Villanova University - St. Rita Hall

At the heart of Villanova’s campus, St. Rita's Hall is named for an Augustinian nun renowned for her perseverance and works of peace and reconciliation.

Built in 1912 after the Belle-Aire mansion purchased by the Augustinian friars in 1842 was destroyed by fire, the current St. Rita Hall once served as a seminary building for friars in formation, a convent for religious sisters, and a residence hall for Villanova students.  After a major renovation in 2023, St. Rita’s is now home to the entire division of Mission and Ministry.  

Guided by the principle of “call nothing your own but let everything be yours in common,” as articulated in the first chapter of the Rule of St. Augustine , St. Rita’s reflects the interconnectedness of Mission and Ministry, and the collaborative and cohesive approach the division brings to serving the entire University community.

Within the building, are located the following departments:

• Center for Liturgy and Sacred Music
• Center for Spirituality and Outreach
• Center for Multifaith Ministry
• Center for Residential Ministry
• Center for Faith and Learning
• Center for Peace and Justice Education
• St. Thomas of Villanova Center for the Common Good
• Office for Sustainability
• Office of the Vice President

Several common spaces and meeting rooms are featured throughout the building, including a kitchen, dining room, community room and student lounge. In addition, the building has a Multifaith Prayer Room, with an adjacent ablution room for ritual washing, adding to the list of several sacred spaces on campus.

From worship to spiritual growth; to pastoral care and accompaniment of all backgrounds and faiths; to advocacy; to service; to sustainable living and care for the earth; to integration of mind and heart, Mission and Ministry strives to embody and advance the University’s Catholic and Augustinian identity. It is our hope that our new building symbolizes this endeavor, echoing the last words of St Rita: to “remain in peace and charity.”