An Interview with Notre Dame's New Chaplain Mr.Dunn!
By Bella Quitazol (Grade 12)
As many staff and students are returning for another amazing school year here at Notre Dame, this school year is also a new beginning for many staff and students including Chaplain Dunn who is joining us for his first year in our fighting Irish community! In the course of our first weeks at school I had the opportunity to sit down with Chaplain Dunn and get to know him as well as welcome him to our fantastic school community!
During the dialogue between Chaplain Dunn and I, my questions are bolded as B, and Chaplain Dunn’s responses are bolded as CD.
B: “Good afternoon! So, firstly tell me about yourself, what are some things you would like the students to know about you?”
CD: “Well, I have been a Chaplain for seventeen years and before that, I worked with an organization called Catholic Youth Organization in Hamilton. I did youth ministry for about four or five years there. So in total, that's about twenty years of ministry in different capacities. Some highlights from before I went into chaplaincy was my involvement in World Youth Days, I was able to coordinate groups of young people attending World Youth Days in both Toronto 2002 and Germany in 2005. I was actually able to meet our principal (Mr.Roberts) during that time who was involved in that as well, so twenty years ago we knew each other and now we work together again after both going through a journey in ministry. So, we worked with each other in the past and have similar views about leadership! What I want people to know about me is my past working in CYO and working at Assumption, St.Thomas Aquinas, Jean Vanier (now changed to St. Francis Xavier) and now I'm here at Notre Dame.”
B: “Wow! That’s a lot of interesting stuff you have done. So other than the career path that you've had, what are some other personal aspects of your life or qualities you’d like the students to know so they can get to know you better?”
CD: “I think that music is a big and positive quality that I have that goes with not only my ministry but also my personal life. I’m the youngest of seven children and I have twenty-seven nieces and nephews, my parents have been married for sixty-five years. So, we always grew up in a house that was filled with music, friends, laughter and really a great sense of community. We would invite our parish priests over for parties, there would always be an extra seat at the dinner table for someone like a boyfriend or girlfriend of one of my brothers or sisters. So, being the youngest I really had this vision of, holy cow, there are a lot of people in my family. Sometimes I had to second guess who my parents were because I was the youngest and there were so many people that were so much older.”
B: “You've already talked about your career a little bit, but is there anything else you'd like the Notre Dame community to know about that you've done thus far and how did you get into this career?”
CD:“I attended Kings College at Western where I studied Sociology and Religion, I was able to go on to get my Masters in Catholic Leadership at the University of Toronto at St.Michael's College and after learning about what leadership is when viewed through the lens of the Catholic faith it really motivated me to want to continue to work with kids as I always have done. On a personal note during that time, before I got my Masters, I was very sick in the hospital for probably about four to five years with Crohn's disease. I was in and out of the hospital and had major surgeries throughout that time because I was very sick. So, when we talk about the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’, you're asking God if I can get out of here, what am I going to do with my life? This was at a point where I was just starting out in ministry.”
B:“Do you believe that this experience helped you realize that you wanted to go into this career, as well as strengthened your faith and beliefs?”
CD: “Yeah, it was a key point because I was very close to dying and when those dark nights of the soul happened, you sort of say to yourself, alright God what do you want me to do? How do I redeem this suffering? Thank you for giving me life, how would you like me to use it? I always felt called to work with kids and with young adults, I didn't know whether that would be social work or something else. I was always involved in my church and music, but I just sort of came upon looking into working at camps, at the CYO they run a lot of camps like camp Brebeuf and Camp Marydale, but they ended up hiring me for youth ministry during my time with them and I was able to see how many young people are still involved in their faith and just need people to lead them.”
As many staff and students are returning for another amazing school year here at Notre Dame, this school year is also a new beginning for many staff and students including Chaplain Dunn who is joining us for his first year in our fighting Irish community! In the course of our first weeks at school I had the opportunity to sit down with Chaplain Dunn and get to know him as well as welcome him to our fantastic school community!
During the dialogue between Chaplain Dunn and I, my questions are bolded as B, and Chaplain Dunn’s responses are bolded as CD.
