Reverend Fr. Vitus Mbamalu stepped into the role of interim Catholic chaplain at the Claremont Colleges Chaplains Office on Oct. 6.
Mbamalu’s arrival at Claremont comes one year after Fr. Joe Fenton’s contentious departure from the Catholic chaplain position last fall. The Committee on Religious Affairs (CORA) said Fenton was terminated by The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) with no explanation in a statement to the 7Cs President’s Council in February.
At this time, TCCS considered merging the Catholic and Protestant chaplaincies into a unified Christian Chaplaincy, prompting mixed feelings from the 7C community.
CORA opposed the proposed termination of the Catholic chaplaincy, saying TCCS ignored precedent by not consulting with the college’s Chaplaincy Advisory Board or conducting a review of the chaplaincy.
In response to feedback collected on the Chaplaincy last spring, TCCS said they were abandoning considerations to collapse the Catholic chaplain position in an email sent to the Claremont Colleges.
“Given the current vacancy in the Catholic Chaplain position and the recently announced departure of Rabbi Danny Lutz at the end of this semester, the Presidents wish to fill these positions quickly with searches for interim appointments,” the statement from TCCS read.
TCCS wrote that the Presidents Council would conduct a review of the chaplaincy, in line with CORA’s demands, to “determine next steps.” They also directly addressed CORA’s complaint that TCCS did not include them in conversations to change the chaplaincy.
“There has been an assertation by the Committee on Religious Affairs that it has purview over any structural or personnel changes in the Chaplaincy,” the statement reads. “CORA will be consulted, along with other stakeholder groups, through the search and review process, but will not have oversight over the searches nor the review.”
Faculty members on CORA “participated in the selection processes for both the interim Catholic and Jewish chaplains,” according to a more recent statement, sent to TSL this week from TCCS spokesperson Laura Muna-Landa.
But Pomona Chair of the Faculty and medieval studies professor Kenneth Wolf told TSL via email that TCCS “is not working with CORA” regarding chaplaincy matters.
In late August, the Interim Catholic Chaplain Search Committee welcomed 7C students, faculty and staff to interview Mbamalu.
During the hour-long session, Mbamalu gave a presentation about the role of a Catholic chaplain in contributing to peacemaking amid global conflict, followed by a Q&A session. An additional hour-long, students-only interview was held that same day.
The interim search committee was led by the vice president of student affairs at TCCS, Dr. Stephanie Blaisdell, and included representatives from all seven campuses, according to Muna-Landa’s statement.
In his email statement to the 7C community, also visible on the TCCS website, Mbamalu discussed his “collaborative and inclusive” approach to ministry.
“I enjoy working alongside faculty and community partners to foster environments of mutual respect, dialogue, and growth,” Mbamalu’s statement read. “I strive to offer a welcoming and respectful space where people can process their spiritual and emotional experiences, knowing their unique journeys will be honored.”
TCCS has also instated Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald as Interim Jewish Chaplain in the wake of Rabbi Lutz’s departure last semester. A 7C-wide email was not sent out about his instatement.
Both interim chaplains will remain in their positions until a review of Religious and Spiritual Life at the 7Cs is conducted. The review includes a self-study conducted by the chaplains and an external panel review.
“The next step will be a campus visit by a panel of external reviewers who will meet with students, faculty, staff, and religious affiliates to inform their assessment.”
“The next step will be a campus visit by a panel of external reviewers who will meet with students, faculty, staff, and religious affiliates to inform their assessment,” Muna-Landa wrote in the TCCS statement.
Roman Benedetti CM ’29 has attended mass at the McAlister Center three times, most recently led by Fr. Mbamalu.
“He was really good, definitely the best homily of the three masses I went to,” Benedetti said. “He definitely created a very wholesome and fun atmosphere that was not there when he wasn’t there.”
But Benedetti said mass in general at the McAlister Center is “pretty unorganized,” with very few instruments, little open space and no tabernacle.
Because of this, he said he will probably most often attend mass at the nearby Our Lady Of The Assumption Church, although it is more difficult to get to.
“I definitely would rather go to the one on campus, because Our Lady is pretty far,” he said. “I think that they [McAlister] just don’t necessarily have the resources.” However, Benedetti said he had a positive impression of Mbamalu overall.
“If he’s going to be there consistently, then it’s definitely going to be better,” he said. “He just brought a lot of joy.
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