Father Peter Melanson
Chaplain
BA, STU, 2008
MDiv, Saint Peter’s Seminary, University of Western Ontario, 2014
From Rothesay New Brunswick, Father Peter found a passion for literature and philosophy in the Great Books program at STU before going to study for the priesthood at Saint Peter’s Seminary. Since 2014, he has served as a priest of the Diocese of Saint John, having been pastor of Saint-François-de-Sales Parish and Holy Trinity parish in Saint John before moving to Fredericton in 2018 to take on the role of chaplain at STU and pastor at Sainte-Anne-des-Pays-Bas parish. Father Peter has a special interest in the writings of the Desert Fathers, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, and how we are shaped by liturgy and prayer.
Fun Fact: Father Peter has a large dog, a Saint Bernard named Dante after the famous poet, with whom he has one sided conversations.
Claire Morrison
Campus Minister
A Toronto native of South-East Asian descent, Claire came into the faith thanks to the work of campus ministers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology from University of Western Ontario (2003) a Master of Science in Neuroscience from McGill (2006) and a Bachelor of Education from University of Ottawa (2007). She brings a breadth of experience to the chaplaincy having worked as a genetic disease researcher, high-school math and science teacher, and as a mother of 5. She speaks Spanish and French. She has coordinated the Catechism program at St. Dunstan’s Church, where she also directed community art projects.
Claire's role is to minister to the spiritual and material needs of the students. She provides a welcoming space for anyone of any background or belief to gather around warm meals and lively discussions. She creates outreach and cultural opportunities, and programming to explore and nurture faith. She address food security on campus by keeping the food bank stocked and cooking with students, teaching them to prepare healthy meals that are culturally astute and geared for tight budgets.
"As a Catholic campus minister, I marvel at the Christ I meet in all our students.
'His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. Luke 2:51-52.'"