B: “Good afternoon! So, firstly tell me about yourself, what are some things you would like the students to know about you?”
CD: “Well, I have been a Chaplain for seventeen years and before that, I worked with an organization called Catholic Youth Organization in Hamilton. I did youth ministry for about four or five years there. So in total, that's about twenty years of ministry in different capacities. Some highlights from before I went into chaplaincy was my involvement in World Youth Days, I was able to coordinate groups of young people attending World Youth Days in both Toronto 2002 and Germany in 2005. I was actually able to meet our principal (Mr.Roberts) during that time who was involved in that as well, so twenty years ago we knew each other and now we work together again after both going through a journey in ministry. So, we worked with each other in the past and have similar views about leadership! What I want people to know about me is my past working in CYO and working at Assumption, St.Thomas Aquinas, Jean Vanier (now changed to St. Francis Xavier) and now I'm here at Notre Dame.”
B: “Wow! That’s a lot of interesting stuff you have done. So other than the career path that you've had, what are some other personal aspects of your life or qualities you’d like the students to know so they can get to know you better?”
CD: “I think that music is a big and positive quality that I have that goes with not only my ministry but also my personal life. I’m the youngest of seven children and I have twenty-seven nieces and nephews, my parents have been married for sixty-five years. So, we always grew up in a house that was filled with music, friends, laughter and really a great sense of community. We would invite our parish priests over for parties, there would always be an extra seat at the dinner table for someone like a boyfriend or girlfriend of one of my brothers or sisters. So, being the youngest I really had this vision of, holy cow, there are a lot of people in my family. Sometimes I had to second guess who my parents were because I was the youngest and there were so many people that were so much older.”
B: “You've already talked about your career a little bit, but is there anything else you'd like the Notre Dame community to know about that you've done thus far and how did you get into this career?”
CD:“I attended Kings College at Western where I studied Sociology and Religion, I was able to go on to get my Masters in Catholic Leadership at the University of Toronto at St.Michael's College and after learning about what leadership is when viewed through the lens of the Catholic faith it really motivated me to want to continue to work with kids as I always have done. On a personal note during that time, before I got my Masters, I was very sick in the hospital for probably about four to five years with Crohn's disease. I was in and out of the hospital and had major surgeries throughout that time because I was very sick. So, when we talk about the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’, you're asking God if I can get out of here, what am I going to do with my life? This was at a point where I was just starting out in ministry.”
B:“Do you believe that this experience helped you realize that you wanted to go into this career, as well as strengthened your faith and beliefs?”
CD: “Yeah, it was a key point because I was very close to dying and when those dark nights of the soul happened, you sort of say to yourself, alright God what do you want me to do? How do I redeem this suffering? Thank you for giving me life, how would you like me to use it? I always felt called to work with kids and with young adults, I didn't know whether that would be social work or something else. I was always involved in my church and music, but I just sort of came upon looking into working at camps, at the CYO they run a lot of camps like camp Brebeuf and Camp Marydale, but they ended up hiring me for youth ministry during my time with them and I was able to see how many young people are still involved in their faith and just need people to lead them.”
B:“What is something about yourself that you believe would surprise students?”
CD:“I play in a band with my nephews called Descendents of Dunn. It's pretty cool because I get to be in a band with my two nephews and two other friends of ours who play the bass and drums. We've played together for the past ten to fifteen years together and we play for many events, such as Walk with Jesus as well as other events, we played in a couple of backyards during Covid when it was allowed. Our band also did virtual concerts where we’d go to my nephews’ backyard and start playing music. Another interesting thing is when I did World Youth Day I was on stage with Pope John Paul II!”
B:“Wow, that’s amazing, did you get to meet him?”
CD:“I sat right behind him at World Youth Day actually and that was really cool!”
B:“You already talked about how you got into your career as a Chaplain and how you were involved in youth ministry, but how exactly did you get into this job specifically?”
