Photo Credit: University of St.Michael’s College
An overview of Campus Ministry’s Catholic faith-centered programming this semester
Noah Stong, Contributor
Already well underway this year are the various events hosted by the Catholic faith formation division of St. Mike’s Campus Ministry. Our events are planned to match many of the interests and needs of students, one of which is the need for prayer in our lives.
St. John Chrysostom said that “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” I understand well from experience that our time at university can often feel filled with the stresses of assignments and commitments to activities of various sorts. However, making time for prayer not only grounds us so that we can carry out these duties more attentively, but it also gives us the foundation, as St. John says, to gather joy as we gratefully acknowledge the gifts in these tasks. There is a popular poem, a section of which is as follows: “I got up early one morning/ And rushed right into the day;/ I had so much to accomplish/ That I didn’t take time to pray.// Problems just tumbled about me,/ And heavier came each task,/ ‘Why doesn’t God help me?’ I wondered./ He answered, ‘You didn’t ask.’”
Like Moses, before leading the people of Israel into the desert, we must all take time to allow ourselves to enter the desert, a space where we trust and rely on nothing but God’s love for us. We can then form ourselves in a manner that prepares us to face our fears and to focus when we are anxious. To gather in communal prayer, or to learn some prayers of the Catholic Church, consider attending any of the following: our weekly Rosary on Wednesdays at 1–2 pm; our weekly Bible study on Tuesdays at 1–2 pm; or our daily St. Michael’s Chaplet at 10 am. To attend these prayer events, drop by the Campus Ministry lounge (BR 101) at the relevant times, and if you have any questions or want more details, simply come by and ask.
If you enjoy praying through music, attend our biweekly Taizé prayer service on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm in BR 115b. Additionally, come to our Praise and Worship service on October 26 at 6–8 pm.
This year, we also host a monthly Faith and Science talk on the third Friday of each month in BR 101. This month’s talk is on October 20 at 5 pm. As well, there will be monthly presentations on various historical figures of St. Mike’s on the second Friday of each month. Most recently, we looked at the life and work of Etienne Gilson, the namesake of Gilson House and the Gilson Seminar—so if you’ve ever wondered about the rich history of our college, look no further. While not distinctly about prayer, these events are a way to understand, appreciate, and engage with the Catholic faith and its intellectual tradition.
And most importantly, come to the Campus Ministry Mass on Saturday evenings at 6:30 pm! Mass takes place at St. Basil’s Parish on campus, and all are welcome to attend. Following Mass, there is dinner and time to socialize.
For more information on these events, please visit the Campus Ministry lounge (BR 101). We hope to see you soon!
