University Catholic

humanae vitae

2010-06-23T20:24:00.001-07:00

http://www.archive.org/details/HumanaeVitae audio recording of humanae vitae @ encyclicals.blogspot.com

The Catechism

2009-11-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

I have been impressed by every paragraph as to how great God is.

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

Wow Wow Wow

Fall Semester Returns

2009-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.thecatholicthing.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2139&Itemid=2

By James V. Schall, S.J.
Americans, unlike the English, do not divide academic calendars into “Michaelmas,” “Hilary,” and “Trinity” terms. For us, it’s Fall or Spring Semester. We measure our lives by the cosmic cycles, not by the drama of salvation.

A Robert Frost poem begins: “The bearer of evil tidings, / When he was halfway there, / Remembered that evil tidings / Were a dangerous thing to bear.”

When we talk of our universities, do we bring “evil tidings?” Bernard Shaw once said: “Youth is such a wonderful thing; it’s a crime to waste it on children.”

Not long ago, Robert Royal remarked that the generation of those whose own parents did not themselves go to college is almost over. Wendell Berry thinks that the dissolution of stable families and communities begins when we send our children to college.

Is there mind without college? Is there mind with college?

What’s it all about, this college business? Of late, I have seen high school plants that simply have every physical facility imaginable. Likewise we see colleges that, for a small fee or via the taxpayer, provide all the heart could desire.

All studies show, however, that about the least “diverse” places politically and intellectually in our culture are the universities. True affirmative action does not touch this ideologically closed shop.

Catholics originally entered the university business to have a platform from which they were free to state what they held and the reasons why they held it. They professed a quaint “diversity” that could be found nowhere else. This peculiar diversity has largely disappeared.

In a brilliant, too little known essay in Modern Age, in 1987, Frederick Wilhelmsen wrote:

Aristotle insisted that philosophy is the highest instance of the life of leisure, but there is no leisure for boys and girls who are expected to gorge themselves on three thousand years of texts and then regurgitate them come examination day. To remember all the data, as suggested, leaves no time for judgment. Yet judgment, says St. Thomas, is the mark of the philosopher of being and the philosopher of being is the Philosopher (328).

Wilhelmsen was concerned with what Leo Strauss also would worry about, namely, that the “Great Books” programs, which took the place of scholasticism, produced mostly skeptics. The history of philosophy took the place of philosophy and left the mind confused.

Students graduated who knew the names of “thinkers.” They did not know themselves how to think. It did not come automatically from reading “Great Books.” One ought to read Descartes. One ought not to end up doubting his own power to know. But he can only do the latter if he knows enough philosophy to deal with the former. The fact is that philosophy as such is taught in very few places among us.

The best way to learn the truth of this proposition is to read Robert Sokolowski’s The Phenomenology of the Human Person. The title is a mouthful, but Sokolowski takes the mind step by step in the direction of, yes, judgment. The method of philosophy, he says, is to “make distinctions,” to say that this is not that, and to state why.

“Philosophy is not the reading of books; philosophy is not the contemplation of nature, philosophy is not the phenomenology of personal experience; philosophy is not its history,” Wilhelmsen wrote in a striking passage. “These are indispensable tools aiding a man to come to know the things that are. But that knowing is precisely knowing and nothing else. We once were given this, not too long ago, in the American Catholic academy. With a few honorable exceptions, we are given it no longer.”

Philosophy ultimately exists in conversation. It needs to be, as Wilhelmsen put it, “talked into existence.” But it first must be “thought” into existence.

When Monica and Patrick sent the young Augustine off to Carthage, they sent him into moral quagmire. Today’s Monicas and Patricks, as Mary Eberstadt has written in The Catholic Thing, are probably sending their offspring into a worse sink, where the phrase “sink or swim” takes on a special meaning.

Can we prepare the eager incoming classes for Fall Semester? Well, yes, they can defiantly read what they will never be assigned. I would begin with a man by the name of Ratzinger, the equal of whom can be found on no academic faculty I know of. But no one will say this. And, as David Walsh has told us, the philosophers are seeking being and its luminosity.

As one of C. S. Lewis’ devils said to the young atheist, “Be very careful what you read.” I have always liked that young devil. I know numerous books that the young atheist should never touch, lest he be tempted, as Plato said, to “turn his soul around.”

James V. Schall, S.J., a professor at Georgetown University, is one of the most prolific Catholic writers in America. His most recent book is The Mind That Is Catholic.

Ask a Catholic a Question 2.0

2009-07-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

http://marysaggies.blogspot.com/2009/07/ask-catholic-question-manual.html

Mary's Aggies are at it again.