CD:“It was pretty amazing because God open’s doors for you when you don't even know it. Initially, I started with my own youth parish at St.Anne’s in Ancaster and I called it Generation X because that is who we were. So, basically, I just invited my friends at the time as well as other people in the parish, I sort of made it open to everybody. We had our own youth group there. Sometimes some of us would sing at mass because music and community were a big part of it. From there I started to meet other people that were involved in the ministry, that's how I got involved with the CYO right out of high school. After I worked at the CYO, one of the board of directors, Cynthia Tobin who sat on the board of directors of the CYO and was a part of human resources for the board, saw what I was doing and told me I would make a really good Chaplain, I thought that was amazing. She then told me they were hiring and I should apply. Assumption was my first school, I then went on to work at St. Thomas Aquinas, where I got the chance to work with Mr. Daly, our director. When he moved to work at Jean Vanier (now changed to St. Francis Xavier), I went with him to start at that new school with him there. Then eight years later here I am at Notre dame!”
B:“What would you say your first impression was of Notre Dame during your first couple days here with us as Chaplain and even now that we are a bit more situated in the school year?”
CD:“I would say after coming from a new school where traditions were still being established, I was able to come here, where I felt a really good sense of community and tradition sort of when I came in. Especially seeing the photos of the graduates on the wall, even some teachers that went here as students, it was a bit overwhelming because I don't really know the traditions but I'm excited to get to see what the school is all about.”
B: “Are there any traditions that you know of at our school you would like to be involved in or are there any you would like to start here?”
CD:“The pandemic has caused the opportunity to start using Youtube which I only started doing a few years ago at my old school. Being able to get the messages of what's happening out to the school and community is great. In terms of traditions, I would like to highlight the things that have been going on and to learn about them. It was great seeing we had the Prefects program, Student Council, a Wellness room that is very open for students to come to and drop by and have a sense of peace and calm. Being able to work with the social worker and the CYC really showed me there's a sense of community as soon as I walked in the door and the administration has been really supportive. The administration really wants to hear from the students and so do I, there's no sense in building things that I like. I want to build things for the students as students voices are very important to me, the way I express that is Catholic leadership, whether you are Catholic or not I see the world through that lens and it is important, especially as a Catholic school to provide opportunities that you wouldn't always necessarily find at the public schools. I want to remind everyone that when you see leadership through the eyes of faith the results of growth as a leader are different. My job is to build community and celebrate faith. Through classroom activities, retreats or whatever we decide to do I want to hear from the staff and students to see what they like and change what they don't.”
CD:“I play in a band with my nephews called Descendents of Dunn. It's pretty cool because I get to be in a band with my two nephews and two other friends of ours who play the bass and drums. We've played together for the past ten to fifteen years together and we play for many events, such as Walk with Jesus as well as other events, we played in a couple of backyards during Covid when it was allowed. Our band also did virtual concerts where we’d go to my nephews’ backyard and start playing music. Another interesting thing is when I did World Youth Day I was on stage with Pope John Paul II!”
B:“Wow, that’s amazing, did you get to meet him?”
CD:“I sat right behind him at World Youth Day actually and that was really cool!”
B:“You already talked about how you got into your career as a Chaplain and how you were involved in youth ministry, but how exactly did you get into this job specifically?”
CD:“It was pretty amazing because God open’s doors for you when you don't even know it. Initially, I started with my own youth parish at St.Anne’s in Ancaster and I called it Generation X because that is who we were. So, basically, I just invited my friends at the time as well as other people in the parish, I sort of made it open to everybody. We had our own youth group there. Sometimes some of us would sing at mass because music and community were a big part of it. From there I started to meet other people that were involved in the ministry, that's how I got involved with the CYO right out of high school. After I worked at the CYO, one of the board of directors, Cynthia Tobin who sat on the board of directors of the CYO and was a part of human resources for the board, saw what I was doing and told me I would make a really good Chaplain, I thought that was amazing. She then told me they were hiring and I should apply. Assumption was my first school, I then went on to work at St. Thomas Aquinas, where I got the chance to work with Mr. Daly, our director. When he moved to work at Jean Vanier (now changed to St. Francis Xavier), I went with him to start at that new school with him there. Then eight years later here I am at Notre dame!”
