The initial home of the Muslim Community in Worcester was a church at 57 Laurel St, converted to a mosque in 1980. By the end of the century, the community had greatly exceeded what the space could accommodate, so in 2003 groundbreaking took place for a new Islamic center on East Mountain St. in Worcester. The Islamic Society of Greater Worcester (ISGW), previously a sub-chapter of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), was registered as an independent organization in 2004.
Construction was supervised by Dr. Ziad Ramadan with the active involvement of community members in building the new facility. In addition to a mosque that can accommodate approximately 5,000 worshipers, the building is home to Al Huda Academy, a K-8 Islamic School established in 2001 and accredited by the New England Association of School and Colleges (NEASC).
Sources:
“About Alhuda – Alhuda Academy.” n.d. Alhuda Academy. Accessed November 10, 2021. https://www.alhudaacademy.org/about-us/. Archived at https://perma.cc/N4Q7-RQ55.
“HISTORY | WIC MOSQUE.” n.d. WIC MOSQUE. Accessed November 10, 2021. https://www.wicmasjid.org/history. Archived at https://perma.cc/49MQ-JWQR.
“Our History – ISGW Worcester Mosque.” n.d. Islamic Society of Greater Worcester. Accessed November 10, 2021. https://isgw.us/our-history/. Archived at https://perma.cc/6AS2-9QFJ.