Caritas in Veritate

2009-07-07T20:32:00.001-07:00

Audio version of Caritas in Veritate on encyclicals.blogspot.com

New blog

2009-06-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

encyclicals.blogspot.com

Summaries of encyclicals and other Church documents in their own words. For the sparknote generation and those looking for a good refresher.

Hopefully, soon audio encyclicals. I can go through two audio books a week, and I'm sure many could listen to encyclicals who would have trouble making time to read them.

In a nut shell, new evangelization.

Dirty Deca

2009-06-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

tip of the hat to http://marysaggies.blogspot.com/
for this link

http://www.ncregister.com/daily/10_abortion-promoting_catholic_colleges/

A sad testimony to the religious orders, dioceses and alumni...

Boston College - recommends opportunities for students to work ‘pro bono’ for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University - the school’s Gender and Women’s Studies program promotes internship opportunities with the pro-abortion Feminist Majority Foundation and organizations supporting same-sex marriage.

DePaul University - the institution’s Women’s and Gender Studies program offers credit for internships, noting that students have interned with abortion provider Planned Parenthood and the Chicago Women’s Health Center, which offers emergency contraceptive services and alternative insemination for “lesbians, bisexual, and queer couples, single women of any sexual orientation, and trans people.”

Georgetown University - permits students to receive universityfunding for interning at abortion advocacy organizations.

Loyola University of Chicago - their website lists opportunities for internships and volunteer opportunities at Chicago’s National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and the Chicago Abortion Fund.

St. Edward’s University - has allowed students to work at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas to fulfill a “Community Service in Women’s Studies” credit requirement.

St. Norbert College - - the college’s Women’s and Gender Studies program recommends internships at several pro-abortion and same-sex marriage promoting organizations, including NOW, Legal Momentum, Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Health Network, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and PFLAG.

University of Notre Dame - the university’s Gender Studies program offers internships for academic credit at places such as the National Organization for Women.

University of San Francisco - the school’s Media Studies program has promoted internships with the California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and Girlfriends Magazine.

The Seminary and the Catholic University

2009-06-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

The seminaries I have had the pleasure of visiting, have made formation a high priority. The models seminaries use can be found outside of the seminary in a few Catholic Universities and attempts have been made to emulate the ideas of the seminary in the chapel/student center of a few public universities. The ideas include:
segregated Catholic dorms (with adoration chapel),
daily mass (mandated),
communal divine office,
assigned spiritual direction,
preparation for adult-faith,
communal dining with spiritual reading,
dress codes,
catechism classes,
opportunity for Reconciliation.

Should not some of these ideas be applied at every university?
If a seminarian needs a catechism class how much more everyone else,
If a seminarian needs a spiritual director how much more everyone else,
some ideas may be impractical or not ideal.

Remember
Sacraments
Catechisis
Community
Evangelism
Practise

Free speech on the university

2009-06-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

http://opinionatedcatholic.blogspot.com/2009/06/free-speech-and-responding-to-anti.html
for the link

and read the article below

http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6254&Itemid=48

A Catholic professor's great response to bigotry.

Faith, Reason and the University - Memories and Reflections

2009-06-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI

Ragensburgh

Once a semester there was a dies academicus, when professors from every faculty appeared before the students of the entire university, making possible a genuine experience of universita. the experience, in other words, of the fact that despite our specializations which at times make it difficult to communicate with each other, we made up a whole, working in everything on the basis of a single rationality with its various aspects and sharing responsibility for the right use of reason - this reality became a lived experience.

even in the face of such radical scepticism it is still necessary and reasonable to raise the question of God through the use of reason, and to do so in the context of the tradition of the Christian faith: this, within the university as a whole, was accepted without question.

theology rightly belongs in the university and within the wide-ranging dialogue of sciences, not merely as a historical discipline and one of the human sciences, but precisely as theology, as inquiry into the rationality of faith.

Only thus do we become capable of that genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today.

the world's profoundly religious cultures see this exclusion of the divine from the universality of reason as an attack on their most profound convictions.

"Not to act reasonably, not to act with logos, is contrary to the nature of God", said Manuel II, according to his Christian understanding of God, in response to his Persian interlocutor. It is to this great logos, to this breadth of reason, that we invite our partners in the dialogue of cultures. To rediscover it constantly is the great task of the university.

Quote

2009-06-18T20:40:00.001-07:00

http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/blog.cfm?id=206&repos=6&subrepos=2&searchid=479718

from last year

A university is worthless if it cannot provide the necessary atmosphere for seeking truth through a serious engagement with ideas.

Oldie but a goodie

2009-06-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Pope stresses need for university chaplains (Subscribe to RSS Feed)

May. 01, 1998
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=7532&repos=4&subrepos=1&searchid=479718

In a talk to chaplains studying at the University of Rome, Pope John Paul II said that Western society-- although rich in material goods-- betrays a real spiritual poverty.

