Walker Hall
At Taft you will find a wide range of religions and philosophical views represented among the student population. Our goal is help students from a variety of traditions find spiritual strength and community support in the religious and spiritual programs that are being offered.
We view education as both an intellectual and a spiritual endeavor. All expressions of faith are celebrated and respected as we look for common moral, ethical, and spiritual ground in the world’s treasure house of great religions.
In the Taft community, we believe that a sound, broad-based liberal arts education has at its core the quest for meaning and purpose. Our understanding is that no one spiritual group or religious tradition is in sole possession of the Truth. With this in mind, we covenant with one another to pursue Truth through religion, science, art, music, athletics, and in every other human inquiry.
Today’s world is replete with rich opportunities for all of us to evolve as global citizens so that we can live mindfully in this world with consideration and concern for others. We believe that educating the whole person encourages and challenges us to take seriously the values and moral codes that we have inherited through our many diverse cultural and religious traditions.
—Chaplain Robert Ganung
The School Chaplain brings to the community an understanding and celebration of the world’s various religious faiths. There are also two associate chaplains who work with the Jewish Student Organization and the Buddhist meditation group. During the winter months, students gather in the Choral Room on selected evenings for "spiritual discourse and reflection" while relaxing with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. This warm and inviting setting by the fireplace invites students from all religious and nonreligious backgrounds to come together and exchange spiritual ideas in a friendly and inviting atmosphere.
The offerings of the Global Service and Scholarship Department promote spiritual, moral, and ethical discourse among students. On Tuesday and Thursday of each week, the entire school gathers for Morning Meeting in Bingham Auditorium—a time for reflection by students, faculty, the headmaster, chaplain, or outside speakers. The Paduano Lecture Series invites distinguished speakers to offer lectures in the field of philosophy and ethics. Grounded in Taft’s mission to educate the whole person, the school provides many opportunities on campus—both formal and informal—to nurture spiritual life.
Opportunities Include:
- Monthly Candlelight Vespers
- Morning Meeting
- Jewish Student Organization
- Monthly Shabbat Dinners
- Buddhist Meditation Group
- Weekly Sunday Worship Service
- Monthly Communion
- Yoga/Meditation
- Bible Study
- FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools)
- Coffee Houses
- Transportation to local places of worship
Worship Services in the Area:
Christian
Baptist
Southbury Baptist Church
114 Roxbury Rd (Rte 67), Southbury
203-264-2407
Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m.
Church School at 9:30 a.m.
Congregational
First Congregational Church
40 Deforest Street, Watertown
860-274-6737
Sunday Services at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.
Church School at 10:00 a.m.
Episcopal
Christ Church
25 The Green, Watertown
860-274-1910
Sunday Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m.
St. John’s Episcopal Church
16 Church Street, Waterbury
203-754-3116
Sunday 8:00 and 10:15 AM
Lutheran
Our Savior Lutheran Church
505 South Main Street, Thomaston
860-274-8534
Sunday Worship at 10:15 a.m.
Methodist
United Methodist Church
305 Main Street, Watertown
860-274-4067
Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m.
Nondenominational
Calvary Chapel Southbury
134 Main Street South
Southbury, CT 06488
203-267-5441
Tuesday Prayer 7:30 p.m.
Thursday Midweek and Teen Services 7:00 p.m.
Sunday Service at 10:00 a.m.
Orthodox
Christ the Savior (OCA)
1070 Roxbury Rd, Southbury
Saturday vespers, 6:00 PM
Sunday service, 9:30 A.M
Pentecostal
Pentecostal Assembly Church
39 Crown Street, Waterbury
Sunday Service: 11:00; Taft Pick-up 9:15 am
Roman Catholic
St. John’s Church
574 Main Street, Watertown
860-274-8836
Saturday Mass at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Masses 7:00 and 10:00 a.m., 12:00 and 5:00 p.m.
Jewish
Orthodox
B’Nai Shalom Synagogue
135 Roseland Avenue, Waterbury
203-754-4159
Conservative
Beth El Synagogue
444 Main St North, Southbury
203-264-4500
Friday nights at 8:00 p.m.
Shabbat mornings at 9:30 a.m.
Reform
B’Nai Israel
444 Main St North, Southbury
203-267-3394
Friday nights at 7:30 p.m.
Muslim
United Muslim Mosque
132 Propsect Street
Waterbury, CT 06710
203-756-6365
Meditation
Woodbury Yoga Center
203-263-2254 *
122 West Side Road, Woodbury
* Call for a schedule of classes offered
**Transportation to places of worship outside of Watertown will be provided by the Chaplain’s Office upon request.
WALKER HALL
Walker Hall fulfills Horace Taft’s vision of a vibrant, community-centered spirituality grounded in the ministry of service to others. Embracing the importance of religion and ritual, celebrating the sanctity and uniqueness of Taft’s interfaith community, affirming the spiritual quest of each individual, and calling all members of the school to seek justice through service in the world, Walker Hall stands as the sacred communal space for spiritual, musical, and intellectual reflection. In addition to supporting the programs offered by the Chaplain’s Office, Music Department, and select student groups through appropriate secular and religious opportunities for reflection, Walker Hall also serves as the center for outreach to the town through educational lectures, musical performances, and community service.
Read more about the Walker Hall Music Series
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