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Faith and Spirituality Services and Support
Religion, spirituality, faith and practice are unique to everyone. Laurier has the duty to accommodate your faith and spirituality needs based on creed under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Find resources related to multi-faith and spirituality such as:
- Multi-faith support, including prayer spaces and chaplains.
- Religious and spiritual accommodations, including religious holidays calendar.
- Muslim Student Associations
Multi-Faith Supports
The Multi-Faith Resource Team, which includes the university chaplains, is available to assist students, staff and faculty in their efforts to research or discuss ethical and theological issues. As Laurier is a place where students can enhance their own religious knowledge and be challenged by unfamiliar faith stances, the Resource Team is available to support people from all religious traditions.
The Multi-Faith Resource Team office in Waterloo is located in room 2C10 in the Arts Building.
Multi-Faith Prayer/Quiet Space
Offering multi-faith hospitality for the religious and spiritual needs of the Laurier community, Laurier’s multi-faith prayer spaces is a dedicated quiet space for prayer, meditation and community.
The space includes ablution/washing stations, prayer mats, chairs, meditation pillows, spiritual texts and other resources.
Prayer Space Locations
On the Waterloo campus, there are two prayer spaces:
- Room P101, Peters Building
- Room BA103 in Bricker Academic (OneCard entry)
On the Brantford campus, the prayer space is located in the Carnegie Building (CB105 Access Code 1233).
At our Kitchener location, the prayer space is located in the Faculty of Social Work (FSW321), Spiritual Room.
For questions, concerns to requests related to prayer spaces, contact spirituality@wlu.ca.
Anne Anderson is from a Christian background – specifically, she is a Lutheran pastor from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. She has been called to work at Martin Luther University College on Laurier’s Waterloo Campus and support the work of the Multi–Faith Office. She is a chaplain because she loves working with students and young people and encouraging them to think big and dream possibilities as they explore their faith. She is passionate about people and loves to listen, encourage and explore issues with the people around her.
As a university chaplain, Anderson facilitates the lending library for incoming students looking for household goods to borrow while they are at school, the St. Paddy’s Day alternative celebration on campus, a weekly worship on Sundays called thirdspace at the Keffer chapel, and fellowship, service and learning opportunities throughout the year. She is always up for a coffee and conversation.
Anderson's office hours at the Multi Faith Office are by appointment and she also has an office at Martin Luther University College, where she keeps open office hours Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in S139. Stop by and say hello or contact her at ananderson@wlu.ca or 519.884.0710 x3530.
Melissa Burmaster has a Masters of Divinity from Tyndale Seminary and is currently working on her ordination with the Christian Reformed Denomination for Spring of 2024. She is delighted to be in the role of Campus Pastor at Laurier and make herself available to walk alongside students exploring Christian faith and asking questions that sit at the crossroads of faith and academia. Her passions centre around contemplative spiritual practices, exploring the existential questions of life and learning how to live like Jesus in a complex world.
She is no stranger to Laurier Campus having completed business courses from ’94 —‘96 for her BMath in Business Information Systems from University of Waterloo. After her first degree, she married a Mechanical Engineer and settled in Cambridge. While raising her three children, she continued to take courses and completed a second bachelors in Education in 2013 and then her most recent Master’s in spring 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys nature hikes, gardening, quilting and word games like Scrabble, Wordle and Quordle.
Melissa is available by appointment Thursdays & Fridays at Laurier. She plans to be at the Laurier Chaplain’s office on Thursday mornings from 9:30 -11:30. Feel free to drop by and say hi, or get in touch with Melissa via email. She will gladly pick up the tab for coffee!
Paul Ellingham provides a open space in which to ask all kinds of questions – even if you need a little help figuring out what they are. He doesn't claim to have all the questions or answers but he'll walk with you through your search. Paul was on the Laurier campus as a student and has now been campus minister for over 25 years. He plays trombone with a number of music students on Fridays and fits office hours in around that time.
- Contact: paulellingham3@gmail.com.
Rabbi Moshe Goldman is a born and bred New Yorker who has called Waterloo home since 2008. He serves as the Jewish chaplain on Laurier's Multi-Faith Resource Team as well as at the University of Waterloo's Chaplains Association. He is happily married with seven children, and with his wife offers weekly Shabbat services and dinners as well as classes on Judaism and Jewish holiday celebrations at the Rohr Chabad Centre for Jewish Life, just up the block from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. He thoroughly enjoys the opportunities to provide support and guidance to students during their university years and beyond.
- Contact: rmg@jewishwaterloo.com.
Christopher is originally from Belle River Ontario. He serves as the Catholic Campus Minister for Laurier and has served the Catholic student community of Kitchener-Waterloo at the St. John Paul II Student Centre since 2022. He holds degrees in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Western Ontario, St. Peter’s Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. Christopher can often be found at the St. John Paul II Student Centre, behind St. Michael’s Parish on Hemlock Street. Drop by and visit if you need to talk, pray, relax with a game, or are looking to explore the faith more deeply.
