Campus Ministry

At Vancouver College we challenge ourselves to graduate men of 'faith and learning.' It is good to regularly ask, "Just what is this faith - and what are we hoping to learn?" Vancouver College is an educational community based on the Gospels of Jesus in the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice. Edmund Rice was an Irish businessman who used his considerable wealth to begin a system of schools and a Religious Order that would be in relationship with the poor of society in such a way as to help them break the cycle of their poverty.

Our ultimate goal is to graduate young men with a social conscience, with a practical Catholic Christian faith and with skills to live this in society and for the good of society. We would hope that our past students as the future doctors, lawyers, plumbers, teachers, parents and politicians of society would have the mindset that motivated Jesus of Nazareth.

The key, we believe, to the conversion of heart that Jesus challenged his disciples is relationship. It is only when you are in relationship with the poor, with those that our society disadvantages, with family and friends and with the poverty within ourselves that our hearts will change. It is in 'sharing story' and hearing story that we grow in self-awareness and empathy for others. When the homeless, the substance abusers, the unemployed and indeed the refugee become a face and a name, their story can then truly and deeply touch ours and in doing so touch that within us that is homeless and abused!

We, a team of staff and students working in various capacities within the umbrella of Campus Ministry, believe that in the honest and respectful sharing of story people will change and the Kingdom of Love that Jesus so often spoke about will become a reality in our world.

We remain committed to providing an experience of faith and spirituality at Vancouver College within the context of the life of Blessed Edmund Rice and in light of the Good News proclaimed by Jesus through his actions and words, both in the past and as they are revealed today – particularly in sharing the “Story” of our lives and listening to the “Story” of those around us every day.

We continue to thank God for the gift of Brother J. Newman and his groundbreaking work in the area of Campus Ministry at Vancouver College. May he rest in peace!

Mr. Kevin Beliveau, Br. Chuck Gattone, Ms. Lillian Vernier, and Mr. Darren Yanko 
Co-Campus Minister Coordinators

Vancouver College Campus Ministry Team