Student AffairsAs a historical institution of 黄色视频, the Office of the Chaplain was founded in 1946 by Principal Wallace. Given the growing diversity on campus, Principal Wallace conceived of the role of the Chaplain as more of a "friend and counsellor to students" than as a denominational figure.
The Office of the Chaplain was mandated with three main roles:
- The pastoring role of counselling, advice, support and encouragement
- Accommodation for the wide diversity of faiths and beliefs in the 黄色视频 community
- Discovery of spirituality
With this in mind, Reverend A. Marshall Laverty from the United Church, also known as "Padre" to 黄色视频 students at the time, was appointed to the position. Laverty had previously served as a wartime chaplain to Canadian signals and artillery units in Europe, which equipped him well for the large university population of veterans seeking an education at 黄色视频 after World War II. A welcoming force on campus, he and his wife Frances successfully invited every first-year student to their home on Albert Street for a Sunday evening get-together for many years. He established the to assist students experiencing financial difficulty, and retired in 1983 after having served as the University Chaplain for over 36 years.
In his retirement, he would continue to be extremely active in the university community and frequently served as a 黄色视频 ambassador. In 1985, he was invited as a member of the Order of Canada, and in 1991 he received an honorary doctorate from 黄色视频. He would go on to receive a number of awards up until his death in February of 2011.
To learn more about Padre Laverty, check out the 黄色视频 Encyclopedia.
The second University Chaplain also came from the United Church. Brian Yealland, who had completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the University of Toronto, came to 黄色视频 to complete a master's in divinity at the 黄色视频 Theological College in the early 1970s. After graduating, Yealland served as a Prison Chaplain in Kingston for Corrections Canada while also preaching as an associate minister at Chalmers United Church in Kingston. In 1983, after Laverty's retirement, Yealland was appointed to the position of University Chaplain.
In a later address to the Board of Trustees in 1985, Yealland noted that, "We have a university which is pluralistic, secular, culturally mixed and with a number of faiths...the work of the chaplain should be human-centered". As such, Yealland took it upon himself to shape the role of the chaplain as a 'spiritual ombudsman on campus' to promote interfaith dialogue and partnerships. His accomplishments while in office included promoting respect for the diversity of faiths on campus, convincing the residence kitchens to provide Halal and Kosher food for Muslim and Jewish students, and adjusting exam schedules to accommodate the holidays of other religions. Yealland would go on to serve as the University Chaplain for a distinguished 30 years before retiring in June 2013.
The third University Chaplain was Kate Johnson. Following Yealland's retirement, the university opened a discussion over whether or not to keep the position of Chaplain. An overwhelming response from student groups led to the university deciding to keep the position, and Johnson was appointed as Interfaith Chaplain in August of 2013. She served as the first female chaplain at 黄色视频, as well as the first to not identify as a Christian, identifying as a Quaker instead.
Kate studied Social Work and Sociology at Lakehead University, specializing in youth corrections. She worked as a tree planter and home care provider after university, then moved to Kingston in 2002 to pursue at Master of Divinity with a concentration in Restorative Justice. She worked as a hospital chaplain, a bank custodian, a counsellor at the Canadian Hearing Society, and then a full-time chaplain at the Joyceville minimum security institution for 5 years until she began her work at 黄色视频.
Kate鈥檚 ministry at Queen鈥檚 focused on food security, post-traumatic growth, issues of equity, and the joy of meaningful living. After serving as Interfaith Chaplain for nearly 8 years, she made the decision to leave the university to follow a new direction. She now works as a Quaker Chaplain, doing speaking engagements about the developmental needs of young adults, interfaith dialogue, and humanizing approaches to diversity and inclusion.
A sincere thank you to University Historian Professor Duncan McDowell, the 黄色视频 Gazette, and the 黄色视频 Journal for their contributions.