OMNI

Articles Index

2001: A Multifaith Odyssey
by Joseph Romain Editorial Note: The author relates a story told to him by a Chaplain. Her name and the identity of the Institution have been suppressed to protect everybody's privacy.) She had been preparing...

A CEO's Perspective on Health and Healing in a Hospital Environment
Vickie Kaminski, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital (HRSRH) recently presented the following address at the Northeastern Ontario Regional Multifaith Symposium held in Sudbury, Ontario this past October....

A Chaplain’s Cathartic Collage
Editorial Note: The word ‘collage’ in the title of this article is very important. It is important in order to appreciate not only the tapestry of images, conversations and experiences of people who are undergoing...

A Christmas to Remember
by Dan Cyr I have been a Roman Catholic Priest for the past 13 years. Prior to that I trained for 8 years. At 40 years of age, this means I've been "in the business...

A Day in the Life of a Prison Chaplain
This article originally appeared in the Testimony May 2003, Vol.84, No.5 and is reprinted by permission. 8:13 a.m. As I approach the detention centre, I wonder at all those cars streaming by. Who are...

A Reflection on a Vision for the Council
by Elizabeth Price The author provided this reflection for a meeting of the Ontario Multifaith Council and focuses on a vision for the Council. As people of faith we grieve as we watch the forces...

A Request for Clinical Pastoral Education from Bratislava, Slovakia
by John Vincent The following article contains notes of a visit by the author to Bratislava, Slovakia for the purpose of introducing the concept of Clinical Pastoral Education. It became very evident that this country...

A Spiritual Drama With Reflections on the Crucifixion of Jesus as a Model for Resorative Practice
In this article the author expresses in dramatic form how particular aspects of his faith can relate to the process of restorative conferencing. Perhaps no picture is more well known across many faiths and cultures...

A society out of balance ......
by Elizabeth F. Rahman Editorial Note: This article first appeared on the Religion page of the Peterborough Examiner 27 March 2004. On the 21st of March 1960, police opened fire at a peaceful demonstration against...

An Understanding of Jainism and the Importance of Non-Violence
Ask any ten persons about the world's present problems and nine will reply that violence is the biggest issue humanity is unable to overcome. While everyone knows about physical violence, few understand that violence is...

Break Open the Self-Woven Cocoon
by Shri Ashutosh Ji Maharaj It is natural for us as humans to long for peace and happiness. But the kind of living we have become accustomed to, cannot give us equipoise, equanimity and equilibrium...

Chaplaincy Recognized by the Ministry
by Paul Chidwick On November 29, 2001 the Huronia Regional Centre held a ceremony to mark the "Make a Difference" Recognition Program honoring excellence to employees at the Centre. At this ceremony the Deputy Minister...

Chaplaincy and Prenatal Genetics
This article is the result of a presentation made by the authors at the International Genetic Nurses Conference held in the Fall of 2000. The authors provide extensive information on the program for Chaplaincy support...

Creating a Restoring Community Through an Alternative to Violence Program
by Will Stoltz The author has had extensive experience in developing programs to help people deal with anger. This article provides an outline of the Alternative to Violence Program and invites people to consider using...

Creative Function and Immanence of “The Word” in the Context of Emerging Quantum Cosmology
By Jojo Joseph Abstract These reflections of a Christian layman touch upon the evolving theories of quantum cosmology and compare the function of creation from a theological as well as scientific viewpoint. In Christian theology,...

Final Publication
This issue of OMNI marks the final printed publication of the newsletter and also the beginning of a new method of communication. Starting in September the Ontario Multifaith Council's web site www.omc.on.ca will incorporate all...

Gibson's Passion tormenting, rewarding
by Salim Mansur The following article is a reprint from the London Free Press March 3, 2004. In Mel Gibson's cinematic rendition of Jesus' torment and death, the moment of catharsis is captured brilliantly when...

Golden Rules for Peace
A few months ago, my grandson recited a not-so-golden rule from the playground: "Do to others as they do to you." This isn't what his parents teach him, and it's not his rule. But I...

Islam unfairly portrayed, clerics tell students, ministers
by John Carter The following article was written by a reporter for The Mercury, Renfrew, Ontario and appeared on February 10. 2002.The event was arranged by the Rev. Ron Hunt to help the community work...

Labyrinth at jail offers another path
by Chris Stesky Staff Writer (Editorial Note: The following article is reprinted by permission from the Recorder and Times in Brockville, Ontario, Friday November 14, 2003 and represents an interview with Chaplain Crystal Butt regarding...

