A £10 million investment in the redevelopment of the Queen’s University Chaplaincy has been made by the Diocese of Down and Connor, The Irish Catholic has learned.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Shannon Campbell, director of the QUB Chaplaincy said, “It’s really encouraging to know that our local Church is prioritising faith support and pastoral care for young people at such a critical stage in their lives. We’re very conscious that today’s students will be tomorrow’s leaders, especially within our Church, so the investment is well worth it. We are very much looking forward to moving into our state-of-the-art world class facility at the end of this calendar year.”
“As an expression of commitment to young people, the Diocese of Down and Connor is investing £10 million in a redevelopment of the Chaplaincy building, located at the heart of campus,” explained Fr Dominic McGrattan, Catholic Chaplain at the university.
The Chaplaincy weekly newsletter reaches “over 9,000 inboxes, and hundreds visit the Chaplaincy over the course of the semester for coffee and chat in their popular cafe,” explained Fr Dominic. The Chaplain has witnessed a prominent interest in “daily and Sunday Masses, daily confessions, women’s and men’s group, intellectual formation, quiet time in chapel, and social time in the common room,” among the students.
Almost half of Queen University’s students identify as Catholic or from a Catholic background, according to Fr Dominic. The investment will improve the facilities – café, common room, reading room, garden, and a renewed chapel worthy of the sacraments and sacred liturgies. For the first time in its history, the Chaplaincy will offer high-quality and value-led residential options offering nearly 50 student apartments.
The upgrade has been planned since over two years ago, but the works started on February 2024. The new Chaplaincy facilities will be open in December 2025.
See Martina Purdy’s article here
