Our History

Swarthmore Friends Meeting was established in 1893. Our home is a beautiful old Meetinghouse at the edge of the Swarthmore College campus. A later addition, Whittier House, is used for First Day School and other activities. 

Our Worship

There are several branches of Quakerism, some of which have a more structured worship than we do.  Our worship, similar to that of the original 17th century Quakers, is unprogrammed. We sit for an hour in prayerful silence, broken only when people feel inspired by the Spirit to speak. Learn more…

Our Sense of Community

When you visit, you will feel the warmth and strong caring among us. We support each other in times of need and enjoy many forms of fellowship, including a weekly fellowship hour, monthly potluck lunches, and Friendly Gatherings at people’s homes. Learn more…

Spiritual Deepening

In addition to Sunday worship, we deepen our spirituality in many other ways   For example, in 2013 we had three retreats on Arts and Spirituality and several silent retreats, and in 2014 we began a year-long Spiritual Formation Program. As a part of this program, twenty five of us meet twice a month in small groups to worship together and share our responses to spiritual readings. These retreats and small group meetings enrich our Sunday morning worship in many ways. Learn more…

Relationship with Swarthmore College

Although the Meeting enjoys an excellent relationship with the College, we are an independent organization and most of us have no college affiliation.

Please Join Us

We are glad that you have joined us online and hope you will visit our Meeting. We hold Meeting for Worship every Sunday at 10:00 am. Please explore our website to learn more about who we are and how we worship. You will find more information about Quakerism on our Quakerism and FAQ pages. 

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.