Metamorphosis
The following address was given at a Chaplains Conference in October 2002. The author not only emphasizes the importance of change within the provision of chaplaincy services, but also outlines a number of significant changes...

Multifaith Competencies of Chaplains
The competencies required of chaplains by the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care (OMCSRC) are an excellent way of addressing the spiritual and religious needs of the diverse faith population that they serve...

Multifaith education makes me a better Christian
by Lyle Young The following article is a reprint from the Toronto Star, June 28, 2003 Participation in a multifaith organization has made me a better person and a better Christian. It has deepened my...

Needs Assessment Survey - William Osler Health Centre
This Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Survey was developed by Garth Wittich at the William Osler Health Centre. It is a very useful research tool to determine not only the expectations of staff regarding...

No Enemies, Only Friends
This article first appeared in the "India House of Worship's Rajat Jayanti Souvenir" on October 13, 2001. It is a Hindu-Jain religious non-profit organization of Maryland-Washington. There is a difference between being religious and being...

Oneness With The Spirit: The Trinitarian Experience of a Christian and the Advaitic Experience of a Hindu
Oneness With The Spirit: The Trinitarian Experience of a Christian and the Advaitic Experience of a Hindu by Jojo Joseph The author is a Catholic layman deeply interested in Inter-Religious Dialogue and Indian spirituality. He...

Ontario Chaplains Association - A Call to Chaplains
Chaplaincy is facing urgent issues and we need to have a united voice. The problem has been that we chaplains tend to function independently unless and until we face a personal or corporate crisis. For...

Ontario Multifaith Council 2001 Annual Meeting and Celebration
November 6, 2001 The serene simplicity of the Japanese Cultural centre located on Garamond Drive was the site of the 2001 Ontario Multifaith Council's Annual Meeting and Celebration. Over 100 people attended to mark the...

Partners for Unity in Diversity ... Remembering September 11th
by Shirley-Anne Bedard At the last Annual Meeting of the Ontario Multifaith Council the theme speaker challenged the faith groups to respond to the events of September 11th by proclaiming a message of hope and...

Peace Begins at Home
This paper was presented at the Security, Terrorism, and Peacemakers Conference held in London, Ontario on January 4, 2003. From personal experience and international evidence, John de Vries makes a case for restorative justice. “People...

Practicing Faith Benefits Everyone
Reprinted by permission from the November/December 2001 issue of Correctional News, the official newsletter of the California Department of Corrections Ramadan, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Christmas - these and other observances mark the fall and...

Prison Is a Member of Their Family
by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc This is a reprint from The New York Times, January 12, 2003. The article is too long to reproduce here but it is well worth reading. To do so click on...

Professional Chaplaincy: A White Paper
The following article is a reprint from The Journal of Pastoral Care, Spring 2001, Vol. 55, No. 1 A White Paper Professional Chaplaincy: Editors: Larry VandeCreek and Laurel Burton ©The Association of Professional Chaplains ©The...

Reality Lies Beyond Vaastu Shastra
by Shri Ashutosh Ji Maharaj Peace, happiness and health are the three goals, which all human beings aspire to achieve in their life. The most recent rage to attain these three-fold objectives in both India...

Refreshing Our Spiritual Awareness
by John Kaminski Over the last several years, October has been widely recognized as a month of spiritual reflection and growth. The Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care organizes special events, usually during...

Rethinking Justice
The following article is reprinted by permission from the St. Catharine’s Standard on February 2003 by Matthew Van Dongen. In this report George Addison shares his experience as a former chaplain in the correction system...

SALLEKHANA vs. SUICIDE
by Sanjay V. Mehta In this article the author considers the grounds for a voluntary death vis-a-vis an act of suicide as it is understood in the Jain religion. The author argues that there are...

Self-knowledge - The Ultimate Insulator
by Shri Ashutosh Ji Maharaj The need for a shock absorber for the bumpy road called life is a universal clamor. Riches do not make an affluent truly happy, and the poor are too sorrowful...

Southwest Regional Centre 40th anniversary Chaplaincy Celebration
The 40th Anniversary gave us an opportunity to invite past Chaplains back to celebrate with us at Southwestern Regional Centre. When the first residents arrived in 1961, Dr. Al Finlyson, the first Superintendent, recognized the...

Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Report #1
by Garth Wittich Chaplain, William Osler Health Centre (Editorial Note: In a previous posting of OMNI we included a Spiritual and Religious Care Needs Assessment Form developed by Garth Wittich at William Osler Health Centre....

