Dental school cancels Masses

National Catholic Reporter, Sept 26, 2003 by Dennis Coday

MILWAUKEE -- On the advice of lawyers, Jesuit-run Marquette University has halted a weekly Mass at its new dental school, because the $35 minion school was constructed with $15 million in state funds and $5 million from the federal government. University attorneys said continuing the worship service could lead to a church-state separation controversy.

The school received the public dollars for the building because it educates the majority of Wisconsin's dentists and is the only dental school in the state.

"Obviously, at Marquette we have places that have Mass on campus. The distinction here is that we've decided it's not appropriate to have it in this particular building because of the issues involved in public funding," said Ben Tracy, a university spokesman. "This is simply about the building."