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Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster
LA1 4YW
The BBC Religious Calendar can be found here
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Lancaster University
Chaplaincy Centre
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In the beginning there were two new higher education institutions that were being established at Lancaster: S. Martin's College, an explicitly Anglican teacher training college, and the University of Lancaster, with a Quaker vice-chancellor, and a Charter that included a commitment to: "No test related to sex, race, colour or religious, moral or political belief' to be imposed on any person being admitted as a member, teacher, student, graduate or office-holder. There was a debate, originated by the Bishop of Blackburn, about whether theology should be included as a subject at Lancaster. As you will all know, the outcome of those discussions was the establishment of the Department of Religious Studies in 1967, with Ninian Smart as its founding professor. He was also strongly supportive of the Chaplaincy Centre.
The original physical plan of the university showed a series of rectangular buildings, grouped within the perimeter road. The buildings around Alexandra Square followed that pattern, with a mixture of collegiate and teaching space, intermingled with specialist buildings such as the Library and the Physics building. No consideration had been given to any form of religious centre in the early planning process. Perhaps appropriately, given the continuity of that religion in Lancashire, with Lancaster as the centre of the current diocese and St Peter's as its cathedral, it was the Roman Catholics who were the first to approach the young university on this subject. A separate building, exclusively for "the use of Catholics attending the university', was requested. By June 1964, when the Bailrigg site was still green fields, Gerald Cassidy of Cassidy and Ashton of Preston wrote to Gabriel Epstein, the site development architect, about the positioning of a combined chapel, related social and study rooms, and space for a resident Roman Catholic chaplain. Similarly, Malcolm Weisman, appointed by the Hillel Foundation as student counsellor to Jewish students at the new universities, wrote in April 1964 from London to Stephen Jeffreys, the University Secretary, about how he might be able to make contact with Jewish students of "all shades of Jewish religious observance'. (At the beginning of the first year, there was one Jewish member of staff - Stanley Henig - and two students, who were given very special treatment.)
Gabriel Epstein was asked to reply to Gerald Cassidy, and his response indicated that the university, perhaps prompted by these approaches, wished also to think about other denominations. By July 1964 representatives of the Church of England and of the Free Churches were also involved in meetings, while a memorandum by Charles Carter began the exploration in writing of how a centre for religious activities of a broad kind might work, sharing study and social space, and with residential accommodation for chaplains. It seems that the Church of England folk were rather dragging their feet: a handwritten note by CFC to ASJ in December suggests a meeting would not be useful, "unless you can persuade your Bishop [Dr Claxton] to stop dithering. A meeting at present would be 95% RC and 5% Jews'.
Discussions did however proceed, and the university agreed that the land for what increasingly became known as the Chaplaincy Centre would be given by the university, but the various churches would be asked to raise the funds for the building costs, of around £150,000. The Roman Catholics found £80,000, the Hillel Foundation contributed £10,000, and the other churches chipped in. Gerald Cassidy told me that the Countess Peel was also very generous. The University Grants Committee was persuaded to pay for the furnishing and fittings of the rooms for social and general use, but the attribution of running costs was the subject of many exchanges over the period to the opening of the building. The salaries and honoria of the chaplains were to be paid by the respective churches, and their representatives were also responsible for making the appointments.
The University of Lancaster
Chaplaincy Centre 40th Anniversary Lectures
Text of First Lecture
In the Beginning - the early years of the Chaplaincy Centre
15 October 2009
Some humanists briefly objected to the donation of the site, but planning continued for a grouping of buildings that would include separate RC chapel and Anglican chapels, together with an area that combined social and general space, and an upper floor of residential accommodation. The clover leaf design, a shape that enabled the chapels to be separate, or opened out to form a general concourse, was different from any other building on site, although unified by the same brick cladding. At first the plan form was flat, but when the three drums were lifted to form three spires, the building as we know it began to take shape more quickly. By October 1965 there was a clearer understanding of how the building was expected to work:
[READ FROM SKETCH PLAN].
Bowland and Lonsdale colleges, nearby, were completed before the Centre was built, in parallel with The County College. A heated controversy took place, late in the building process, over the three crosses that were to top off the three spires, and opened out into a debate about people's understanding of the purposes of the Chaplaincy Centre. It began when the Jewish students objected to the use of wholly Christian symbols for a building that they understood would be what we now term multi-faith. It was suggested that a weathervane with a fish should replace the cross on the third spire, but this again was seen as a symbol of the Christian faith. The issue became so inflamed that threats of withdrawal of funding were made by some of the churches, while the Bishop of Blackburn thundered away about when the weathervane would appear.
Meanwhile the arms of the cross were simply cut off, leaving a plain spike, and the chaplains together decided that this solution should become the permanent one. Ninian Smart, on the Centre's tenth anniversary, suggested that it was not possible to see what it is the spike points to, but the message it conveyed to him was that "we can use the deep resources of mankind's spiritual history to help give power to peace and a new order of social justice in our divided world". It continues to provide a helpful starting point when explaining to visitors or newcomers how the Centre works, and the inclusiveness of its welcome to all religions or none.
While all this planning and fundraising was going on, annual church services were held jointly with S. Martin's College, to mark the beginning of each academic year, often at Lancaster Priory, but at least once at the Cathedral. At last, on Friday 2 May 1969 a late afternoon ceremony was held to mark the opening of the centre [PROGRAMME]. There was a procession that included Dr Claxton, Revd. George Maland, Bishop Foley, the Rev. Weisman, and others, and then a service of dedication. First, the building as a whole was dedicated and then each area in turn, after which each of the seven chaplains was individually commissioned.
Nor was that all, for on 17 October 1969 H.M. the Queen paid a visit to North Lancashire that included the new university of which she was the Visitor, and on which she had bestowed a Charter and Statutes five years earlier [PROGRAMME]. Her final port of call was the Chaplaincy Centre, where she was received by the Lord Archbishop of York, who then presented Father John Turner, who turn presented his colleagues. Fiona Frank asked me some years back about whether the Queen visited the space set aside for Jewish worship, representing a significant moment in the history of English Jewry. At the time I was not sure, but since the Queen was due to tour the whole Centre, I think that room must have been included. Father John Turner, in a recording made by Hugh Pollock, remembers the Queen enjoying a brief rest at the Centre, and even being able to take off her shoes. I relish the thought of the Centre as being a place of rest and repose even for the monarch.
Thereafter the Centre embarked on a full programme of services and other events that has characterised its very committed existence ever since, and of which others will speak to you in subsequent weeks.
Marion McClintock
15 October 2009