McMaster University Chaplaincy

100 dozen cookies in 48 hours seems like an unattainable goal, but an appeal launched for students affected by a fire, brought in more than 300 dozen! On October 18th, residence life staff helped to evacuate 580 students from Brandon Hall. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but all students had to be re-located for the whole term. For first year students, their greatest loss was the sense of community that is part of residence life.

While most were re-located to local hotels, they needed a lounge on campus. Within eleven days, the university (with much help from the community) created a beautiful lounge for Brandon Hall students. As part of the opening ceremony, the Anti-Violence Network (AVN) presented individual bags of homemade cookies for each student and
residence advisor. The Chaplain, who facilitates the AVN, began a mass email appeal to Presbyterian, United, Anglican, Christian Reformed and Catholic churches, in addition to network members, including the Jewish Student Association and the Muslim Student Association. Soon, the Chaplaincy Centre was more like a bake shop as boxes and tins of cookies covered the floor and shelves.

Chaplain Assistant, Loretta Cassiani and student, Kim Pastrak, organized a group of volunteers who created more than 600 bags of cookies, as well as trays for all the staff offices who were so instrumental in helping the students’ transition into temporary housing. The cookies were a small way of expressing our concern for all the disruption and hardship that the fire caused the students. International student, Brenda Chuinkam, particularly appreciated the wonderful treats.

A small group of students gathers in the Chaplain’s office around a candle. We check in from the past week, and then quiet ourselves for lectio divina. Like the response to the creation of light in Genesis, this time of receiving light from scripture is good. Indeed, it is very good.

Groups like the Anti-Violence Network and the McMaster Poverty Initiative help to keep the Chaplaincy connected and part of campus life, but it is the one-on-one relationships that bless and challenge the Chaplain. Collaborative events like Soul Food Fair, the week of prayer for Christian Unity and the Ecumenical Ash Wednesday service highlight the importance of team work. But equally important is our presence in the community, listening and providing care for those who come into the office with questions and worries, and being available for those who stay late to talk after a meeting.

Chaplaincy includes so many varied dimensions, but every Friday afternoon I am reminded once again of our centre. A small group of students gathers in the Chaplain’s office around a candle. We check in from the past week, and then quiet ourselves for lectio divina. Like the response to the creation of light in Genesis, this time of receiving light from scripture is good. Indeed, it is very good.

— The Reverend Henry Hildebrandt, Director