Synod propositions come up in SFU discussion

By Laureen McMahon

When he sat down with Simon Fraser University students at the campus Interfaith Centre on the morning of Jan. 23, Archbishop Michael Miller began the informal dialogue by assuring them that he recognized they face many challenges in maintaining their practice of the Catholic faith at a secular institution.

Laureen McMahon / The B.C. Catholic Catholic Archbishop Miller meets with Simon Fraser University president Dr. Michael Stevenson after taking a tour of the Burnaby Mountain campus.

He also, as he has at other times, stressed the fundamental value that the Catholic intellect brings to the world as a willing and energetic participant in the discourse on truth.

However, it is not possible, said Archbishop Miller, to be effective in isolation.

"You, like all Catholics, must find ways to nurture a fellowship which will build up and edify. We need to bring together people of faith, because in isolation it becomes too hard. In other words, we need one another!"

Studying the artistic and creative traditions of Catholic culture, the archbishop told the students, opens the door to a realization of the great beauty inherent in Catholic music, art, and literature.

"Read the great Catholic novelists such as Evelyn Waugh and others, whose literary themes deal with love, sin, redemption, and grace, and which throw open a window to transcendence."

The study of Catholic themes and great Catholic figures, said Archbishop Miller, provides "a wealth of riches which allow one to enter into the marketplace of ideas and to develop other friendships. They help us build on our being devotionally Catholic and move us to realize that being Catholic is a way of living."

When asked by a student about the recent Archdiocesan Synod and how its propositions relate to post-secondary education, the archbishop said that the synod placed great emphasis on the importance of adult faith formation.

"As you know, thanks be to God," he said, "the archdiocese has a school system of which we can be justifiably proud because it has maintained its Catholicity over many years. Many have contributed to its success. The funding formula has allowed a certain amount of independence and responsibility has been placed on parents. All this is good.

"However, the synod recognized that post-secondary or advanced adult faith formation needs more attention. People are asking for help to develop a mature faith. They want to build on a solid foundation."

The archdiocese, he said, can do more to directly foster Catholic tertiary education and the solid formation of Catholic teachers and catechists.

The two Catholic Liberal Arts Colleges, Redeemer Pacific and Corpus Christi / St. Mark's, he noted, need strengthening to serve the whole archdiocese, as has happened in other dioceses in North America, including in those U.S. cities which have Catholic populations similar to Vancouver but which offer far more choices in Catholic post-secondary institutions.

From the historical perspective, the archbishop explained, B.C.'s universities were not developed, as happened in most other English speaking provinces in Canada, including denominational colleges.

"The dearth here is evident, frankly," he noted.

"That is why the synod strongly supports Catholic educational opportunities where future teachers and those entering other professions can study the classics of the Christian tradition in an environment favourable to the Catholic faith.

"You can't have a vibrant local Church which is approaching half a million people without this, as the synod has recognized," said Archbishop Miller.

One student told the archbishop that he sometimes feels alone as a Catholic but that the Interfaith Centre has become a "great home.

"However, when you're `out there' away from the centre and your fellow Catholics, you can feel alone," the young man added.

An engineering student remarked that, when approached by fellow students with questions about Catholicism, he sends them to chaplain Father Fernando Mignone, thus "his presence at SFU is very appreciated."

"I think Catholics too often live a double life," said another student. "We should not separate our life of faith from our professional life because they are actually very compatible. Our faith enlightens every part of our lives. The challenge really comes from being in an environment which doesn't support us."

A Latin American studies student mentioned seeing hostility directed towards the Church from her fellow students.

Archbishop Miller suggested it could possibly result from the Church having played "a large role in the culture of these countries."

Another student who had taken a religious studies course said that, rather than hostility, he has observed that many non-Catholics are very puzzled about what the Catholic Church stands for.

"I remember that I was satisfied with the coverage of every religion in the course except Christianity. Too often we were simply taught the dominant narrative about the faith; teachers relied on outdated textbooks and materials rather than doing their research to stay up to date."

Non-Catholics voice objections to a religion they consider to be simply about "rules," said a student, while another student reported it being suggested to him that the Christian story is just one of many religious myths.

Archbishop Miller asked what pastoral role the archdiocese could play in helping with the students' concerns.

Being involved with Catholic Christian Outreach on the SFU campus was an important road to developing Catholic fellowship, said one student, who added,

Visit `showed support for young people'

"I also think that the Church should consider encouraging religious vocations on campus. Maybe priests and religious could be invited to speak to us."

Another student thought that, although many programs are offered at the high-school level in parishes for young people, when they go on to university or enter the job market there is much less to assist them in continuing to stay close to the Church.

It is important for all Catholic students, said Archbishop Miller, to realize that they are not just preparing for a career, but for a vocation.

"This is absolutely crucial. We all pursue vocations that take different forms, such as the call to married life or to the priesthood or religious life, but the call to work in the world is also a vocation."

Catholics entering the professions or making other career choices, he noted, should think about forming groups for the purposes of discussion and support in their career choice. He pointed to the establishment of the Catholic Physicians Guild as a good example of a professional group.

"The initiative to do this often comes from just three or four Catholics who are involved in the same career forming the group themselves," he said.

Eric Chow, a 2003 engineering graduate, is the full-time District Director for Catholic Christian Outreach, which oversees CCO programs for Catholic students at SFU and Douglas College.

"I thought the archbishop's visit was wonderful," Chow told The B.C. Catholic, "and a chance for students to interact with their shepherd. I appreciated his emphasis on the role the Church can play to help students."

SFU graduate student Garth Hough is a full-time CCO campus missionary and Team Leader for the six missionaries who provide Catholic students with the chance to learn more about the Catholic faith and help others make a commitment to Christ.

"We evangelize and study the Gospel and try to develop leaders for the future of the Church," said Hough. "We meet with students one on one to help them grow in faith." His dream, he added, would be for CCO to be a presence at every college campus in Canada.

"The archbishop's visit was very encouraging," said Hough, "because it showed the support of the archdiocese for young people in their faith. He is our pastor, and to see his level of interest in the students and their concerns was terrific."