Are you a student (new or returning) at Cape Breton University who wants to live in a home inviting spiritual exploration, cultural appreciation, and community development?
Consider the Greg MacLeod House in downtown Sydney.
Apply here.
Fr Greg MacLeod was a beloved spiritual leader, educator and community activist, known for ‘thinking outside the box’ and building community through inviting and supporting the growth of individuals. He lived his faith and values through everything he did, including in the home he shared with fellow priest Fr Dan Doucet. The dinner table was often full of guests from all walks of life, discussing issues of the day and new ways forward over homecooked meals. In the upstairs library, weekend ceilidhs welcomed musicians both famous and emerging, and all music lovers to evenings of downhome tunes and hospitality.
Following Fr Greg’s death in 2017, Fr Dan eventually moved and offered use of this house to the Newman Society, which welcomed its first community of students to Father Greg MacLeod House in 2021.
The idea of an intentional living community for students was the co-creation of Fr. Bill Burke, pastor of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish in Sydney, and the late Rev. Allison Etter, a United Church minister who was active in many community outreach programs. The Newman Society at Cape Breton University is devoted to spiritual and ecumenical awareness and growth. Father Greg MacLeod House is founded on those principals, widening the community to interfaith and cultural awareness. “The face of Sydney is changing,” Fr. Bill said. “Being responsive to the needs of an ever-changing community was at the core of Fr Greg’s life work.”
Fr. Greg House is a 180-year-old, well-maintained, welcoming home on the Esplanade, Sydney. View from the front is Sydney Harbour and the Port of Sydney cruise ship pavilion. View in the back is an enclosed garden and green space. By the front door, a wooden sign bearing the former owner’s name, and a bench with the invitation “Rest awhile.”
Inside are private bedrooms for seven students, plus two kitchens, three bathrooms, and common living areas on two floors. A home, made much more than a residence through intentional interfaith community.
Who can choose to enter this intentional community, and why?
Life can be lonely for students new to the area, or new to university life. in fact, loneliness has become part of the ‘changing face’ of communities everywhere. Families living apart, working in various locations and shifts, extended family scattered around the world, and with life increasingly busy and survival more demanding, simple traditions such as cooking together or eating a meal together at the table have been lost in many homes. Living in community can reverse this trend of isolation and invite new ways to connect with self and others.
One, however, does not need to be lonely to be curious about their own development, and the wider world. The purpose of intentional community is to learn and grow as a person while learning and living with others. Sharing tasks and common spaces, as well as talents, cultures, and experiences offer a living classroom, as well as a place to call home in the good company of others.
Shine Shaji arrived in Sydney from India in 2022 to study Business Analytics at CBU. He was introduced to Fr Greg House and immediately felt welcomed. “Everyone is from different backgrounds, different faiths … we share house duties and cooking, and have space for ourselves and to be with each other.” Community members commit to one group meeting per week for spiritual discussion and reflection. “Students here can be of traditional faiths, or of no specific faith and are called to learn more about themselves and others as whole humans, including spirituality,” Fr Bill said.
Applying to Father Greg MacLeod House
Applications are accepted year-round. When a space becomes available, applications are reviewed and selected candidates are interviewed by the Newman Society board, which oversees the home.
Application form is available here
Once applications are approved, students can choose to remain at Fr Greg House for one school year or for the duration of their program. The community is largely self-directed, but a coordinator serves as an on-site administrator for home operations and a mentoring presence for students. Shine graduated from CBU in spring 2025, and will remain as coordinator for the coming school year.
Cost to each student is $500/month rent including all utilities, even wireless internet. Students purchase their own food.
Supporting Father Greg MacLeod House
Donations are also gratefully accepted for the ongoing maintenance and renovations of the home. A campaign will be launched in Fall 2025 to repair the roof and replace the furnace.
Charitable status is pending.
Meanwhile, donations in exchange for an income tax receipt may be made to St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, specifically identified for Fr. Greg House.
For more information, visit their website:
