An ode to dorm room blessings

This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter . Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.

In recent weeks, Facebook’s algorithm has fed me dozens of posts from a group called “Dorm Room Mamas.”

In the posts, moms of college students show off the work they put into their sons’ and daughters’ dorm rooms, work that includes buying (and filling) snack carts, creating a makeshift headboard out of cardboard boxes and sourcing the perfect footstool that can double as a chair.

The pictures and comments shouldn’t appeal to me, since it’s been 16 years since I moved into my freshman dorm and it will be at least 14 years until I move one of my kids into college.

But I still read through every “Dorm Room Mamas” post that pops up on my Facebook page, simultaneously delighted and horrified by these enthusiastic moms.

What I enjoy most isn’t the design work or the tips on saving money — “Go dumpster diving near dorms at the end of every semester!” — it’s the love and care the moms clearly have for their children. I don’t think I’ll ever put so much energy into dorm room decor, but I do hope to help my sons ride into young adulthood on a similar wave of parental support.

Amid my obsession with “Dorm Room Mamas,” my husband pointed me to another fascinating dorm-related social media trend: Religious leaders are using sites like TikTok to promote “dorm room blessings,” a service in which they pray in a dorm to help students prepare for a new school year.

These blessing aren’t new, but they’re getting a new wave of attention thanks to the social media posts . The TikTok and Instagram videos show faith leaders meeting with students, saying a brief prayer and, in some cases, flinging holy water around.

As you might have guessed, I love these posts almost as much as I love “Dorm Room Mamas.” I enjoy seeing students connect with on-campus religious resources, and faith leaders finding a quick and easy way to welcome new arrivals.

Neither the blessings nor the carefully selected dorm room decor will guarantee that college students do well in their classes or make friends right away. But both provide a foundation that young people can draw strength or comfort from during difficult moments in the semester ahead.

Fresh off the press

It’s been 17 months since the Supreme Court heard a religion case. When will the streak end?

A lawsuit claimed that teaching evolution promotes atheism. Here’s what a federal court said

Should churches endorse political candidates? New lawsuit reignites old debate

Term of the week: R-1 visa

An R-1 visa is the name of the visa used by religious workers coming to the United States to support the work of American churches. For example, foreign-born Catholic priests use R-1 visas to be able to serve in U.S. Catholic churches.

Under an R-1 visa, religious workers can stay in the U.S. for up to five years. That gives American religious leaders time to determine if the foreign-born faith leaders should be offered a longer term position — and if they should petition for permanent resident status before the five years run out.

The process of shifting from R-1 visa recipient to permanent resident ran pretty smoothly for many years, but a recent change to the government’s approach to processing green card applications has thrown a wrench in the system, according to The Associated Press .

Now, it’s far from guaranteed that an R-1 visa holder will be granted permanent resident status before their original five years runs out, which creates confusion for both American and non-American faith leaders. A Catholic diocese in New Jersey recently sued the federal government in hopes of getting the old system restored, The Associated Press reported.

What I’m reading...

This year’s presidential election puts interfaith marriage in the spotlight, since Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance are both Christians married to non-Christians. This development would have been almost unthinkable a few decades ago, religion experts told NPR.

Amid a growing debate over religion’s role in public education , The Atlantic published a thoughtful essay about how engaging with religious texts and teachings can help students from all sorts of religious backgrounds run toward, rather than away from, questions about the meaning of life.

Katelyn Beaty, co-host of the “Saved By the City” podcast, closed out her summer series called “Tell Katelyn What to Do With Her Life” with an emotional episode about her desire to be a mom and her research into becoming a mom without a partner. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Odds and ends

On Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Republican and Democratic nominees for president, will meet up in Philadelphia for a presidential debate. In case you’d like a refresher, here are my stories about what Trump and Harris have said about their faith.