Ca
      INp
      US
      vous
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Krista
      MacLean
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      small,
      unassuming
      building
      lies
     
     
      nestled
      between
      the
      large
      academic
     
     
      infrastructure
      of
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      conveniently
      located
      in
     
     
      the
      centre
      of
      campus,
      the
      vine-cov-
     
     
      ered
      building
      is
      tragically
      under-
     
     
      used.
     
    

    
     
      Most
      of
      you
      have
      witnessed
      the
     
     
      beautiful
      array
      of
      vines
      and
      leaves
     
     
      that
      seem
      to
      change
      daily
      as
     
     
      autumn
      turns
      into
      winter.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      of
      you
      may
      have
      noticed
     
     
      the
      worn
      wooden
      cross
      partially
     
     
      hidden
      behind
      the
      foliage.
      The
     
     
      majority
      of
      you
      have
      never
      ven-
     
     
      tured
      inside.
     
    

    
     
      After
      receiving
      this
      assignment
      I
     
     
      dared
      to
      go
      where
      so
      few
      have
     
     
      been
      -
      The
      Chaplaincy
      Centre.
     
    

    
     
      At
      first
      I
      thought
      I
      was
      the
      least
     
     
      likely
      candidate
      to
      take
      on
      this
     
     
      story.
     
    

    
     
      I
      am
      not
      a
      religious
      person,
      I
      was
     
     
      never
      baptized
      and
      I
      can
      count
      the
     
     
      number
      of
      times
      I’ve
      been
      to
     
     
      church
      on
      one
      hand.
      But
      after
     
     
      spending
      an
      hour
      with
      Father
     
     
      Charlie
      I
      realized
      I
      am
      exactly
      the
     
     
      type
      of
      person
      who
      should
      visit
      the
     
     
      centre.
     
    

    
     
      The
      interior
      of
      the
      Chaplaincy
     
     
      Centre
      is
      modest
      but
      cheerful.
     
     
      Bright
      blue
      walls
      and
      colorful
      pic-
     
     
      tures
      make
      of
      for
      the
      lack
      of
      win-
     
     
      dows
      and
      natural
      light.
     
    

    
     
      The
      chapel
      is
      made
      up
      of
      rows
      of
     
     
      brown
      office
      chairs
      that
      face
      a
     
     
      simple
      alter.
     
    

    
     
      I
      followed
      the
      sound
      of
      voices
     
     
      and
      discovered
      a
      lounge
      area
     
     
      where
      three
      girls
      were
      relaxing
      on
     
     
      couches
      and
      sharing
      an
      afternoon
     
     
      snack.
     
    

    
     
      They
      pointed
      me
      in
      the
      right
     
     
      direction
      and
      I
      quickly
      found
     
     
      Father
      Charlie’s
      office.
     
    

    
     
      “Well
      hello,”
      he
      bellowed
      as
      I
     
     
      entered
      the
      room.
     
    

    
     
      “Come
      in,
      come
      in!”
     
    

    
     
      Then
      he
      gave
      me
      a
      high
      five.
     
     
      This
      is
      not
      what
      I
      was
      expecting,
     
     
      but
      then
      again,
      neither
      is
      Father
     
     
      Charlie.
     
    

    
     
      He
      is
      the
      quintessential
      grandfa-
     
     
      ther
      type
      with
      snow
      white
      hair,
     
     
      twinkling
      blue
      eyes
      and
      the
      slight-
     
     
      est
      gap
      between
      his
      two
      front
     
     
      teeth.
     
    

    
     
      He
      wore
      a
      striped
      golf
      shirt
     
     
      instead
      of
      the
      white
      collar
      I
     
     
      assumed
      all
      priests
      always
      wore.
     
    

    
     
      He
      stressed
      that
      although
      he
      is
      a
     
     
      Catholic
      priest,
      people
      of
      all
      reli-
     
     
      gious
      backgrounds
      are
      encouraged
     
     
      to
      visit
      the
      centre.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      question
      of
      the
      faith
      of
      the
     
     
      students
      is
      in
      part
      what
      we’re
     
     
      about
      here,”
      he
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “People
      who
      come
      here
      are
     
     
      Christian,
      Muslim
      and
      foreign
      stu-
     
     
      dents.
      Sometimes
      they
      have
      a
      for-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      this
      section:
     
    

    
     
      Breast
      Cancer
      survivour
      tells
     
     
      her
      story.
      Page
      5
     
    

    
     
      Fashion
      tips
      Page
      6
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mal
      practice
      of
      their
      faith
      and
     
     
      sometimes
      it’s
      just
      a
      nice
      place
      to
     
     
      come
      and
      reflect.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      programs
      run
      by
      the
      centre
     
     
      are
      devised
      by
      students
      under
      the
     
     
      watchful
      eye
      of
      Father
      Charlie.
     
