Chaplaincy

All Campuses
Contact Student Support - Telephone 03 53279470 or the Chaplains direct Telephone 03 53279285.

Introducing...

(Fr.) Rupert Bowd, a Catholic priest who has been a chaplain at the University of Ballarat for the past 12 years.

What is a chaplain?

A University chaplain is someone who is firstly appointed by their church and the University to provide spiritual and pastoral care support, as well as practical help, to members of the university community - students, staff and their families.

Some of the things Chaplains can do are:

Provide a focus for the campus community's spiritual life. There is a Prayer Room / Place of Peace available for use on the top floor of the Student Association building.
Help nurture the faith of those who are believers and to those who are seeking meaning and purpose in their lives
Provide support to students and staff and their families in times of personal crisis
Provide opportunities for worship and prayer.
Lead groups in, prayer and meditation
Respond to issues of justice and peace
Be a person to talk to in an informal way with no "strings attached"

At the University of Ballarat we have two chaplains : from the Catholic Church we have Father Rupert Bowd - Mt Helen and Western Campuses, and from the Uniting Church, Adam McIntosh - SMB & Camp Street Campuses.

Rupert is based at the Mt Helen Campus and Adam is based at the SMB Campus, both are within Student Services in the Student Centre, sharing the area with the Universities Counsellors, and the Disability Liaison Officer.

Why would I visit a chaplain?

There are many reasons, but some of them could be because……….

You're feeling lonely
Something good just happened and you wanted to tell someone
You're feeling homesick
You're new on campus and in Ballarat and not sure where to go to find things out
You're feeling sad
Someone you care about has died
You want a good cup of coffee (or tea) and a chat
You're feeling depressed
You've been actively involved in a faith community elsewhere and want to know how to get involved now you're here
You just want someone to talk things over with or listen while you think out loud
You're asking questions like "who am I?", "why am I here?", "what am I going to do with my life?"
You want to explore the spiritual side of yourself
You want to find out why people actually believe this God stuff anyway
You're having problems with your studies
Your relationships aren't going well and/or you're wondering about your sexuality
You need an advocate in the university system who knows it but isn't actually employed by it.

OK, but will a chaplain want to talk to me?

Yes, of course!! Although the Chaplains are appointed by their Church, you do not need to be a member of their particular faith group. You do not even have to be a religious person in order to talk to the chaplains. Although part of their role is to support people who belong to their own particular faith or denomination, they're mostly there for all members of the university community - students, staff and their families.

Sometimes, a chaplain may feel that there are other people on campus or in the local community who have more expertise in the particular area in which you require help and they may suggest that you consult them. They are able to 'walk with' you during this process, if you wish. If you want to know more, or just have a good cup of coffee, then get in touch.

> View our confidentiality statement.