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Meet the First Buddhist Chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces
Story and photos by Joe Howell
Chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces wear patches on their uniforms above their name tags to identify their faith—most often a Latin cross, a crescent moon or tablets with a Star of David. As the first Buddhist chaplain in the CAF, Capt. Joanne Yuasa is also the inaugural service member to wear a dharma wheel emblazoned on her uniform.
Yuasa, an Emmanuel College graduate and ordained Shin Buddhist minister, did not set out to become a trailblazer. Rather, the path that led her to chaplaincy was as serendipitous as the one that led her to Buddhism as a young adult struggling with anxiety and depression.
Born in Japan and raised in Vancouver, Yuasa discovered Buddhism after her therapist suggested she visit a nearby temple to connect with the Japanese Canadians who gather there. The teachings she learned there had a profound impact on her well-being. “That is when I really connected spiritual health and mental health,” said Yuasa.
When Yuasa started at Emmanuel in 2018, entering the Buddhist stream of what is now called the Master of Psychospiritual Studies, she didn’t know this career path was an option. During her first semester, she asked a professor how to best spread the Buddhist teachings that had made such a difference in her own life. The professor asked Yuasa if she’d ever considered military chaplaincy.
“I said, ‘I’ve never thought about it because Buddhist chaplaincy’s not a thing.’ My prof said, ‘You could probably make it a thing—you are ordained and you’re taking this master’s degree.’”
Upon investigation, the role seemed like a perfect fit. Yuasa wanted to help people by incorporating Buddhism with psychotherapy and mental health, and because Shin Buddhism is non-monastic, she was encouraged to be out in the world.
She learned military chaplains, considered non-combatants under the Geneva Convention, are prohibited from bearing arms. And while there weren’t any Buddhist chaplains in the CAF, there didn’t seem to be a rule against them.
Intrigued, Yuasa began the lengthy application process. “By second year, I was in the military,” she said. “I was accepted into the CAF’s Subsidized Education for Entry Level Masters program, so my tuition was being paid for, my books were being paid for and I was getting a lieutenant’s salary.”
She completed her MPS while obtaining a Certificate in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy and a Certificate in Theology and Interreligious Engagement, and after graduating in 2021 did additional training, including Basic Military Officer Qualification.
Capt. Yuasa is now based at CFB Kingston and enjoys her work providing spiritual guidance to the people stationed there. She encourages other people to consider both chaplaincy and studying at Emmanuel.
“The most important thing I was able to do at Emmanuel is combine the doctrine of my tradition with psychotherapy and my skills as a minister,” she said. “To merge all of that together was a big help, both in my professional life and personally.”