- Contact: campusminister@jp2waterloo.ca
Fr. Christopher is originally from the West Coast. He has been an Orthodox priest since 2005. He is married with four kids and serves as the Orthodox chaplain at Laurier and the University of Waterloo as well as being the pastor of Christ the Saviour Antiochian Orthodox (English Language) Church in Waterloo. His hobbies and interests include reading and discussing fantasy and sci-fi, movies, gardening and camping. He is always ready to listen and offer helpful stories and lessons from ancient men and women that always apply to our day-to-day life.
- Contact: father@xcsaviour.com.
Selda has been serving as a community Muslim Chaplain in Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo since 2001. As a Muslim spiritual guidance, Selda assists students, staff and faculty in their efforts to explore, research, and discuss theological issues and spirituality since 2015 at WLU. Selda is well connected with diverse Muslim community in KW and promotes social cohesion through her intra-faith and inter-faith collaborative works and projects.
Selda is teaching as a part time professor at Martin Luther University College. She is completing her PhD in Human Relationships and specializing in “Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy” stream as a “Spiritual-Therapist” and “Psycho-Therapist”.
As a professionally trained counsellor and chaplain, Selda provides a safe and open space for individuals and groups to support their spiritual growth and address their spiritual or spirituality related issues in a person-centered, holistic, and non judgmental-approach. Selda enjoys the opportunity to walk with the students, faculty, and staff members on their spiritual journey on campus and beyond. Selda has been running “Discussion Circles for Students” and “Muslim Women Empowerment Circle” on campus for students and community since 2015. Selda has received multiple awards since she has been in KW including the Coalition of Muslim Women, Women Who Inspire Award in INSPIRING LEADERSIP category (March 2017); Wilfrid Laurier University, The Community Psychology Award (April 2017); and Canada 150 Sesquicentennial Award in recognition of her “Outstanding Commitment to Service” (December 2017).
Please feel free to contact Selda to book an appointment and learn more about ongoing circles.
- Contact: ssezen@wlu.ca
Religious/Spiritual Accommodations
Wilfrid Laurier University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all members of the university community and has a duty to provide accommodation based on creed (religion) under the Ontario Human Rights Code. This obligation requires the university to work with students to provide reasonable accommodation when a student’s religious observances or spiritual beliefs creates a conflict with their academic schedule and subsequent ability to meet the academic requirements of the course as presented in the course outline.
Developing accommodations is a shared responsibility. Students need to work with their instructors and university staff to address accommodation requirements.
Request accommodation due to a religious or spiritual observance.
Our intention is twofold:
- We wish to create a space where Muslim students can come together and strengthen their communal ties based upon their faith; and
- We wish to build a space where Muslims and non-Muslims can come together, learn from one another, and appreciate one another as human beings.
The MSA does this through running a varied set of events throughout the academic year. Many of these events are in collaboration with different cultural and ideological student-run organizations on and off the Waterloo campus. We also intend to grow by connecting with individuals that have prominent roles in society; this will allow us to combat the negative image of Muslims created through the media, and it will allow us to partake in the vital communal aid aspect of Islam.
Connect With Us
Email: msa@wlu.ca
Facebook: Muslim Students' Association (Waterloo)
Instagram: @wlumsa
LinkedIn: Muslim Students' Association (Waterloo)
The Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) in Brantford is seeks to empower all students to become informed citizens of the global community and to challenge the Islamophobic narrative of Islam in Western society through various initiatives, events, campaigns, and workshops.
Our Programs
- General Meetings: Held once a week, these meetings are to inform members and others of the activities MSA Brantford will be hosting throughout the month.
- Syrian Refugee Program: Coming soon.
- Eid: Celebrated after the month of Ramadan, this event is an opportunity for Muslim students and allies to come together as a community. This event includes a potluck, music and activities.
- Bingo Night: Held once a term, bingo night is a fun night for all students to get together and take a break from studying/exam stress.
- Let’s Talk Over Coffee: Held once a term, this coffee house event allows for Muslim students and allies to have meaningful conversations about the Muslim faith, diversity and allyship.
Ways to Get Involved
If you identify with our cause, you should become a member. To become a member of the MSA Brantford, you must commit to attending a predetermined number of events and/or meetings throughout the year. Membership in MSA Brantford allows you to get involved in leadership roles and you will be eligible to list MSA Brantford involvement on your Experience Record.
Get involved by attending one of our meetings or email msawlu.br@gmail.com for more information.
Connect With Us
Email: msawlu.br@gmail.com
Facebook: Laurier Brantford Muslim Students' Association
Instagram: @msabrantford
LinkedIn: Laurier Brantford Muslim Students' Association
Learn More About Us
Our mission is to create safer spaces on campus where Muslim students can grow in their faith as well as raise awareness and implement programming surrounding issues and injustices faced by Muslim peoples. The MSA Brantford also organizes social events to create a positive atmosphere for Muslim students to establish a sense of belonging and community.
Our vision is to foster an inclusive community for Muslim students, promote spiritual growth through the teachings of Islam, and bring awareness of social issues surrounding the Muslim community.
Values
- non-hierarchical
- anti-oppression
- community
- spirituality
- support
- growth
- inclusion
- empowerment
- global awareness
- environmentalism
- philanthropy