College Ministries
The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia supports ministries on the college campuses throughout Virginia. Here is a list of our college ministry programs and the clergy who lead these active programs.
- Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA - Ms. Wendy Wilkinson (wendywilk54@verizon.net)
- Longwood University/ Hampden Sydney College, Farmville, VA - Dr. Anne Lund (alund@hsc.edu)
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA - Rev. David Lassalle (padre2@canterburycenter.hrcoxmail.com)
- St. Paul’s College, Lawrenceville, VA - Rev. Harry Nevells
- William & Mary College, Williamsburg, VA - Rev. John Kerr
Request from College Ministries:
Attention clergy: Please ask a layperson from your parish to send the following information to the Rev. David Lassalle by June 30, 2010:
1. Names of graduating high school seniors
2. Address
3. College attending, trade school, armed services or other
Our department of College Ministries will send this information on to chaplains or parish clergy.
What’s our mission?
CNU Canterbury Club is based at St Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Newport News, just off of campus. Our campus ministry is to the students, faculty and staff of Christopher Newport University. Canterbury provides a place for students to come and share ideas and concerns about their faith and daily life in a safe, supportive community. The Canterbury Club provides a quiet place to study, in the Canterbury Room at St Stephen’s Church, a place to worship and/or a place to have a meal and fellowship. Chaplain Wendy also works with other chaplains on campus to provide an ecumenical ministry to the campus community.
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The purpose of the Canterbury Center at ODU is to provide a supportive Christian environment for the faculty, staff and students at Old Dominion University. This support includes quiet study, counseling, social activities, as well as spiritual formation and worship. By maintaining an atmosphere of warm welcome towards all who come to the Center, we strive to demonstrate God’s love for all God’s people.
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The chaplaincy understands its ministry as the Episcopal chaplaincy to the faculty, staff and students of the College of William and Mary. We are defined as a joint ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia and Bruton Parish with an important role is in bridging the town-and-gown relationship in Williamsburg. We do this by celebrating the Eucharist in Bruton Parish Church every Sunday evening in term-time and conducting the All Saints/ All Souls Service, the Easter Vigil (at 0530!), St Francis fair, etc and by training acolytes, providing members for various Bruton committees (such as Vestry, Mission and Outreach.) We are widely involved in parish activities.John Maxwell Kerr, SOSc
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The parish has assisted us in our Spring Break Mission trips, participating cheerfully in our annual black-tie Gala to raise money for school scholarships in rural Dominican Republic.
Although we maintain a thriving Episcopal presence and celebrate the Eucharist in the College’s historic Wren Chapel every Tuesday evening, Canterbury works ecumenically within CaMU (Campus Ministries United), the William and Mary chaplaincies team. The Episcopal chaplain and Methodist chaplain jointly conduct a faculty-staff Bible study every two weeks and we work collaboratively with all the other chaplaincies in social justice and outreach work, such as the soup kitchens and the hugely-successful, Nothing But Nets campaign. The chaplain is available pastorally to all the students and student groups on campus, such as Lambda Alliance and is trusted by all such groups, even the Humanist Society.
The chaplain is on excellent terms with and works collaboratively with all aspects of college administration, from the president to campus police to office staff. Because of this chaplain’s academic background, the Episcopal chaplaincy is uniquely accepted among academic departments in the university.
Our students activities center on the Eucharist and the sharing of meals after all services and our weekly intellectual activity called Popcorn Theology (currently studying science and religion.) We are widely known as a safe and friendly society attracting members of other faith communities but not head-hunting, nor proselytizing (forbidden by College statute.)
We actively continue to foster vocations following our tradition over many years. Our style of worship tends to be reflective and contemplative with a strong music tradition. We are active in sponsoring the creative gifts of the College: we commission original works of choral music each year. -
What’s new on our campuses?
It is football season at ODU! Are you supporting ODU football? The Canterbury Center has the best parking for tail gaiting and is an easy walk to the stadium. For more information, call 757-489-9096 .
Campus Ministry at Longwood and Hampden-Sydney - Since the opening this semester of both Longwood University (LU) and Hampden-Sydney College (HSC), the Campus Ministry program at Johns Memorial in Farmville has been rather busy as you will see. We have a joint ministry of the two schools, and the students refer to us as ECM (Episcopal Campus Ministry) on Longwood’s campus particularly, and so the Hampden-Sydney students tend to go along with this name! Click here to read more.
Campus Ministry meetings
The College Ministry leaders meet regularly to enhance the programs in their colleges and universities. Below are the minutes from their meetings for anyone is interested in learning more about campus ministry.
To learn more about college ministry programs and the Canterbury Center, please contact Rev. David Lassalle at padre2@canterburycenter.hrcoxmail.com
