At the airport, an oasis of calm

OUR NEIGHBOR'S FAITH: Interfaith Mediation Room is a place of prayer and peace.

The meditation room at Albany International Airport is used regularly by anxious travelers. (Photo provided)

Most airports have a prayer room but the one at Albany International Airport is unique.

“It is not laid out like a chapel and there are no crosses or icons here,” said Mike Hagin of Latham, a member of the interfaith board that oversees the interfaith meditation room, an oasis of calm amid the chaotic sea of travel for more than 25 years. “The room says we are a community of faith. We are all here together.” The open space allows people to pray based on their faith, he added.

The idea for such a space came from the late Rev. Alfred Siegel, a minister at Loudonville Presbyterian Church for more than 30 years. He approached then-airport CEO John Egan with the idea of creating a place at the airport for travelers to meditate and pray. Egan was agreeable. A committee of clergy of different faith groups as well as lay leaders came up with ideas for the meditation room.

The room, designed by Father Richard Vosko, a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Albany and liturgical design consultant, was dedicated in the fall of 1998. It included wooden benches in a semicircle, Buddhist meditation pillows and a prayer rug facing east toward Mecca for Muslims. Scripture, including the Bhagavad Gita, Old Testament, Bible and Quran were on the shelves, as were religious items like a talitot — Jewish prayer shawls — and rosary beads and scarves for anyone who chose to use them.

The meditation room had been at the C concourse near the Southwest Airlines gates for 20 years, when in order to accommodate Allegiant Air, it was tucked into a conference room at the airport’s business center in 2018. It was downsized from 418 square feet to 392 square feet. The original glass panels with cattail etchings had to be stored away since they couldn’t fit in the smaller area. The original room had fountains which damaged the floor and had been turned off to be replaced with a recording of the sound of flowing water. In the new room, there was no purpose to the sound of gently flowing water so that was omitted. To brighten the space, the interfaith committee chose to install a print of artwork by artist Prafulla Dahanukar of India, the late mother of board member Gauri Mehta of Colonie.

The continuity of the room and its usefulness continue, Hagin said. He appreciated that the airport believes in it and supports it. Travelers use the room regularly. 

“It is a place of peace, a place of prayer, a place to go into and take a couple of deep breaths before going out into the world again,” he said, adding some airport employees also use it regularly.

Since the beginning, a journal has been placed in the room, asking guests to share their thoughts. “Many write how the room made them feel special or welcome or at peace,” Hagin said. “Some of the comments bring you to tears.” Several volumes have been filled with comments. The books are stored at an office at the airport.

“The Interfaith Meditation room is a very important part of the airport,” said Norm Tellier, president of the interfaith board. “It provides a safe place for travelers and employees. The log has many entries of thanks for helping a weary or anxious traveler ease the trip. Some employees take time out of their busy day to have a quiet time in the meditation room during their breaks. It is a valuable resource supported by an interfaith committee representing a broad spectrum of faiths.”

Azra Haqqie is a member of the interfaith board that oversees the meditation room at the Albany International Airport.