I am a meditation guide attached to the Ottawa Shambhala Meditation Centre, where I am also a volunteer director. Over the years, I’ve led quite a few regular sitting meditation practices and ceremonies. As well, I lead classes in traditional Buddhist shamatha or “peacefully abiding” meditation, and in the Tibetan Buddhist compassion practice of tonglen.

I became involved with the Spirituality Centre, a few years ago… It was after the Shambhala Centre was asked if any teachers were available to talk with and guide students from Religious Studies who wanted to visit a Buddhist centre as part of their curriculum. We hosted a number of students over the following months who joined-in on meditation practices, rituals, and celebrations. It was apparent after that experience that there was a desire among students for a Buddhist chaplain to be available on-campus who could teach in a secular and ecumenic atmosphere.

Spirituality can be a pretty loaded term. But, I would say that my practice is a simply a path of deepening and appreciating what it means to be human. As a Buddhist, I wouldn’t say that it’s a free time activity, per se, but more of a journey without a goal. I’m just learning to recollect my natural dignity as a human being… and of course, forgetting constantly. That’s where formal meditation practice comes in handy – remembering to just be a human being.

Most often, I try to help students to relearn how to be gentler and appreciative of their own minds, hearts, and bodies, through meditative practices. There is a tremendous amount of aggression foisted upon the young by our society. A lot of that is internalized as a sense of basic unworthiness and anxiety, that then develops into relational and societal problems.

You can find Colin in T27 on Mondays typically from 12pm – 2pm. Colin hosts Learn to Medidate sessions from 12pm – 1:30pm the first Monday of every month and Drop In Meditation from 12:30pm – 1pm the remaining Mondays. For additional information, please email Colin.

Email: ccordner@connect.carleton.ca

Emily Lorentz is a campus minister with an inter-denominational Christian non-profit called The Navigators where she helps university students make sense of the life and teachings of Jesus. She and the Navigator community aim to help one another walk in apprenticeship to Jesus wherever someone may find themselves on their spiritual journey through mentorship, small group Bible study, and authentic conversation. Emily embarked on this journey five years ago after graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish. She’s currently pursuing a MA in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership.

You can find Emily in T27 on Thursdays from 9am – 11:30am. Please email her for additional times.

Email: emilyl@navigators.ca
Phone: 613-581-5640

Heather Logan is a Wiccan initiate and high priestess of a local Alexandrian coven. Her involvement in the Pagan community began more than
25 years ago when a deep love of Nature and curiosity about spiritual matters led her to join a university-based Pagan group. She believes that Wicca is fundamentally experiential and that the power of ritual lies in its ability to create meaning and connection and to trigger psychological change. Originally from California, she immigrated to Canada in 2005 with her husband and cats to take a faculty position in Carleton’s Department of Physics, where she is currently a full professor in the theoretical particle physics group. In 2015 she founded Pagans of Carleton to serve as a social hub for Pagan students, and prior to the pandemic she occasionally co-hosted the monthly Ottawa Pagan Meet & Greet.

Heather is currently meeting with students by appointment only.

Email: heather.logan@carleton.ca
Website: https://pagansofcarleton.home.blog/

Rev. Mark Whittall is the pastor of Trinity Anglican Church, 1230 Bank Street in Old Ottawa South, just steps from the campus of Carleton University. Mark is an ordained priest of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and serves as Archdeacon of Ottawa Centre. He has been a Chaplain at Carleton since 2017. Mark is an engineer by training with graduate degrees in Theoretical Physics and in Development Economics from Oxford University. His first career was as an engineer, executive and CEO in the high-tech sector. Mark left his business career to pursue the study of theology at St. Paul University in Ottawa. He has served as a Lecturer in the History of Science, was ordained in 2008, and following three years in the parish of Huntley, he was tasked with building a new congregation at St. Albans Church in 2011. Mark is the author of two books, ReInvention: Stories from an Urban Church (2016) and ReImagine: Preaching in the Present Tense (2017). He was appointed the incumbent priest of Trinity Anglican Church in 2021. He and his family live in Old Ottawa South and Mark is an avid fan and season ticket holder for Carleton Ravens Basketball. Mark parle couramment l’anglais et le français. Go Ravens!