The Holy Father stressed the importance of pastoral work among university students, pointing out that when there are no spiritual principles to guide the work of the affluent and educated-- in "a culture which exalts the individual to an absolute degree, and does not encourage solidarity"-- there is a risk that authority and power will be abused, so that they lead to "domination of the weak by the strong.

"The university chapel is called to be the vital center of the promotion of a renewal in Christian culture," the Pope said. He urged the chaplains to redouble their efforts to instill a sense of Christian purpose in the midst of academic training.

What Is a Catholic University?

2009-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=8167&repos=1&subrepos=0&searchid=479718
Cardinal Francis Arinze

1. A Day of Grace

The Eucharistic Celebration is our supreme act of worship of God. It is the highest tribute of thanksgiving which the Church can offer to our Creator. It is therefore very fitting that on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Christendom concludes its celebration of its 30th Anniversary with this Solemn Mass.

As we gather at this Mass, we are in spiritual union with the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI, who is at this time celebrating the Holy Eucharist

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, for thirty years Christendom College has given distinguished service as an authentic academic institution. It has performed admirably to live, to show and to share its Catholic character. And it has educated citizens that are a credit to Church and society. These will now be the points for our reflection.

2. An Authentic University or College

A university or college is expected to be a centre of studies and research, a community of teachers and students who are engaged in the joint love and pursuit of knowledge, and an institution which is at the service of the wider society.

Christendom College has admirably fulfilled this role. As a liberal arts college, it has given dynamic leadership to its students on how to discover the true, the good and the beautiful, and how to pursue these goods which are so deserving in themselves. The students are educated to work hard to be free and to remain free persons by disciplining themselves to choose the good, both for themselves and for others. This is the avenue that leads to becoming men and women of virtue, of justice, of prudence, of temperance, of fortitude and of knowledge. This leads to true wisdom. The students are taught not to be afraid of the truth, of reality.

...

3. A Catholic College or University

Christendom College is above all a Catholic educational institution. It does not just give proof of a rigorously serious member of the national and international community of knowledge and research. It importantly expresses its Catholic identity through an explicit profession of the Catholic Faith, and through studies given unity and a sense of direction by sound philosophy and authentic Catholic theology.

The College knows that the true, the good and the beautiful is finally God himself. And God has manifested himself to us in his Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. The splendour of divine truth, goodness and beauty shines forth in Christ. In the Gospel just read, Jesus tells us: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). If we follow the light of Christ, we shall have true freedom and be able to arrive at wisdom. “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32).

A genuine Catholic university or college, therefore, distinguishes itself by developing and showing a harmonious relationship between faith and reason. Revealed truth and truths acquired by human reason and experience both come from the same God. They do not, and cannot, contradict each other. As the First Vatican Council says: “Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth” ("Dei Filius," 4: DS 3017).

For this reason the Second Vatican Council encourages this harmony and therefore the contribution of a Catholic university or college under the light of the Christian revelation. It says: “Therefore, if methodical investigation within every branch of learning is carried out in a genuinely scientific manner and in accord with moral norms, it never truly conflicts with faith. For earthly matters and the concerns of faith derive from the same God. Indeed, whoever labours to penetrate the secrets of reality with a humble and steady mind, is, even unawares, being led by the hand of God, who holds all things in existence, and gives them their identity” ("Gaudium et Spes," 38: cf also Catechism of the Catholic Church, 159).

All this means that a Catholic university or college would have abandoned its identity and specific role if it did not allow the light of the Catholic faith to bear on such areas of study as history, psychology, ethics and the humanities in general; if it did not see the necessity of reference to higher truths or morality as authoritatively interpreted by the Magisterium; if, in short, it did not allow theology to be a core subject.

A Catholic university, says the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II, needs to develop “courageous creativity and rigorous fidelity” ("Ex Corde Ecclesiae," 8). “While each discipline is taught systematically and according to its own methods, interdisciplinary studies, assisted by a careful and thorough study of philosophy and theology, enable students to acquire an organic vision of reality and to develop a continuing desire for intellectual progress” ("Ex Corde Ecclesiae," 20). Pope Benedict XVI spoke on 4/17/08 of the duty of intellectual charity towards the students by their educators (cf. p. 6 of his "Address to Catholic Educators").

We thank God that Christendom College has for thirty years rendered this service.

4. Alumni, a Credit to Christendom College

The alumni are a credit to Christendom College. By their fruits you shall know them (cf Mt 7:16). The College has equipped its students to ask fundamental questions: Where do we come from? Why do we exist? Where are we going? How can we get there? What have great men and women done in the past in their response? What does our Catholic faith teach us?

