Lay Chaplaincy at FirstU

The deep green interior of a summer woodland with just a little bit of sun filtering through the leaves. The words

about Unitarian Universalist lay chaplaincy

Lay Chaplains perform many types of rites of passage, but most often, weddings, memorials, and child naming/parent dedication services. They officiate these services primarily for people who are not associated with our congregation, but can serve our members as well.

meet FirsTU's lay chaplains

Lisa Boulay
Lisa has been a member of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa since 2018 and has quickly become involved in many aspects of the Congregation. She is a retired Family Counselor who for twenty years provided both individual and group counseling. In addition, she has developed and delivered several workshops and training programs on substance use, mental health, trauma and recovery. Before becoming a counselor, Lisa worked in the corporate environment and brings a background in training/course design, and communications to her work. Currently, Lisa is a facilitator for the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program. Lisa is also a Reiki practitioner and certified Yoga teacher.
As a Lay Chaplain Lisa is happy to offer her talents and abilities to support you in creating a meaningful and sacred ceremony to celebrate with reverence, compassion and gratitude the rites of passage and milestones of your life.

Guy Belleperche
Guy is an engineer by education, a pragmatic idealist by temperament, a husband, father, retired public servant, resident of Ottawa since 1989, and a part of the FirstU community since 2004, where has volunteered as a sexuality educator, youth advisor, worship associate, and member of the board of directors.
As a Lay Chaplain, Guy will work with you to create a rite of passage (wedding, memorial service, celebration of life, naming and dedication service) that matches your needs and expectations.

Some wonderful words for FirstU's Lay Chaplains

A stock photo of two silver wedding rings next to a delicate bouquet comprised of a white peony and some greenery. They are grouped together on a teal, wooden tabletop.

"Thank you so much for officiating our wedding. Everything at the church was absolutely perfect. We were so impressed at how smoothly everything ran throughout the entire process of planning the ceremony. You are very good at what you do and made planning the ceremony effortless, meaningful, and fun! From the first emails and meeting you we had such a positive impression of you, your professionalism, and that you seem to truly live the values you preach. Thank you for everything. We feel very lucky that we found you to share in such an important day in our lives". -J & A

"On behalf of the entire family I want to thank you for your participation and guidance throughout the difficult process of organizing and carrying out the funeral services. Your meticulousness, eloquence, and your calm and caring presence was appreciated by all of us. Thank you ! May you find happiness and the root of happiness." - AB

A grey stone funeral urn appears on a wooden table top next to three lit, white pillar candles.

"Thank you so much for your words of comfort and your presence at my late husband's Celebration of Life. I imagine you have helped many in their time of grief. We are very grateful and feel blessed that it was you who came into our lives at this difficult time." - K

"You were delightful in our back and forth preparing for this service. I received many comments from among those who attended on how beautiful and memorable the service was. You made this day especially memorable. I am so grateful you agreed to do this." - DF

"Thank you again for your contributions to Mom's service. It really was a lovely experience and we were delighted with your words, prayers and poems which many people commented on at the reception afterwards." - BGW

From the knot.com:
This church is very accepting of ALL types of people - religious or not.
We met with our officiant, Alex, months prior to our wedding to discuss what we were looking for in our ceremony. He also asked a few questions about our relationship so he could get to know us better and make the experience more personal! We were assisted the whole way through planning the ceremony. We opted in for a rehearsal as well the day before. and it ran smoothly. On the day of the wedding, our officiant did everything in his power to make sure everything went according to plan! We did a candle ceremony with our parents and it went perfectly. We couldn't have had a better experience. I recommend getting married or having celebrations at this church.

A photo of FirstU's sanctuary, as seen from the back of the room. The baby-grand piano is clearly visible at the front, in front of the windows.

A photo of one of the wrought-iron benches situated in FirstU's Meditation Garden. It is located beside the walking path and surrounded by ferns and other summer greenery.

"Our wedding was beautiful - just how we dreamed and with (your) guidance was truly representative of both our spiritual beliefs and secular views."

Church - Posted 2014-11-05
"We didn't want religion to be the center of our ceremony and this is why we decided on a Unitarian church, which allows people of any faith or belief system to be married there. Our lay chaplain was amazing. She was warm, welcoming, and sincere. She allowed us to develop or wedding ceremony the way we wanted and she was on board with all of our ideas. The church includes a one hour rehearsal, meeting with the chaplain, and a sound technician in the rental cost. You can have live music or recorded music. Our ceremony was beautiful and we were so happy we picked this location..."