Brandon Scott
Queen’s University Belfast Catholic Chaplaincy pastoral manager Shannon
Campbell and chaplain Fr Dominic McGrattan outside the Lanyon Building. Two members of the Catholic Chaplaincy in Queen’s University Belfast have described the recent upward trend in the number of students registering to take part in Chaplaincy-related activities for the forthcoming year as being indicative of student’s natural “curiosity” to find something a little more “meaningful and lasting” in their young lives.
The latest statistics from the Chaplaincy reveal that 71% of the current student population who identify as Catholic have registered to receive Chaplaincy services, a growth of 60.9% when compared with last year’s figures and overall accounts for around 7350 students of a total university population of 25,000.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Dominic McGrattan, chaplain to the Chaplaincy, attributed the rising figures to the vast array of initiatives being rolled out by the Chaplaincy and young people’s natural curiosity to search for something fresher, especially when they personally mightn’t have had any negative experiences with the Church in their lifetime.
“We have a number of groups and societies providing input and contributing to the programme. Chief among them would be the small group Bible studies that we offer to students. About 105 of our core Chaplaincy members would be attending those Bible studies weekly and they’re introducing them to scripture, to doctrine and encouraging them in Christian living and giving them opportunities to form wholesome friendships,” he said.
“Students are naturally curious and I think this generation coming through are not encumbered by the conventions or even the baggage of the earlier generations and are curious to find out more. Because this generation is coming through not as culturally aware of Catholicism, they experience it as something new and fresh and something they’re keen to know about and become more involved with.”
Director of the Chaplaincy, Shannon Campbell, stressed that student’s knowledge of the faith does not need to be at an expert level – the ethos of the Chaplaincy is to welcome all in their various stages of their faith journey and create an environment where students can fully be themselves.
“Regardless of anything else or where you’re at in your faith journey, you are part of this family and therefore we are here for you,” she said. “We make that effort to break the ice and emphasise that we are here for you no matter where you’re at on your faith journey.
“There’s a realisation that there’s something more meaningful here than is being offered elsewhere in the Student’s Union or in the city centre and in other places on campus – there’s something lasting here. This is always going to be here and it’s not fleeting or temporary. Perhaps Church or at the very least groups associated with the Church community is a place where they can feel at home and a place where they can truly be themselves.”