B:“What would you say your first impression was of Notre Dame during your first couple days here with us as Chaplain and even now that we are a bit more situated in the school year?”
CD:“I would say after coming from a new school where traditions were still being established, I was able to come here, where I felt a really good sense of community and tradition sort of when I came in. Especially seeing the photos of the graduates on the wall, even some teachers that went here as students, it was a bit overwhelming because I don't really know the traditions but I'm excited to get to see what the school is all about.”
B: “Are there any traditions that you know of at our school you would like to be involved in or are there any you would like to start here?”
CD:“The pandemic has caused the opportunity to start using Youtube which I only started doing a few years ago at my old school. Being able to get the messages of what's happening out to the school and community is great. In terms of traditions, I would like to highlight the things that have been going on and to learn about them. It was great seeing we had the Prefects program, Student Council, a Wellness room that is very open for students to come to and drop by and have a sense of peace and calm. Being able to work with the social worker and the CYC really showed me there's a sense of community as soon as I walked in the door and the administration has been really supportive. The administration really wants to hear from the students and so do I, there's no sense in building things that I like. I want to build things for the students as students voices are very important to me, the way I express that is Catholic leadership, whether you are Catholic or not I see the world through that lens and it is important, especially as a Catholic school to provide opportunities that you wouldn't always necessarily find at the public schools. I want to remind everyone that when you see leadership through the eyes of faith the results of growth as a leader are different. My job is to build community and celebrate faith. Through classroom activities, retreats or whatever we decide to do I want to hear from the staff and students to see what they like and change what they don't.”
B:”Our school definitely has a lot of school spirit and an amazing sense of community! What are some things you have accomplished thus far in your career or personal life that you would like the students to know about that you are proud of?”
CD:“I was never an academic student so completing my Masters was a very big accomplishment for myself so the fact that I was able to find something I was passionate about and use it in my everyday life and education, I am very proud of that fact. I was able to apply that at my last school by developing a leadership council that was representative of all clubs and organizations within the school. I made sure everyone had a voice at this council, which is something I would like to do here and bring those voices to one common table and make sure everyone feels a part of our community and connected.”
B:“Is there a message you have to our grade 9’s as they are our newest students?”
CD:”First of all, I'm proud of them before I even meet them, they came from a grade 8 year where they didn't even have graduation. So, my message would be to continue to be resilient no matter what the world is facing at the time and to remember that at the heart of who we are when we are being resilient is that sense of hope and faith only God can give. Always challenge yourself to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.”
B:“Is there a message you have for our grade 12’s, even though you only have this final year with us, is there any message you want us to take with us to Post-Secondary life.”
CD:“I would say a similar message, process what happened during this pandemic and use it as motivation to make the world a better place. Have a response, don't just go through the day as though that's just how the world is, have a response. How can we use catholic social teaching to see through the lens of justice and through that lens it is really important to have a different response to someone that went to a public school as we have so much knowledge and teaching that we can apply to our response to justice issues. Explore possibilities you never knew existed.”
B:“Is there anything else you'd like to say to the Notre Dame community?”
CD:“I’d like to thank the Notre Dame staff and students for such an amazing welcome and I'm looking forward to working with all the students and I wanted to remind the students we are all called to help one another.”
B:”Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me, it was great getting to know you and I know the rest of our student body will feel the same way as well.”
Welcome to the Notre Dame family Chaplain Dunn!
The Beginning of a Beginning:
A Grade 9 Perspective
By Isabella Paladino
At times the past year felt like it lasted forever, yet despite how it seemed, time continued moving on.
This year specifically,,marks an important time in my life, as I make the leap from grade eight-- a student in elementary school--to grade nine, where I had to step through the doors (both literally and figuratively) and cross over to the world of high school. I would be lying if I said that experiencing all of those firsts wasn’t nerve wracking, especially with Covid-19 thrown into the mix. What would have already been testing on the anxiety of many became even harder when the pandemic flipped all of our expectations upside down. For me, personally, the delay in truly understanding what the return to in-person was going to look like was a big cause of stress before the first day of school.
