This week promises the arrival of some very special guests to campus as the University of St. Michael’s College prepares to co-host the Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry (CCCM) conference.
The event—Come Together—will see more than 30 campus ministers from 20 campuses across Canada gather at St. Michael’s from Tues. June 7 to Fri. June 10. It offers participants the chance to have extended discussions with colleagues and other experts on best practices and how to respond to the pastoral issues seen in campus ministry offices across the country.
“I am delighted to be working with my colleagues from across the country on this conference,” says Sonal Castelino, XMCJ, who assumed her post as St. Michael’s Director of Campus Ministry in August of last year. “It is a great opportunity to gather together to reflect, share experiences, and concerns, with each other, in a spirit of trust rooted in prayer, all designed to benefit the students we serve.”
This year’s conference includes workshops by Fr. Philip Shano, SJ, on how to accompany students who identify as LGBTQ+, Elder Dr. Bob Philips on journeying with Indigenous peoples and spiritualities in Canada, Deacon Jim Panchaud on walking with students struggling with mental health, and Sr. Laurence Loubieres, XMJC, on polarization in the universal church.
Digital mindfulness expert and author Christina Crook will facilitate a day on ministering in changing mediums, while Sr. Gill Goulding, CJ, will deliver this year’s Sherlock Lecture. The talk, which is entitled Being a Listening Church: Beyond the Synod on Synodality, is open to the public at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 at 7 p.m. in Rm 400 of Alumni Hall. Sr. Gill will share her thoughts and experiences of the synodal process thus fair, as well as offering some suggestions on how to be a synodal church today. Sr. Gill is a professor of systematic theology at Regis College in Toronto and serves on the theological commission for the synod on new evangelism and synod on synodality.
“I am looking forward to a productive and inspiring week,” says Castelino. “On a personal note, this is a wonderful way to cap off my first year at St. Mike’s.”
August 18, 2021
The University of St. Michael’s College is pleased to announce that Sonal Castelino has been appointed the University’s new Director of Campus Ministry. Castelino began her duties remotely from France in mid-August, and will arrive on campus for the start of the fall semester.
“Sonal is a perfect fit for St. Michael’s as we continue to revitalize our Campus Ministry to reach out to the needs of all students, faculty, staff and alumni,” says University President David Sylvester. “She appreciates how important a time the university years are for spiritual development and she is keen to offer her support and guidance to students of all faiths as they encounter life’s big questions. Though her work will be on the front lines (look for her new office next to the COOP), Sonal will also be a member of the senior leadership team of St. Mike’s, helping to move our community forward on the strategic initiatives identified in St. Mike’s 180. We are delighted she will be working with us.”
It was while a commerce student at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus that Castelino first became involved in campus ministry, asking questions about her Catholic faith. As her questions and desire to grow deeper in her faith increased, she enrolled in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program at Regis College, also earning a certificate in pastoral competence.
After graduation, she worked at the Newman Centre as Associate Director of Formation, where her duties included creating the Faith and Reason Lecture series and developing a Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (RCIA) program. The experience helped her establish key connections, including the Archdiocese of Toronto and Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry.
More recently, Castelino worked as the Recruiter and Student Life Coordinator at Regis College, where she created a mentorship program, helped with campus visits, worked with students to form reading groups, and co-handled the College’s social media platforms. She also served as co-Chair of the board of the Jesuit Volunteers. She recently completed her first vows with La Xavière Missionnaire du Christ Jésus.
Describing herself as a “relational” person with an open-door policy, Castelino is keen to work with students who are making the transition from an adolescent approach to faith to a more mature adult faith.
“The university experience is a human experience. I want to create a space where people can name their needs,” she explains. “The experience of encounter is important in my life, and I want to create a space that is inclusive rather than exclusive.”
Castelino envisions many ways to make this happen, ranging from working with MDiv students who are engaged in field placements to broaden the scope of Campus Ministry and earn the practical experience they need for their degrees, to arranging a lecture series based on a dialogue between disciplines, in keeping with St. Michael’s commitment to innovative interdisciplinary academic programming.
Fr. Morgan Rice, CSB, pastor of St. Basil’s Parish and a member of the search committee that selected Castelino, notes that “St. Mike’s has been blessed with contributions from members of various religious communities throughout its long history. Having recently made first vows with La Xavière Missionnaire du Christ Jésus’ Sonal will bring her particular experience of community life and prayer as well as her community’s charism into her ministry at St. Mike’s. I look forward to seeing how the community life of students, faculty, and staff will be enriched as a result.”
Campus Ministry programming at St. Michael’s is funded, in part, by endowments established by the Basilian Fathers of the University of St. Michael’s College and the McGovern family, and by generous donations from alumni and friends.
Good morning everyone and Happy New Year.
I have some great and exciting news to report. We have confirmed the sponsorship of a Syrian family. They are from Lebanon and include a mother, father and 14 year old son. Prior to the Christmas break, I met with officials at the Office of Refugees in the Archdiocese of Toronto, and I am currently in the process of providing the office final documents and paperwork. It has been confirmed that we can receive the family here at St. Mike’s no sooner than next September and most probably no later than next January 2018.
In the coming weeks, I will be meeting with the Syrian Refugee Committee which includes staff, faculty and students from USMC, both graduate and undergraduate divisions, and will at that time review with the members further details about the family regarding their refugee status, their education, family history, personal considerations, etc.
Finally, as we continue to receive more information on their arrival, we will certainly forward it to you. In the meantime, I ask that you kindly and generously include in your daily prayers our family and their safe travels and arrival in the coming year.
Again, thank-you for your continued support and enthusiasm regarding our Syrian Family Sponsorship.
Angelo Minardi,
Director of Campus Ministry