Sunday, January 18, 2009

Done Right: St. Mary's at Texas A & M

Things I saw and was told about at St. Mary’s:

· Awakening

o A retreat bragged about several times

o 4th day-a yearlong continuation of the retreat once a week meeting and renewal

o They say that they will staff first retreat at other campuses to help get it started

· Discernment community

o A one semester renewable commitment to

§ morning and evening Divine Office

§ daily mass

§ monthly meetings and dinner with the priests

§ wearing a suit to Sunday mass

§ general encouragement and support

o More than half of the people praying the office were not in the community

· A website with major student contributions

o AggiieCatholic.org

o eCatholicChurches.com

§ a website that allows administrators and contributors

§ each of the 81 organizations can update just their information

· Receptionist is in main hang out area as well are the offices

· 14 hours of exposition every day Monday through Thursday

o 1 hour shifts starting every thirty minutes

· Confession six days a week

· A vocation focus- Catholic Aggies Living Life

o Pamphlets for over 100 religious communities

o A seminarian present every weekend

o A calendar of 30 vocations retreats guy and girl specific

o Letters from the seminarians in the bulletin

· Spiritual direction

o 5 nuns doing this about half of the time

· Knights of Columbus college chapter

o A guys group and a Catholic service organization

o Alumni knights help out in fund raising

· Alumni weekends

o a fundraiser aimed at ten years of Alumni at a time

o recruiting tool for children of Alumni

· Altar servers

o An opportunity for education about the Liturgy

· Apologetics classes

· Ten nights of Benediction/exposition every semester

· Student interns

o Some paid

o Some for college credit

o Some volunteer

o One of the big directors is a intern who started working full time

§ Makes a career salary

· Audio and video resources in library

· Fund raising via contact with Alumni and various other Benefactors

o Student call center-to keep in touch with and collect donations from benefactors

· NFP classes

· Ask a Catholic a Question!

o Free speech alley low-conflict evangelization strategy

· Student leadership

o Volunteer and paid positions

o Leaders of organizations sit in on Administration meetings regularly

· Catholic Student Association

o The link between Texas A and M and St. Mary’s

· Texas A and M advertises St. Mary’s at dioceses around Texas

· 2 Large Halls and 10 30-40 person classrooms

· 12000 Catholics at Texas A and M

· 2 full time Priests

· 3 visiting Priests (1 additional Priest 4 days a week)

· 5 nuns

· 1 Seminarian present every weekend

· 1 Transitional Deacon

· 200-300 at daily mass

· Mass schedule

o Everyday- 5:30

o Tuesday and Thursday- 11:30 and 5:30

o Saturday- 12-Spanish, 7pm-Korean, 5:30-English

o Sunday-9, 11, 5:30, 7

· Church capacity 850 seated another 100-150 standing room

· Chapel capacity 80 additional 20 standing

· Outdoor Grotto with candle lighting area

· Ping pong table, Foosball table, pool table

· Study area

· A large library

· Radio station

· Small book store

· Free rosaries

· Various relics for veneration

· Computer Lab

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