It was confusing, definitely, I was doing my best to stay on top of all the new protocols for protecting against Covid-19, while at the same time trying to remember the room numbers for all my courses. All of that without even mentioning the intimidation I felt upon entering the school to the sea of students, grades nine to twelve, getting to their classes. It felt like a lot, from the worry, to the questions, to the general thoughts of whether I would be able to find my own place in the community. Nobody wants to find themselves alone when facing unfamiliar and strange territory, and I was (and am) no exception.
Luckily, I was not one of the students who found myself walking into the wrong classroom, even though I certainly worried about that; and I quickly came to realize that my worry really was for nothing. High school is almost nothing like the movies make it out to be. On that first day of school where my mind was racing and I was thrust into an environment unlike one I had ever been in I had no idea what to expect, something which was not comforting. Repetition helps me feel at ease, and it was easy to fall into a routine. Every morning starts with Chaplain Dunn's Inside ND show and the morning announcements with the prefects and student council members who share their own wisdom of their time in the years of school that are going to come for me quicker than I’m sure I will imagine.
Already, ND has supplied me with the means to carve my own corner and to begin to participate in all the activities I can—I’ve begun to realize that there really are things for everyone! Starting high school has been a much easier process to get used to, with the new independence and responsibility, than I could have hoped for. When I used to think of high school, I thought of sitting in my room by lamplight finishing homework into the night and getting lost in the labyrinthian hallways of the school building. And while I do get my fair share of work I need to complete at home (and many, many tests), the reality is much better than my imaginings.
While, sure, it has only been three weeks and we are now coming up on the fourth, and many people reading this probably think I’m getting ahead of myself, I feel I can confidently say that Notre Dame is a school that I am proud to attend. I might still be trying to make and build new and old friendships while joining groups and clubs, but I am slowly immersing myself in the true high school experience… and already, I feel like I belong.
New years bring new challenges but they also bring new opportunities, friendships and the chance to grow and learn in all aspects of your life.
At times the past year felt like it lasted forever, yet despite how it seemed, time continued moving on.
This year specifically,,marks an important time in my life, as I make the leap from grade eight-- a student in elementary school--to grade nine, where I had to step through the doors (both literally and figuratively) and cross over to the world of high school. I would be lying if I said that experiencing all of those firsts wasn’t nerve wracking, especially with Covid-19 thrown into the mix. What would have already been testing on the anxiety of many became even harder when the pandemic flipped all of our expectations upside down. For me, personally, the delay in truly understanding what the return to in-person was going to look like was a big cause of stress before the first day of school.
It was confusing, definitely, I was doing my best to stay on top of all the new protocols for protecting against Covid-19, while at the same time trying to remember the room numbers for all my courses. All of that without even mentioning the intimidation I felt upon entering the school to the sea of students, grades nine to twelve, getting to their classes. It felt like a lot, from the worry, to the questions, to the general thoughts of whether I would be able to find my own place in the community. Nobody wants to find themselves alone when facing unfamiliar and strange territory, and I was (and am) no exception.
Luckily, I was not one of the students who found myself walking into the wrong classroom, even though I certainly worried about that; and I quickly came to realize that my worry really was for nothing. High school is almost nothing like the movies make it out to be. On that first day of school where my mind was racing and I was thrust into an environment unlike one I had ever been in I had no idea what to expect, something which was not comforting. Repetition helps me feel at ease, and it was easy to fall into a routine. Every morning starts with Chaplain Dunn's Inside ND show and the morning announcements with the prefects and student council members who share their own wisdom of their time in the years of school that are going to come for me quicker than I’m sure I will imagine.
Already, ND has supplied me with the means to carve my own corner and to begin to participate in all the activities I can—I’ve begun to realize that there really are things for everyone! Starting high school has been a much easier process to get used to, with the new independence and responsibility, than I could have hoped for. When I used to think of high school, I thought of sitting in my room by lamplight finishing homework into the night and getting lost in the labyrinthian hallways of the school building. And while I do get my fair share of work I need to complete at home (and many, many tests), the reality is much better than my imaginings.
