Lay Chaplains
We are Here for You
You do not have to be a Unitarian or a member of this spiritual community to use our services
We recognize the profound privilege bestowed on us when you ask us to facilitate your important life passages. We provide a deep personal service and spend the time making sure your wishes and needs are met. We strive to perform only one ceremony per day so that you have our full attention.
Contact laychaplains@victoriaunitarian.ca and meet our Lay Chaplains
Specially trained to perform all rites of passage incuding weddings, memorials and child dedications/baby namings. Our Lay Chaplains are legally authorized marriage officiants in the province of British Columbia. We affirm and celebrate diversity. We welcome the opportunity to create and celebrate ceremonies for people of all cultural, sexual orientations, spiritual traditions or secular ceremony.
Let us help you create the wedding ceremony of your dreams
Spiritual but not religious? Just as every couple is unique, every wedding should be unique. Let us help you create a ceremony which reflects your values, traditions and beliefs. We work with you to create a ceremony that fits your needs and dreams. We are pleased to incorporate traditions and customs from various religions, faiths and cultures and we welcome the participation of friends and family in your service.
We are honoured to perform weddings for any two people who wish to dedicate themselves to each other, including same-sex couples.
Weddings ($450)
What you get:
- At least one in-person meeting to get to know you and together design your ceremony.
- A ceremony just for you with all the elements and rituals you wish with your own ideas or choose from our booklet of options. All ideas welcome. Your Lay Chaplain will correspond with you by email or telephone to refine your ceremony so that it’s perfect for you – as many drafts as you wish until you are delighted.
- A rehearsal at your venue included in the fee.
- A ceremony at a place of your choosing.
- A copy of your ceremony script and a certificate in recognition of your ceremony.
- A day just for you. Your Lay Chaplain usually has only one ceremony per day to concentrate on your special day. (On rare occasions the Lay Chaplain may accept up to two ceremonies for a weekend.)
How you pay:
- A deposit of $150, payable by cash, cheque, or e-transfer at your initial meeting. This guarantees your spot on our calendar.
- Balance ($300 plus any mileage fees) payable two weeks before your ceremony, also by cheque or cash.
- No mileage charge within Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt or Oak Bay. (Mileage charged at 68 cents per kilometre from the edge of the four core municipalities to the venue and return.
Honour your loved one in a service that reflects your beliefs
At your time of loss, we offer compassionate support and experience in planning a memorial service that is meaningful for the participants. We support the celebration of a life that has ended, while allowing space for grieving. We meet with you and those you wish to include, in your home or elsewhere, to co-create a service that is personal. To construct such a service, we spend time with you to become acquainted with the character of the person who has died. You may choose from among our many resources: literary, cultural, and spiritual. We would be pleased to include religious readings, prayers or meditations if it would give comfort to those present. We welcome the participation of friends and family at various stages of the service. Workshops are offered at the church on creating your own memorial service and we welcome the participation of non-church members.
Memorials, funerals, celebrations of life ($450)
What you get:
- At least one in-person discussion with family members and to review the life of the deceased. The Lay Chaplain will provide a variety of options for readings and words for the family.
- Values and beliefs of the family are respected. You will have as much input as you wish.
- Assistance in designing an appropriate memorial service or celebration of life to honour your loved one.
- Certificate in recognition of the service.
- A service led by the Lay Chaplain at a place of the family’s choosing.
- Graveside interment or scattering of ashes by the Lay Chaplain at the same time for an additional fee of $100.
How you pay:
- A deposit of $150, payable by cash, cheque, or e-transfer at your initial meeting. This guarantees your spot on our calendar.
- Balance ($300 plus any mileage fees) payable two weeks before your ceremony, also by cheque or cash.
- No mileage charge within Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt or Oak Bay. (Mileage charged at 68 cents per kilometre from the edge of the four core municipalities to the venue and return.)
Child dedication and baby naming
Share the miracle of your child’s life in a meaningful ceremony
Working with you, we create a service that speaks to the commitment of significant people to your child’s well-being, and we welcome the active participation of loved ones, especially children, who will be an important part of your child’s life. We are familiar with a number of ceremonies that may enrich the experience for your family, including earth-centred, cultural and religious elements.
Other rites of passage
Mark significant life passages with a co-created ceremony
Drawing on our extensive resources, we work with individuals and families to create a memorable service for events such as renewal of wedding vows, dissolution of a relationship, coming of age, loss of a pet, graduation, house blessing, retirement or any other passages or transitions in a life. Read and download (PDF) our brochure.
Ritual is a deep human need practised by all human cultures. We do them because they are effective. They bring joy, solemnize promises, alleviate grief, facilitate change, give comfort. Our Lay Chaplains strive to provide ceremonies steeped in sacred performance meant to reflect the needs, aspirations, and personalities of the individuals we serve.
Meet Our Lay Chaplains
Barbara "Barb" Boyle, Lay Chaplain
Photo by Jesse Holland
Ritual and meaning making have always been an important part of my life. I would love to work with you to create a ritual to celebrate a significant event in your life. Based on my experience as an occupational therapist working with families, I am a skilled listener, flexible, and extremely well-organized. I expect to be challenged and changed, and to find joy in the unexpected!
My interests include singing with my choirs, walking in nature, capturing memorable shots with my camera, and losing myself in a good book.
I have been an integral part of my Victoria Unitarian community for many years. I would like to share the welcome, caring, and growth I have found there with you. I look forward to assisting you in marking your memorable life event.
Jenny Heston, Lay Chaplain
Since a wee child I have always been fascinated with myths, folklore, ancient traditions and how different cultures mark all sorts of occasions. How to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. How to honour the richness that marks the events in life.
In my work, I use ceremony and ritual, weaving together different modalities to create a colourful tapestry that reflects the diverse and sometimes complex lives that we all lead.
Drawing on many resources and experiences, I look forward to collaborating with you to create a ceremony that is sensitive, thoughtful and creative, whether it be to mark the beginning of a life, the joining of two lives, the end of a life …. or any stage in between.
Oceanna Hall, Lay Chaplain
My interest in metaphysics, spirituality and ritual started when I was a young child. I experienced the world and all her wonders as being alive; To me every rock, tree, stream, ocean, mountain, the wind, the thunder, the lightning, every insect, animal all had a spirit that could be felt and interacted with. And through all that life has shared with me, I have learned that the spirit that animates all living things is just as real and powerful today as when I first heard her song as a child. This sense of wonder and possibilities is what I will bring to create your ceremony.