Spirituality and Health: Developing a Shared Vocabulary
Spirituality and Health: Developing a Shared Vocabulary B.M. Mount, W. Lawlor, E.J. Cassell, for McGill Programs in Integrated Whole Person Care Working Group (Address for reprints. B.M. Mount, McGill Programs for Integrated Whole Person Care,...

Strength and Weakness: Psychotherapy and Spiritual Growth
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2.Cor. 12:9 "We have a preference for feeling bad but strong rather than feeling weak and afraid." Harry Guntrip, Psychoanalyst Our...

Supervised Pastoral Education: A Theologian's Assessment
by Allan Savage The author provides a well researched analysis of Roman Catholic documentation to determine whether Supervised Pastoral Education facilitates the role of a Roman Catholic chaplain in the provision of religious and spiritual...

The Benchmarks of Spirituality - Conclusion
In this final section the author summarizes the benchmarks that have been identified in previous chapters and points out those indicators that can validate a healthy spiritual activity. Conclusion When we began this series I...

The Benchmarks of Spirituality: Introduction
Author’s Note: The following set of articles will appear in successive issues of OMNI as a contribution towards a better understanding of what spirituality means and entails. They will explore the history of this subject...

The Benchmarks of Spirituality: Spirituality vis-a-vis Philosophical Enquiry
This section in the series The Benchmarks of Spirituality contains one particular example of philosophical enquiry with a view to comparing that process with what one might experience in the realm of spiritual enquiry. Chapter...

The Benchmarks of Spirituality: Spirituality vis-a-vis Religion
This section in the series The Benchmarks of Spirituality examines the relationship between spirituality and religion. This is a relationship which can certainly be devoid of antagonism, if approached in the proper manner, and through...

The Benchmarks of Spirituality: Spirituality vis-a-vis Religious Experiences
This section in the series The Benchmarks of Spirituality examines a select number of religious experiences which may also indicate particular benchmarks that characterize spiritual activity. Chapter 3 Spirituality vis-a-vis Religious Experiences Significant religious experiences...

The Benchmarks of Spirituality: Spirituality vis-a-vis the Development of Other Religious and Social Organizations
This section in the series The Benchmarks of Spirituality examines three areas in both our religious and social life which contain evidences of spiritual activity. Chapter 4 Spirituality vis-a-vis the Development of Other Religious and...

The Just Society
Editorial Note: This article represents a paper presented by Joseph Romain at the Conference “Charting the Future: An EPIC Experience (Empowerment, Presence, Integrity, and Compassion) on February 23-26, 2003 in Toronto. It was a Joint...

The Linkage Between Spirituality and Health: Holistic Outcomes and Religious Practice in Clinical Health Care
(Editorial Note: The following article represents a paper that Alan Savage has been invited to present next May at a “Spirituality and Health Conference” at the University of Calgary.) Abstract Spirituality is evidenced through religious...

The Loneliness of Separateness
The following is a column from the Religion Page of the Brantford Expositor June 23, 2001. Ross Readhead is a member of the Brantford, Hamilton, Niagara Regional Multifaith Committee and Secretary of the Brantford Community...

The Ongoing Work of Reconciliation
by Greg Rodgers Ken and Jim are two ex-offenders who had been in conflict with each other for several months, (even resorting to violence in order to deal with their differences). However, when a mutual...

The Reluctant Decision Maker
by Paul Chidwick This is an issue that many times involves the mediation of the hospital chaplain. In the series Bioethics for Clinicians (CMAJ July 15,1996; vol.155 ff) it was noted on several occasions that...

The Sublime Message of Mahavira
by Bal Patil The place and contribution of Jainism and Bhagwan Mahavira in the history of Indian culture and civilisation is a most fascinating subject. So seminal has been the influence of Jainism and its...

Thunder and Light
The author provides us with a personal and very sensitive account of a tragedy in her life during which she found great support from her faith, her family, and her friends. Eight months ago I...

To the World's Religious Leaders
In 2000, the international interfaith movement passed another milestone when religious leaders gathered at the United Nations for the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. More than 1,000 representatives came together to...

Vision TV Survey on Faith and Spirituality
Editorial Note: The following article represents a summary of a larger survey recently conducted on behalf of Vision TV. Vision TV study shows interest in aspects of spiritual life growing Despite declining church attendance, Canada...

Walking the Labyrinth Part of the Healing Process
This article contains a brief description of the installation of a labyrinth at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre as part of the healing process for patients, families, and staff. Walking the labyrinth is...

Why some Christians are Spiritually Lethargic
by Jojo Joseph Scientific Officer Engineer Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, India 1 Introduction Despite being deeply devoted to religion, many Christian laymen remain spiritually lethargic or static, with hardly any desire to...