One Hundred Reasons to Celebrate

By Joe Howell and Leslie Shepherd

Photo: Minh Truong

Emmanuel College started the party early.

As it prepares for the United Church of Canada’s 100th anniversary in 2025, Victoria University’s theological school is already celebrating record enrolment, construction of an Indigenous Healing Garden and the largest single gift in its history.

“These developments reflect Emmanuel’s dedication to fostering sustainability and interfaith dialogue and its growing role as a hub for theological and spiritual education across diverse traditions,” said Principal HyeRan Kim-Cragg.

Ninety-four students were admitted to the basic degree program at Emmanuel for the 2024–25 academic year—roughly three-quarters more than last year— for a total of 234 students enrolled across all programs.

That increase is reflected across Emmanuel’s programs, particularly the Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies and Master of Psychospiritual Studies. Meanwhile, students enrolled in the Christian, Muslim and Buddhist foci of the MPS and MTS programs have grown to roughly equal numbers for the first time. This year, Interfaith will be added as a fourth focus to the MTS program for the growing number of students interested in studying multiple faith traditions.

Applications for Emmanuel’s graduate programs have also been strong, with the college securing top-notch Ph.D. students and continually receiving more applications than it can admit.

Several factors contributed to this achievement, said Kim-Cragg, including:

• curricular innovation and diversification, such as a hybrid MDiv program, which allows students to take the majority of courses online;

• word-of-mouth recommendations through students, alumni and leaders from faith communities

• improved outreach and communication;

• the foresight of past administrative leaders;

• the college’s generous scholarship packages; and

• the dedication of Emmanuel’s faculty and staff, including the continuity provided by Andrew Aitchison, admissions counsellor and recruitment co-ordinator, over eight years.

Meanwhile, fencing has been erected around parts of Emmanuel College, in preparation for building the Indigenous Healing Garden and accessibility walkway. Work began this fall, with the expectation of an official opening during the spring of 2025 to coincide with celebrations for the United Church of Canada’s centennial.

The garden, created in consultation with Indigenous advisers, will be a space for reflection, truth and reconciliation, and learning about Indigenous traditions and stewardship of the land. It will be fully accessible and ecologically sustainable, growing Indigenous sacred medicinal plants and wildflowers.

The Indigenous Healing Garden received a Seeds of Hope grant from the United Church of Canada to literally seed this project. Vic’s Office of Alumni Affairs & Advancement is also working to raise $500,000 through naming opportunities for benches, walkways, flower beds and paver stones. If you would like to donate, please email vic.alumni@utoronto.ca or call 416-585-4500.

On Oct. 9, an event was held at Emmanuel to announce and celebrate a $3 million commitment from the Buddhist Association of Canada to endow the Wutai Shan Venerable Dayi Professorship in Buddhist Spiritual Care. This is the first professorship for Buddhist spiritual care in Canada and the largest single gift Emmanuel has received. The Venerable Dayi is abbot of the Cham Shan Temple in Thornhill, Ont., and president of The Buddhist Association of Canada.