The Chaplaincy department offers a variety of activities available to all persons of the University. The chaplains contribute to the teaching of professional ethics, theology and other courses of religious education. They are available for spiritual and moral guidance in times of need or at any time on request; they accompany persons along their path to God.

Under the care of the Chaplaincy, daily Mass, confessions, days of recollection, and other activities take place in the chapels, which are always open during working days.

The activities are directed by Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church. Opus Dei aims to help people of all walks of life to strive for holiness and to evangelise in a natural manner wherever they are, especially through their daily work.

The Chaplain and his assistants are normally available in their offices for consultation. Appointments can also be made with them directly. The Chaplains are priests of Opus Dei, a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church.

The University Chapel is located in the centre of the Central Building on Sangale campus to emphasize its central role in the life of the University. It is easily accessible from the building’s main entrance. It can be expanded onto the forecourt to accommodate large congregations.

The focus of the chapel is the altar-piece. In the centre of the altar-piece is an oculum (“eye” in Latin) where the tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament is located. Above the oculum is a painting/icon of the Blessed Trinity, and below it, the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Surrounding the oculum are scenes from the New Testament, including some mysteries of the Holy Rosary, such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Agony in the Garden, and the Last Supper. On the extreme left are the three archangels mentioned in the Bible: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael; and on the right three apostles: Peter, Paul and John.

On each side of the altar  are two lecterns for proclaiming the Word of God.  Fourteen crosses, known as the Stations of the cross, and representing Jesus Christ’s way of suffering to Calvary are placed on the side walls at regular intervals.

At the back on each side of the chapel are two confessionals. There is a grille between the penitent and the confessor to respect the privacy of the penitent.

Ante-chapel

In the small ante-chapel worshipers may write intentions which the priest will silently commend at Mass.
There is also an offertory box to help support chapel expenses and a library with devotional books.

Chapel Forecourt

There is a chapel help desk; information on chaplaincy activities and availability of chaplains can be sought here. Books useful for prayer and spiritual reading are available at the lending library located next to the chapel help desk.

There is a bust of St Josemaria Escriva, the inspiration behind the University.

At the entrance to the forecourt is a notice-board with information on activities of the Chaplaincy.

The reredos (altar piece) of the SBS Chapel has a charm of its own. The main part is a copy of an imitation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. Leonardo was well known for his love of symmetry. In his Last Supper, the layout is horizontal. The large table is seen in the foreground of the image with all of the figures behind it. The painting is largely symmetrical with the same number of figures on either side of Jesus.

To the left of the Last Supper is a copy of a painting of the Madonna with Baby Jesus and to the right a copy of a painting of St. Josemaría Escrivá.  Under the painting of St. Josemaría is a reliquary with a relic of the saint. On the opposite side (under the painting of the Madonna) the seal of Opus Dei is mounted on a piece of green fabric.

The Shrine to the Holy Family is located at the graduation square in Keri Campus. The shrine was built after receiving a gift of the statue of Our Lady on a donkey carrying the Baby Jesus from the former Chancellor of the University, Bishop Javier Echevarria, Prelate of Opus Dei.

The university management commissioned a sculpture of St. Joseph, which was placed together with that of Our Lady inside the Shrine to the Holy Family. The shrine gives its staff, students and friends an additional place for reflection and prayer.

The family is at the core of our existence and the key to the survival of our society. Recognizing this, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph serve as the ultimate model for a family. Therefore, the enriched knowledge and awareness of the lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph call us to serve those closest to us in a similar way.

The Shrine to the Holy Family gives people an opportunity to discover and develop their Catholic faith and the wealth of the traditional African family. As each family gets stronger, so does its neighborhood, community, country and the world.