About Penn MSA
Mission Statement
The Muslim Students' Association of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn MSA) was founded in 1963 with the aim of helping Penn Muslims refine their hearts and minds. We are here to build faith and community by fostering a space under the guidance of Islamic principles. Today, Penn MSA has grown to cover not only faith and community, but also to facilitate institutional support for the Muslim community at Penn.
In 1973, Penn MSA founded Masjid Al-Jamia on 18 S 43rd St. Today, Jamia is run by the West Philadelphia community and has grown to become one of the largest mosques in the area. In January 2017, Penn MSA was joined by our first full-time Muslim Chaplain, Sister Patricia Anton. Patty is here to support students and provide guidance, as well as to foster further development of the Penn Muslim community.
Chaplain Patty Anton
Patricia Anton is the Muslim Chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania. She has come into chaplaincy with a background of working with Muslim, interfaith, academic and peace-building institutions, including: the International Interfaith Peace Corps, Islamic Society of North America, Islamic Relief, Pillars of Peace, and American University, among others. Patricia’s studies and work have taken her to Egypt, Jordan, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, the UAE, Yemen and Senegal.
Patricia received her BA in International Relations from the Ohio State University, MA in Islamic Studies from the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, A Graduate Fellowship in Non-Profit Management and Governance from Indiana University, additional graduate studies at George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and currently is completing a certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy with Hartford Seminary.
Contact Information
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Office Location: 118 S. 37th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office Hours by Appointment
Board 2023
Coming soon…