Profiles

Mohammed is an Imam at Kitchener Masjid and an alumnus of the University of Waterloo, PhD Systems Design Engineering

Jessie grew up in Toronto, actively participating in their Shul community with her family. After being an active participant in USY in their leadership roles she went to Seneca College and started up the Hillel program. After working in the non-Jewish world upon graduating she realized how much she missed being working in the Jewish world.  Jessie has worked with BBYO, Temple Sinai, Beth Tzedec/ECRUSY and is now entering her third year with Hillel as the Campus Director for Waterloo & Laurier.  She is also an avid cook and baker and likes to tinker in her produce garden when the weather cooperates.

Erika is the current chair of the MFSRT. She is a graduate of St. Jerome’s University with a BA with a major in Peace and Conflict Studies. Erika works in the Campus Ministry department to serve the spiritual needs of the SJU community and the wider Catholic student community, including coordinating volunteering opportunities with St. John’s Kitchen and Tiny Home Takeout. She is passionate about introducing students to contemplative spirituality and opportunities to practice reflection within the natural world. Erika seeks to empower students to ask big questions, and grow into people who seek truth and justice.

Sean began his ministry doing mission work with youth in crisis at Covenant House in New York and Toronto. He moved into High School work as a teacher, a coach and chaplain in the Catholic system throughout the GTA and spent a dozen years doing parish work as a Youth Ministry. Sean is a husband, father of three and avid dog trainer. After transitioning to SJU, he has developed an inclusive, welcoming and universal campus ministry program that offers weekly student led mass, meditations every Monday evening, weekly outreach or service opportunities and special events and programing that is reflective of students needs, the liturgical and seasonal calendar as well as timely social events. SJU campus ministry also offers Retreats, Bible Study, Adoration, Student Leadership opportunities and co-op positions as well as Sacramental support and community building events. If you are looking for a place to belong, a place to explore questions of meaning and purpose, a place to experience a Catholic community, while being open to all students wherever they find themselves along the Spiritual journey, then check us out . . . “Come & See”.

Scott is a priest of the Diocese of Huron, of the Anglican Church of Canada serving as chaplain at Renison University College, and the University of Waterloo. 

Coming from the West Coast, he served Anglican parishes in Victoria from 2005-2015, and then served a parish in the Niagara Region,  in St. Catharines Ontario from 2015-2022, before landing at U of Waterloo and Renison. 

Scott is here to support you with Mental health wellness and strategies, Guidance to student services, Pastoral and Spiritual care and guidance. Scott would love to talk with you about anything - life's struggles, joys, successes, failures, questions - anything. Whether you want to make an appointment, go for a walk, sit in a coffee shop or a pub, or pray - please reach out and get in touch.

Melissa has a Masters of Divinity from Tyndale Seminary Toronto and represents the Christian Reformed Denomination. Formerly, she studied at  University of Waterloo Campus and completed a BMath in Business Information Systems in 1996. She also returned  to studies for a  BEd at Redeemer University in 2013. She enjoys meeting new students, engaging in existential dialogue and exploring questions of faith and morality.  Melissa serves as a pastor to  the campuses of Waterloo, Laurier and Conestoga College.

Carol Penner (she/her) teaches and writes in the area of practical theology and after many years as a pastor in various Mennonite congregations, she joined the faculty at Grebel. Her research interests include feminist theology and Mennonite peace theology, and abuse issues. She has a popular blog of her worship resources at www.leadinginworship.com.

Venerable Kalubowila Ananda Thero was born in 1982 in Matale, Sri Lanka. He started his primary education at St. John Bosco, Hatton, and continued secondary education at President’s College Maharagama & Royal College, Colombo.

He entered the University of Moratuwa and completed Bsc Engineering as a Chemical & Process engineer in 2006, he was also reading for his Mphil/ PhD in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the same university. He has completed up to the management level of CIMA and is a Business Edge Associate at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

He has worked in multinational companies in Sri Lanka and abroad as a Brand Manager and a Sales engineer, started two business ventures as an entrepreneur, and was attached to the University of Sri Jayawardenepura & Moratuwa as a visiting lecturer.

He changed his life trajectory from an active layperson to a spiritual seeking Buddhist monk in 2018, and was ordained attached to Vimalagana Viharaya, Homagama, and received his higher ordination in 2018 attached to Amarapura Maha Nikaya.

I am originally from the West Coast and moved to Waterloo in 2008. I was raised in the Anglican Church and journeyed through many different Christian traditions finally converting to Eastern Orthodox Christianity in 1996. I was ordained to the priesthood in 2005, after attending St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York. I serve as the pastor of the Christ the Saviour Antiochian Orthodox Church here in Waterloo and I am thankful that our parish recognizes that serving the students and faculty and staff at UW is a critical part of my ministry and the life of our parish family. 

Sharon Brown has a Master of Theological Studies from the University of Waterloo & Conrad Grebel University College as well as a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. Formerly, she completed the Registered Nursing Diploma program at Conestoga College before working as an RN in Winnipeg and Toronto. She spent 2 years in Lithuania with her husband and three sons, teaching Biblical Studies and Church History courses. She went on to teach courses in Spiritual Formation and Christian Education for several years at William and Catherine Booth College and Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg Manitoba. In addition to working as a campus chaplain, Sharon also serves as a nursing home chaplain, coordinates her church’s hospitality ministry, and serves as a Spiritual Director for the Orthodox School of Theology at the University of Toronto. She is also an avid gardener and great fan of Agatha Christie mysteries.