    

    
     
      A
      ten-week
      program
      called
     
     
      ALPHA
      is
      currently
      underway
      that
     
     
      explores
      the
      history
      and
      different
     
     
      aspects
      of
      Christianity.
     
    

    
     
      “For
      those
      that
      are
      Christian
      it’s
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      matter
      of
      learning
      more
      about
      their
     
     
      -
      faith
      and
      for
      those
      who
      are
      not
      it’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      matter
      of
      learning
      about
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Father
      Charlie,
      of
      the
      Chainplaincy
      Centre,
      stands
      in
      front
      of
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      fall
      and
      winter
      clothing
      that’s
     
     
      available
      to
      anyone
      in
      need
      and
     
     
      proves
      especially
      helpful
      to
      for-
     
     
      eign
      students
      who
      did
      not
      come
     
     
      prepared
      for
      the
      cold
      weather.
     
    

    
     
      In
      fact,
      the
      centre
      is
      always
      look-
     
     
      ing
      out
      for
      the
      students
      whether
     
     
      they’re
      aware
      of
      it
      or
      not.
     
    

    
     
      Bowls
      of
      candy
      are
      placed
      in
      the
     
     
      foyer
      of
      the
      library
      during
      exam
     
     
      times
      and
      big
      chilli
      dinners
      are
     
     
      prepared
      in
      the
      Chaplaincy
      Centre
     
     
      free
      of
      charge
      on
      the
      first
      and
      sec-
     
     
      ond
      day
      of
      final
      exams.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wooden
      cross
      outside,
      surrounded
      by
      leaves
      on
      an
      autumn
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Krista
      MacLean
      Photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Christianity
      in
      general,”
      he
      said.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Chaplaincy
      Centre
      is
      also
      the
     
     
      home
      of
      the
      Campus
      Cupboard,
      a
     
     
      small
      food
      bank
      run
      by
      students
     
     
      for
      students.
      It’s
      available
      to
     
     
      everyone
      and
      comes
      in
      handy
      at
     
     
      the
      end
      of
      the
      semester
      when
     
     
      money
      begins
      to
      run
      out,
      said
     
     
      Father
      Charlie.
     
    

    
     
      “There’s
      always
      a
      good
      supply
     
     
      and
      we
      encourage
      everyone
      to
     
     
      come.
      Some
      students
      may
      feel
     
     
      guilty
      about
      using
      it
      if
      they
      think
     
     
      others
      are
      worse
      off
      than
      they
      are,
     
     
      but
      I
      disagree.
      If
      students
      need
      to
     
     
      take
      a
      break
      and
      go
      see
      a
      movie
     
     
      and
      they
      are
      able
      to
      do
      that
      by
     
     
      supplementing
      their
      income
      with
     
     
      help
      from
      the
      food
      bank,
      I
      am
      not
     
     
      opposed
      to
      that.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      centre
      also
      has
      a
      closet
      full
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “We’re
      expecting
      about
      200
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      this
      year,”
      said
      Father
      Charlie.
     
    

    
     
      “Apart
      from
      stuffing
      their
      faces
      it
     
     
      gives
      students
      an
      opportunity
      to
     
     
      interact,
      although
      some
      do
      hunker
     
     
      down
      in
      a
      corner
      with
      their
     
     
      books.”
     
    

    
     
      Although
      exam
      time
      is
      a
      busy
     
     
      couple
      of
      weeks
      for
      Father
      Charlie
     
     
      he
      finds
      the
      time
      to
      pray
      for
      all
      of
     
     
      the
      students
      and
      faculty
      that
      make
     
     
      up
      the
      UPEI
      community.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      pray
      for
      the
      students
      but
      I
      also
     
     
      pray
      for
      the
      professors.
      I
      pray
      they
     
     
      will
      be
      honest
      in
      giving
      their
     
     
      exam,
      just
      in
      correcting
      it
      and
     
     
      charitable
      with
      their
      marks.”
     
