University chaplaincy urged to reach out to more students

The university chaplaincy must reach out to more students in response to their "deep spiritual searching", a lecturer in moral theology has suggested.

Commenting on the findings of a recent survey of students' religious beliefs and attitudes, Paul Pace, SJ notes the "astounding" number (72 per cent) who say they pray regularly and who see prayer in terms of a personal relationship with God.

In the light of this, the chaplaincy should make greater efforts to enable students to pray better, he proposes. "Any offer of this type, however modest, has always generated great interest, and we must be more proactive in reaching out to more students who seem to be craving for a better and more personal prayer life".

More students should be initiated in the use of the Bible in prayer, he adds.

His comments are made in an article called The Old and the New: How to respond to what the university students are telling the Church, which is contained in the survey report launched last week.

His suggestions take on added significance when seen in the light of the figures which show that only a fifth of university students make use of the services offered by the chaplaincy, whose chapel, according to its mission statement, offers them "time, place and silence to pray".

Those who do use the services go there for Mass, including the religious services held at Christmas and Easter, or for counselling and confession. Many students claim they do not have the time or the need.

On the other hand, most would like to see the chaplaincy making its presence felt on campus, particularly through activities that are not limited to the chapel. Some feel that the chaplaincy staff needs to get closer to students by reaching out to those who do not make use of the services.

In their analysis of the survey results, Charles Tabone, op, and Edward Zammit write that students don't just expect spiritual guidance and counselling from the chaplaincy, but also more social activities, live music and closer contact with students. "This is expressed by some in the words: 'to change the impression that religious people are zombies'".

Some students also mentioned that an effort should be made to present the message from their own, juvenile, perspective. This, the authors add, suggests a more down-to-earth approach and sensitivity to the needs of today's youth.

Another of Fr Pace's "tentative pastoral suggestions", as he calls them, appears to be in consonance with these sentiments. In writing about the type of spirituality that should be promoted among students, he speaks of the importance of group participation - the "spirituality of community". A living community produces a liturgy that is meaningful and a real celebration, he says.

"Hence we must make still greater efforts so that the liturgy at the university chapel shows greater imagination, and provides a setting that is more prayerful."

In the report, the university chaplain, Fr Jimmy Bartolo, sJ, appeals to the Church and the university administration to continue to support the chaplaincy in its efforts to reach out to students and staff, by employing lay pastoral assistants.

The survey, reported in The Times last Saturday, was a team effort. It involved Fr Bartolo, Fr Pace, Fr Tabone, the head of the department of social policy and social work, Mr Zammit, the deputy dean of the faculty of economics, management and accountancy, as well as Anton Buhagiar, head of the mathematics department, and Mary Anne Lauri, lecturer in social psychology.

The respondents - a random sample of 500 - were found to generally conform with the Church's teachings on matters of faith and morals, but had vastly divergent views on some "life issues", most notably with regard to sexual behaviour.

More than two-thirds of the students, for example, agreed with premarital sexual intercourse and two-fifths had sexual relations in the past year. Nearly every single student sees nothing wrong with cohabitation before marriage, and just 15 per cent agree with the Church's teachings on birth control.