Chaplaincy: "Divine Coffee" for Students

Gianpaolo Capozzi

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Photo of a mug of brown cappucino with white froth, held out by a hand.

Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.

As a university student, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of using my time wisely. There are only so many hours in the day, so I need to maximize my time. That is why I (and many others) turn to coffee - the magical, delicious stimulant that keeps us going. Could I survive university without coffee? Probably. But would I enjoy school as much? Would I be as efficient?

Easy Answer: No.

This made me think, are there any other kinds of “coffee” in my life? Are there things I could be doing that I am currently not doing?

One day, I was scrolling through Instagram, and I saw one of my high school friends, Alijah Ross Lorino, posting about his experience at the York University Chaplaincy. He shared photos of the fun times they had and of their quiet moments devoted to Christ. The more I saw, the more intrigued I became.

Photo of three young men sitting opposite each other in soft chairs in a university lounge

Gianpaulo inteviews his friend Alijah, a student at York University and member of the Catholic Chaplaincy. Photo © Salt + Light Media, 2025.

I looked on their website, and I saw an active, sprawling community. They had many events, Bible studies, and, of course, daily Masses. To me, this had to be a story for Behold. I texted Alijah, and he was more than happy to be a part of the story. From there, he invited me to come to one of their Awaken events, an evening of Eucharistic Adoration, praise and worship, confession, and prayer ministry; ending off with a potluck, where students are invited to bring food from their culture. I went to the event to shoot footage, and I was seriously impressed. It was such a warm and welcoming place, in a very solemn environment.

Alijah also introduced me to Anthony Notaran, another York University student and chaplaincy member. In my discussions with Anthony, I told him how impressed I was by Awaken Night. There were so many people who expressed this profound connection with God in such a beautiful way.

I asked him, “So, Anthony, this is like a once-a-semester thing, right?”

And he responded, “Oh no, we do this every month.”

All I could think was, WHAT? No way. These events clearly required a lot of planning and effort, and I couldn’t believe they were done every single month. For me, it was a testament to their commitment to the chaplaincy. It made me think that, Yep, these guys are the real deal. This thought was further confirmed when I learned more about Anthony and Alijah’s stories.

They shared their troubles with school life, especially with fitting in. While universities try to include everyone, the social culture of universities often isn’t supportive of Christians. Alijah told me about how secular universities had many students who promoted sinful actions and spoke blasphemous words. As a student of Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), I feel this too. While most non-Christians are friendly to Christians, there is a lot of palpable resentment when our faith is expressed overtly. In the words of Pope Leo XIV, “believers are mocked, opposed, despised, or at best tolerated and pitied.” Despite opposing influences, Anthony and Alijah have been Christian their whole life and remain steadfast in their beliefs. The deep connection they have with their faith is inspiring, and there is no doubt that the chaplaincy has helped them deepen that connection.

Gianpaulo interviewing Anthony, another York student and chaplaincy member. Photo © Salt + Light Media, 2025.

This whole process made me think a lot about my relationship with my chaplaincy at TMU. I have only visited them once, and to be honest, I think I should start visiting them more. One thing I realized with Alijah and Anthony is that, spiritually, they would be completely fine without going to a chaplaincy, because they trust that Christ will bring them through whatever storm they will face. But still, the chaplaincy has a fantastic influence on them, and does a better job of bringing them closer to God than if they tried to reach Him alone.

Fellowship is an integral part of being a Christian, but practically speaking, I think it supercharges our faith, helping us follow Christ with vigour. In that sense, I suppose, the chaplaincy is divine coffee, and I think it is about time that I take a sip.

Salt + Light Plus subscribers can catch Gianpaolo's segment on the York University Catholic Chaplaincy in Season 5 Episode 14 of Behold.