New SFU faith centre for growing student population

By Jeff Graham

On top of Burnaby mountain there is a beautiful new oasis of faith for students seeking Catholic fellowship. The Simon Fraser University Interfaith Centre, a facility that occupies a prime piece of real estate in the Academic Quadrangle, had its grand opening Oct. 30, with President Michael Stevenson and Father Fernando Mignone, who is a member of Opus Dei, along with other staff, chaplains, and students.

Jeff Graham / The B.C. Catholic Education student Charlotte Kerssens is one of many Catholics at Simon Fraser University who utilize the confessional at the school’s new Interfaith Centre. The Catholic Society at SFU shares the brand new facility with other religious groups on Burnaby Mountain.

The new centre, completed in August, is a substantial improvement over the last facility in both size and location, but according to Father Mignone, the new IFC is already too small for the rapidly growing Catholic population. For instance, he said, when daily Mass is well attended there isn't enough room for everyone to sit.

For Father John Swinkels, the first Catholic chaplain to Simon Fraser University, it was a welcome sight to see so many Catholics at the unveiling. When he first came to SFU, he said, there was only one room used for Mass, and much less student involvement.

"When I started, it was a hit-and-miss sort of thing; we had a fair-sized student body, but nothing like what there is today," he said. "We did meet regularly, but there weren't too many things we managed to organize. We did make some contacts, but not like today."

When asked if he was happy to see how much things have grown since his time at SFU, Father

Muslims have purification room

Swinkels smiled and said emphatically, "Absolutely! It's really encouraging. We have a good man (Father Mignone) to look after it, and the kids are taking it seriously."

Aside from receiving good formation from Father Mignone, the interfaith centre also provides good training ground for ecumenical and interfaith relations. Chaplains and students share the facility with a number of other groups, including Campus Crusade for Christ, the Ismaili Student Association, and the Muslim Student Association, as well as Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and United Church students.

Sharing the space creates a unique dynamic. For instance, down one hallway is a room used by Muslim students for purification, while in another room is a confessional attached to Father Mignone's office. The different religious clubs also share the offices and classrooms in the centre.

For example, when the Mass is offered an altar and a large picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe are moved into a large central room. After the altar and picture are taken out, the room is used for a number of purposes ranging from small group discussions to weekend use as a daycare.

For Father Swinkels, that fact that the centre is being so well used flies in the face of what many people think.

"We're seeing an upsurge in religious interest in young people, and we always think they don't care, but they do," he said. "We need to be encouraging them, and to be an example to them."