UWS Chaplaincy Team
The Chaplaincy Team offers a caring presence to all staff and students at UWS, encouraging spirituality, offering hospitality and creating community. We do this embracing our diversity, encouraging conversation, respecting our similarities and differences. Our role is to specifically encourage a spiritual life within the University. Our key aim is to help you get the most out of your time at UWS.
Our chaplains come from a variety of spiritual traditions and we offer:
- A safe place and an open listening ear
- Opportunities to nurture, express and explore your spirituality
- Links to religious groups and faith communities
- Connection of life and faith through critical thinking, exploration of ethical issues and action for social justice issues
- Care and support in times of uncertainty, crisis and loss
- Thoughtful acts of service with, and for others
- A free and confidential service
Multifaith Facilities
Multifaith Facilities are available for students and staff on all UWS campuses.
Muslim Prayer Rooms:
- Bankstown - Building 10
- Blacktown - Building U8.0-30 and U8.0-31
- Campbelltown - Behind Building 4 (and in front of the computer labs)
- Hawkesbury - Building P22 (Owen Carter Memorial Chapel)
- Parramatta - ESa, Room 1
- Penrith - Building H Multifaith Centre, Kingswood
Prayer & Meditation Facilities:
- Bankstown - Building 10
- Blacktown - Building U8, Level 1, Rooms 17/18
- Campbelltown - Building 7, Room 8
- Hawkesbury - Building P23 (Jacob's Well)
- Parramatta - EJa.GO2 (Jacob's Well) and EJa.GO3 (office)
- Penrith - Building H Multifaith Centre, Kingswood
These spiritual places are grounded on the spiritual place of the Durug People, the traditional caretakers of this region.
They are available for people of all faith traditions and none.
They offer a safe place to meet, pray, reflect, meditate or simply take some time for yourself.
There are multifaith libraries to browse, chaplains to chat with, groups to connect with, religious festivals to celebrate together or space to do what you need.
Multifaith Facilities are places where your inner life is respected and honoured.
My Faith, Our Australia
My Faith, Our Australia was an event held by UWS Chaplaincy & the Affinity Club on 11th of September 2007. The event was video conferenced on every UWS campus.
People from a diverse range of backgrounds interacted and asked each other questions about their faith experience.
Kingswood campus hosted a question and answer session, with a panel who represented Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Kingswood campus also featured a ‘living library’, where participants ‘borrowed’ panel members for further interaction.
Campus Contacts
Chaplains are located at all UWS campuses. Please see the table below for contact details.
|
Campus |
Phone | Extension |
Contact |
|
| Bankstown | 9772 6526 | 6526 | Richard Blight | r.blight@uws.edu.au |
| Blacktown | 9852 4115 | 4115 | Craig Blacket | c.blacket@uws.edu.au |
| Campbelltown | 9685 9324 | 9324 | Valerie Powidzki | v.powidzki@uws.edu.au |
| Hawkesbury | 4570 1614 | 1614 | Scott Mackenzie | |
| Parramatta | 9685 9324 | 9324 | Valerie Powidzki | v.powidzki@uws.edu.au |
| Penrith | 4736 0803 | 2803 | Pat Thompson | pat.thompson@uws.edu.au |
Denomination Contacts
| Faith Tradition |
Contact |
Phone | |
| Anglican | Rev. Steve Gooch | 4736 0803 | s.gooch@uws.edu.au |
| Islam | Hanan Dover | 0422 908 323 | h.dover@uws.edu.au |
| Jewish | Tahlia Berger | 9931 9698 | tahlia@hillel.com.au |
| Catholic | Br. Pat Thompson | 0415 710 800 | pat.thompson@uws.edu.au |
| Coptic Orthodox | Fr. Matthew Attia | 0418 283 114 | fr.matthew@bigpond.com |
| Presbyterian | Rev. Dr. Peter Barnes | 9774 5740 | pebarnes@ezylink.net.au |
|
Uniting Church |
Christine Gapes |
0422 498 371 | |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Michael Carthew | 9841 5318 | carthewmj@ldschurch.org |
UWS is also visited by other denominations/faith traditions including:
- Baptist
For more information please contact Sister Valerie Powidzki on 9685 9324 or via email v.powidzki@uws.edu.au
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