While, sure, it has only been three weeks and we are now coming up on the fourth, and many people reading this probably think I’m getting ahead of myself, I feel I can confidently say that Notre Dame is a school that I am proud to attend. I might still be trying to make and build new and old friendships while joining groups and clubs, but I am slowly immersing myself in the true high school experience… and already, I feel like I belong.
New years bring new challenges but they also bring new opportunities, friendships and the chance to grow and learn in all aspects of your life.
Goooood morning ND, my name is Chaplain Dunn and I am excited to serve this community!
I am excited to host INSIDE ND.ca YouTube LIVE every morning at 8:15. Please SUBSCRIBE to the channel (link found at (https://www.youtube.com/c/INSIDENDTV) and tune in EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING for our morning prayer & announcements and find out our theme of the day, special guests and of course EVERYTHING happening in our parishes, home, and our local school community of Notre Dame.
I am new to this community, like our grade 9 class, and am excited to start my journey at ND with the 'Class of 2025'.
The focus of my ministry has always been to incorporate mind, body, and spirit into all aspects of Catholic Leadership to build community and celebrate faith. I am looking forward to working with Notre Dame staff, students, parents, and our local parishes of St. Paul the Apostle and St. Gabriel and invite all to share their gifts!
The ND chapel is available for a place for quiet reflection or prayer and my office ( I newly coined the 'ND Fish Tank') is located directly across from the chapel. You will also find me roaming the halls and supervising student activities out of our new 'Wellness Room', located in the spectrum. I look forward to working with our amazing ND students who will be given the opportunity to serve this community in various ways.
EVERY STUDENT has the opportunity to get involved in serving this community. I will get you involved if you ask me!
One last word is that I encourage everyone to be easy on yourself and each other, knowing we have all been through so much during this pandemic. Take one day at a time and know that you have an amazing group of teachers and staff here at ND! YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!
"DO NOT BE AFRAID; ONLY HAVE FAITH." (Mark 6:50)
I promote authentic Catholic Leadership and challenge you to step out of your comfort zone to help each other in school community in simple ways....
"Our Lady, pray for us"
I am excited to host INSIDE ND.ca YouTube LIVE every morning at 8:15. Please SUBSCRIBE to the channel (link found at (https://www.youtube.com/c/INSIDENDTV) and tune in EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING for our morning prayer & announcements and find out our theme of the day, special guests and of course EVERYTHING happening in our parishes, home, and our local school community of Notre Dame.
I am new to this community, like our grade 9 class, and am excited to start my journey at ND with the 'Class of 2025'.
The focus of my ministry has always been to incorporate mind, body, and spirit into all aspects of Catholic Leadership to build community and celebrate faith. I am looking forward to working with Notre Dame staff, students, parents, and our local parishes of St. Paul the Apostle and St. Gabriel and invite all to share their gifts!
The ND chapel is available for a place for quiet reflection or prayer and my office ( I newly coined the 'ND Fish Tank') is located directly across from the chapel. You will also find me roaming the halls and supervising student activities out of our new 'Wellness Room', located in the spectrum. I look forward to working with our amazing ND students who will be given the opportunity to serve this community in various ways.
EVERY STUDENT has the opportunity to get involved in serving this community. I will get you involved if you ask me!
One last word is that I encourage everyone to be easy on yourself and each other, knowing we have all been through so much during this pandemic. Take one day at a time and know that you have an amazing group of teachers and staff here at ND! YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!
"DO NOT BE AFRAID; ONLY HAVE FAITH." (Mark 6:50)
I promote authentic Catholic Leadership and challenge you to step out of your comfort zone to help each other in school community in simple ways....
- When we open the door for someone
- When we smile behind the mask
- When we step out of our comfort zone to help others
- When we join a club, sports team and demonstrate leadership
- When we volunteer to help at our local parishes
"Our Lady, pray for us"