Chaplaincy - Spirituality, Faith and Meaning
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| From the Monash Chaplaincy web page comes the following story which describes the origin of the words, "chapel" and "chaplain". There was once a holy man whose name was Martin. He lived in the 4th century, and was such a remarkable person that over 4,000 churches in France were named after him. Martin served in the Roman army. On one occasion he was so moved by compassion upon seeing a beggar that he gave away half of his cloak. He became Bishop of Tours and founded a monastery in eastern Europe. On his death, the two halves of his cloak (or capella) were found, made whole and kept as a holy relic (that is, a reminder of a holy person’s life and works). Gradually the shrine where the cloak was kept took on the name of the cloak. The French took the word into their language as "chapele" from which comes the English word "chapel". |
| The guardian of St Martin’s cloak was called the "capellanus" which became "chapelain" in Old French. A chaplain was one, in the beginning, who guarded this reminder of the sacred. The chapel was a place where the sacred was remembered and honoured. | .jpg) |
| Deakin’s Geelong campus at Waurn Ponds has one of these places where, according to the story, "the sacred (is) remembered and honoured." |
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Nestled near the lake is the picturesque sandstone chapel. It comprises a number of elements brought together from various areas of Victoria by people who wished to provide a religious centre for the students and staff of the University, and to preserve one of the historic churches of the district. |
| Originally it was built in 1857 in Steiglitz where it served as a Catholic church and school until 1873, and then as a church only until the early 1950’s. In 1983 it was moved to its present site by a team comprised of University staff, various specialists and young people working under the Employment Initiatives Program. | .jpg) |
| The chapel was rebuilt block by block and most of the stained-glass windows came from the demolished St. Augustine’s Anglican Church in North Melbourne. The carpet and upholstered chairs were provided by the Friends of Deakin. In his address at the chapel’s opening in 1986, His Excellency, the Governor of Victoria, the Rev.Dr. Davis McCaughey said, "This building speaks of a past, going back to the pioneers in the Sutherland’s Creek, and it is a building of character and beauty."* |
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| The chapel is open weekdays during term from 10.00am - 3.00pm as a quiet , relaxed communal place for students and staff to meet, talk, meditate or whatever. |
The Chapel can be made available to members of the University and the wider community for weddings, funerals and other religious occasions. The cost of hiring the chapel for weddings is $110 plus the payment of a refundable $200 bond. Inquiries should be directed to Simone at The Lakehouse, telephone (03) 5227 1273.
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