In these challenging times, people are seeking a refuge, a place of inner calm and tranquility, says Daniel Andreae.

The recipient of the 2011 Faith and Culture Gold Medal from Assumption University’s Christian Culture Series, he will address the subject “Spirituality and Well-Being – What is the Connection?” in a free public lecture in Assumption University Chapel on Sunday, November 20, at 3 p.m.

Dr. Andreae, a professor of social work at the universities of Waterloo and Guelph, suggests that incorporating a spiritual dimension in our lives may enhance health on physical, psychological and social levels.

“Empirical evidence indicates that an approach to medicine which is inclusive of a spiritual component may positively influence personal health, disease prevention and improved response to selected medical conditions,” he says. “As an adjunct to conventional medicine, spirituality deserves to be taken seriously.”

A former president of the Ontario Association of Social Workers, Andreae spent several years leading an Ontario-wide campaign to achieve regulation of the profession. He was the first executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Toronto.

Among previous honours, he holds an honorary doctorate from Assumption University, the June Callwood Award for Voluntarism and the Ontario Medal of Good Citizenship.