    

    
     
      Father
      Charlie
      knows
      about
      this
     
     
      process
      all
      too
      well.
     
    

    
     
      He
      was
      a
      professor
      of
      Biology
      for
     
     
      the
      first
      38
      years
      of
      his
      career.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
        
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      gotta
      have
      faith
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Being
      new
      to
      the
      idea
      of
      religion
     
     
      I
      asked
      if
      his
      belief
      in
      God
      con-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      flicted
      with
      his
      love
      of
      science.
      He
     
    
   
   
    
     
      assured
      that
      has
      never
      been
      a
      prob-
     
     
      lem.
     
    

    
     
      “Do
      you
      think
      love,
      sympathy,
     
     
      hatred
      and
      joy
      is
      real?”
      he
      asked.
     
    

    
     
      “Yes,”
      I
      answered,
      “Although
      it’s
     
     
      not
      something
      I
      can
      touch
      I
      have
      -
     
     
      felt
      those
      emotions
      and
      believe
     
     
      them
      to
      be
      real.”
     
    

    
     
      “Exactly,”
      said
      Father
      Charlie,
      “I
     
     
      can’t
      see
      a
      soul
      but
      I
      know
      it
      exists
     
     
      just
      like
      I
      can’t
      see
      joy
      but
      I
      know
     
     
      it
      exists.
      The
      idea
      of
      God
      is
      not
      up
     
     
      to
      a
      scientist.”
     
    

    
     
      “But
      what
      about
      evolution?”
      I
     
     
      wanted
      to
      know.
     
    

    
     
      “God
      created
      things
      in
      an
      evolu-
     
     
      tionary
      way.
     
    

    
     
      “For
      those
      that
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Christian
      it’s
      a
      matter
     
     
      of
      learning
      more
      about
     
     
      their
      faith
      and
      for
     
     
      those
      who
      are
      not
      it’s
      a
     
     
      matter
      of
      learning
     
     
      about
      Christianity
      in
     
     
      general”
      -
      Father
     
     
      Charlie,
      on
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Complaincy
      Centre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Tt
      is
      much
      more
      powerful
      to
      cre-
     
     
      ate
      something
      from
      which
      every-
     
     
      thing
      can
      evolve
      than
      creating
     
     
      everything
      individually.”
     
    

    
     
      I
      couldn’t
      argue
      with
      that.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      will
      come
      times
      in
      life
     
     
      when
      things
      will
      befall
      us
      and
      we
     
     
      just
      don’t
      know
      the
      answer,
      “
      said
     
     
      Father
      Charlie.
     
    

    
     
      “What’s
      your
      support
      system?
     
     
      How
      do
      you
      handle
      it?
      That’s
     
     
      where
      the
      question
      of
      faith
      or
      spir-
     
     
      ituality
      comes
      in.
      It
      forces
      us
      to
     
     
      think
      beyond
      our
      human
      capabili-
     
     
      ties.”
     
    

    
     
      Clearly
      this
      man
      knows
      what
      he’s
     
     
      talking
      about,
      and
      judging
      from
     
     
      the
      hundreds
      of
      pictures
      that
      line
     
     
      of
      the
      walls
      of
      his
      office
      his
      mes-
     
     
      sage
      has
      hit
      home
      with
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      people
      of
      the
      years.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      “My
      heart
      goes
      out
      in
      joy
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      students
      who
      can
      come
      to
      the
     
     
      Chaplaincy
      Centre
      and
      discuss
     
     
      their
      lives
      regardless
      of
      their
      reli-
     
     
      gious
      backgrounds.
      My
      heart
      goes
     
     
      out
      to
      those
      that
      are
      searching
      for
     
     
      something
      else
      in
      their
      lives.
      My
     
     
      heart
      really
      goes
      out
      to
      the
      whole
     
     
      large
      body
      of
      students
      who
      are
     
     
      indifferent
      to
      their
      faith.
      I
      think
      the
     
     
      faith
      is
      there,
      they
      just
      need
      to
      find
     
     
      <
     
    

    
     
      So
      the
      next
      time
      you
      pass
      by
      this
     
     
      charming
      little
      building
      on
      your
     
     
      way
      to
      the
      library
      why
      don’t
      you
     
     
      take
      a
      little
      time
      to
      go
      inside.
     
     
      Maybe,
      just
      maybe,
      you’ll
      find
     
     
      what
      you’re
      looking
      for.