Campus Ministry – keeping the faith

January 25, 2008

By Colleen MacPherson

Being a university student is a busy, demanding time, and there is a group of dedicated people on campus working to ensure that faith, an important component of many people’s lives, is not lost in the shuffle.

“We’re here to keep spirituality on the table,” said Ursula Wiig, chaplain with the Ecumenical Chaplaincy (Anglican, Presbyterian and United) and a member of the U of S Campus Ministry. “Our priority, the priority for all the chaplains, is to be here for students, regardless of their faith affiliation.”

Wiig is a lay member of the United Church of Canada but comes well qualified for a job that involves both spiritual quest and intellectual inquiry. Originally trained as a teacher in England, Wiig has a BA in religious studies from Queen’s University, a Master of Theological Studies from St. Andrew’s College and an MA in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University. She joined the chaplaincy in 2000.

From her not-always-easy-to-find office in the Marquis/Qu’Appelle Hall tunnel, Wiig explained the U of S Campus Ministry is made up of chaplains representing many faiths – Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, aboriginal Christian and Muslim – who work individually with members of their faith but also together, taking a non-denominational approach to serving the spiritual needs of the campus community. Wiig is, in fact, the multi-faith co-ordinator for the ministry, “so part of my job is to network with other faith groups in the wider community.”

The results of her efforts, and those of the other chaplains, is a broad array of worship events, guest speakers and discussion opportunities, group explorations, visits to off-campus places of worship, memorial and commemorative services, films, gatherings and meals that all come with an open invitation to anyone interested in attending.

The non-denominational aspects of her job hold particular appeal for Wiig who has observed “a general cynicism about organized religion these days with much more church shopping going on.  People are more likely to explore among the chaplaincies and campus groups and I see that kind of interest in spirituality as an opportunity to do things a little differently.”

Working in a young adult ministry has proven to Wiig the value of University chaplains of all faith affiliations. “The student years are one of those turning points in our lives,” she said, “so it’s important we’re here. Some people really are interested in finding out more about different religions and some let go of their faith.  I did, when I was that age. You’ve got to give students the space they need to explore other things so you’ve got to be prepared to be flexible.”

A recent study group Wiig was involved in addressed issues related to life after university. “For some people, leaving university is scarier than coming to university. You’re coming to a ‘known.’ When you leave, it’s an unknown and you’re expected to be an adult. The group looked at questions like what’s next, and where do I go from here.”

A new initiative being developed by the ministry is a Christian elder service which stems from “an awareness that aboriginal people are living in two worlds – the Christian and the aboriginal.” The goal, said Wiig, is to provide support and a place for dialogue among both aboriginal and non-aboriginal people.