (in Hughes-Trigg Student Center) and P.O.D. (in Own Arts Center)
  • SMU Hospitality provides a dietician that is eager to meet with students seeking to keep kosher – More information about scheduling an appointment is available here.

Umphrey Lee Dining Hall, Arnold Dining Commons, The Market, Mac’s Place and P.O.D. all provide vegan and vegetarian food items.

Policies

SMU Religious Life Partners Program Policy Statement: Status as a Religious Life Partner is at the discretion of the OCRL as outlined in this document and is subject to revision and updates as needed. 

SMU Religious Life Partners Program Policy Statement

SMU Religious Observance Policy for students: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

OCRL recommends that you notify your professor in writing during the first two weeks of each semester if you plan to miss class for religious holiday observance.

University Policy 7.22 provides information for faculty and staff religious holiday observance.

View Religious Holidays for the 2025-2026 Academic Year