You can find Mark in T27 on Tuesdays from 11am – 1pm. Please email him for additional times.

Email: mark.whittall@trinityottawa.ca
Phone: 613-793-7355
Website: https://www.trinityottawa.ca/ and https://www.markwhittall.com/

Meet Nimao Ali, the principal of Abraar Secondary school. Ms. Ali completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Mathematics at Carleton University and later received an Adult Education Teaching Certificate at Algonquin College. She continued her education, completing Principal Qualifications at York University. Ms. Ali has been working as an Islamic studies teacher and educator for both adults and children for almost 20 years. Ali’s past local volunteer involvements include: sitting on the RCMP National Adviser Committee as a member, serving as a member on the OCISO Non-Profit Housing board and holding key positions in the Ottawa chapter of the Muslim Association of Canada.

In 2017, Nimao served as an external adviser to the Minister of Children and Youth Services of Ontario and she is a current board member of Somerset West Community Health Centre. In addition, Ms. Ali worked as an education project coordinator in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. She has also co-founded local organizations undertaking key projects in girls’ education and empowerment in Canada. As a former Carleton student, Ms. Ali is looking forward to connecting with you all and giving back to our university.

Nimao will be in T27 on Wednesdays from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Starting at 6:30pm, there will be a sisters circle. To connect with Nimao 1-1, please visit between 5:30pm – 6:30pm or send her an email.

Email: nimaoali@cmail.carleton.ca

Osama Berrada has been a mentor to youth and peers in the Ottawa community for the past decade. He delivers classes on the Exegesis of the Quran, does spiritual counselling, and is a roster Imam for Friday Sermons at various Mosques & Centres in the National Capital Region. Osama Berrada holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Queen’s University and is a professional IT Consultant.

Email: chaplain.berrada@cumsa.ca

Fr. Pierre Champoux was born in Edmonton, AB, on May 13th, 1964, and is the son of Andre Champoux and Anna Cormier, with two older brothers, Robert and Jacques. Throughout Pierre’s early childhood and late teens, his father was in the Air Force, which resulted in various postings across Canada. After spending a few years in the military, he began to feel a call towards the priesthood.

After acquiring his Ba.Ph from the Dominican College of Philosophy and Theology in 1995, B.Th from St. Paul University in 1999, and S.T.B. and M.Div from the University of Toronto and St. Augustine’s Seminary in 2001, Pierre was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Ottawa on June 9th, 2001. Since his ordination, he served as pastor at three Ottawa area parishes.

His current interests include reading the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, going out to movies and coffee with friends, and touring the Ottawa Valley on his Vulcan 1700 Voyager motorcycle. He is also the Canadian chaplain for the Knights on Bikes, which entails blessing motorcycles every year, sharing faith, and the love of the open road with bikers all over the country. As of July 1st, 2019, Pierre has been assigned as the Full-Time Director of Vocations for the ‘soon to be’ created Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. His new responsibilities include preaching about vocations in the English and French parishes of the Archdiocese, visits to the seminaries that the seminarians are studying, and chaplaincy at Carleton University.

You can find Fr. Pierre in T27 on Thursdays from 1pm – 4pm. Please email him for additional times for for an appointment.

Email: pierrechampoux95@gmail.com

Saha Kathron is the current Director of Hillel Ottawa. She was born and raised in Ottawa and then later moved to Kingston ON to complete her undergraduate degree in Behavioural Psychology. Sasha then moved to Israel where she spent time volunteering and teaching English. When Sasha returned to Ottawa she began working for Hillel Ottawa, a Jewish not-for profit organization that is dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all Jewish students. Hillel also encourage students to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world), Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood.

Email: director@hillelottawa.ca
Phone: 613-520-2600