Faith and Spiritual Life gets an upgraded space

Faith and Spiritual Life gets an upgraded space

By Dana Mitchell, Intern, Division of Student Affairs

March 19, 2019

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[Faith and Spiritual Life]
Members of Faith and Spiritual Life include, from left, Indigenous representative Nathan Brinklow, Interfaith Chaplain Kate Johnson, Rev. Wendy Luella Perkins, and Imam Abdullah El-Asmar.

The Faith and Spiritual Life office is one of the many exciting new spaces in Mitchell Hall.

Located on the second floor, Faith and Spiritual Life offers a spacious setting with offices for one-on-one appointments, a lounge area, and a new interfaith room.

“Our new venue allows us to expand our spiritual programming, provide greater hospitality and be more available for private conversation,” says Kate Johnson, Inter-Faith Chaplain at Queen’s. “The addition of our new interfaith room also allows us to offer more rituals, to give instruction in prayer and meditation and provide a space for both staff and students to reflect and regroup.”

The interfaith room was designed to provide a peaceful, non-denominational location for students and staff to practice reflection, meditation and prayer. The new space is accessible and welcoming to anyone who wishes to find spiritual connection and community on campus.

For those seeking guidance about meditative practices, the chaplain’s office can provide instructions and helpful resources from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions.  

The addition of the interfaith room has also fostered the development of new programs and events, including a worship service for Muslim students and a grief support group presented by Bereaved Families of Ontario-Kingston Region.

Soulful Singing, one of the most popular events offered at the Faith and Spiritual Life office, brings students, staff and faculty together every Wednesday to promote the inclusive and uplifting meditative practice of song.

“The new space is very accessible and welcoming to everyone,” says Alejandro Bascope Alipaz (MA’19). “Taking part in the soulful singing activity is so calming compared to the everyday tasks of studying and grading papers. These activities offer you a moment to breathe and relax while also meeting people that you wouldn’t meet otherwise.”

In addition to the new space, ablution stations have also been added to the washrooms on the second floor of Mitchell Hall.

The Office of Faith and Spiritual Life hopes to continue expanding its programming in the 2019/20 school year, with more events, workshops and a spiritual film series.

To learn more about upcoming events and services, visit the Faith and Spiritual Life website