Is it any surprise that the students learn to be the salt of the earth, the leaven in society, lamps set on a lampstand, a city set on a hill, or, in brief, children of light (cf Mt 5:13-16; Jn 12:36)?

They therefore want to contribute to make this world a better place. They reject negativity and a withdrawal syndrome attitude towards society. They get involved. They work to build on what past generations have handed on to them and because they are Christians, they are people of hope which is finally based on Jesus the Saviour, who gives meaning, synthesis and a sense of direction to our life endeavours (cf "Spe Salvi," 27).

I am informed that there is a total of 53 priests and 45 monastics, religious sisters and brothers originating from this institution. This is eloquent testimony to the service which Christendom College has rendered to Church and society.

5. A Prayer
...

At University: Increase Knowledge, Deepen Faith

2009-06-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=8112&repos=1&subrepos=0&searchid=479718

a lengthy passage, but difficult to cut much out check link for full document

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
a true training ground for life.

Research, teaching and the study of the philosophical, theological and juridical sciences have sustained generations of young people, who with the education they received have carried out their ministry, making the Church's unity and catholicity visible in the most disparate parts of the earth.

the genuine exercise of "intellectual charity" — to borrow an expression from Bl. Antonio Rosmini — can truly be a path to holiness and an effective method for making the Gospel vibrant for our contemporaries.

The generations of students change with the evolution of history and culture.

Besides, this is what Benedict XVI said in this very same lecture hall last year, during his inaugural Visit of 21 October [2006].

Science must benefit man

"In the University the young generations are formed who await a serious, demanding proposal, capable of responding in new contexts to the perennial question on the meaning of our existence. This expectation must not be disappointed.

"The contemporary context seems to give primacy to an artificial intelligence that becomes ever more dominated by experimental techniques, and in this way forgets that all science must always safeguard man and promote his aspiration for the authentic good.

"To overrate 'doing', obscuring 'being', does not help to recompose the fundamental balance that everyone needs in order to give their own existence a solid foundation and valid goal" (Address at Lateran University for the Opening of the Academic Year, 21 October 2006; L'Osservatore Romano English edition [ORE], 1 November, p. 3).

A consciousness of the need for education is therefore felt with particular urgency in these years that mark the inevitable evolution of cultural conditions, from which derives behaviour that is all too often in sharp contrast with what in previous decades marked the lives of entire generations.

The memory of the past must be a support and an incentive, not only for living the present but above all to assure our young people a future full of meaning and responsibility.

Moreover, a real future will never be possible unless the past and its tradition are preserved. As a son of St John Bosco, I feel personally the need for the formation of youth.

Don Bosco used to say that formation must be supported by three strong points: reason, religion and lovingness. "Reason and religion", he wrote in his famous short Trattatello sul sistema preventivo [Treatise on the preventive system], "are instruments of which the educator must make constant use, teaching them and practicing them himself if he wishes to be obeyed and to achieve his goal".

With the preventive system, Don Bosco explained, the educator "makes a friend of the pupil . . . in such a way as to speak with the language of the heart, both during the period of education and after it . . . wherever these students go, they are generally a comfort to their families, useful citizens and good Christians".

he was able to keep faith, reason and love bound together as a practical means for change and the basis of all true pedagogy.

In thinking of the students who attended the Pope's university, we are, as it were, under the obligation to focus our attention more directly on the teaching that Benedict XVI has dedicated especially to you young people in recent years.

Man, a traveller by nature

In his first Greeting at the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne on 18 August 2005, the Pope urged you to "set out on the journey" (Arrival Address, 18 August 2005; ORE, 24 August, p. 3).
follow the star that points to the destination we must reach; this comet must sooner or later come to rest over the Grotto of Bethlehem.

Here, at last, we will discover God's presence in our history and our personal life. Indeed, the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God is the true centre of our faith.

Unfortunately, we know so many young people who are wandering. They squander the most beautiful years of their lives chasing fleeting illusions that will never be able to give consistency to the development of a mature personality.

Benedict XVI, on the other hand, challenges them to become the protagonists of their own lives through acts of genuine freedom.

In this situation, how is it possible to forget the Pope's words on 18 August 2005 in his Welcome Address at the Poller Rheinwiesen Wharf: "Open wide your hearts to God! Let yourselves be surprised by Christ! Let him have 'the right of free speech' . . . Open the doors of your freedom to his merciful love!" (ORE, 24 August 2005, p. 4).

It is truly beautiful to believe that Christ has an inalienable right to speak to each one of you, to come to meet you and to exhort everyone to give a free response of faith.

In some ways we are all contemporaries of Jesus of Nazareth; he still passes on our streets, visits our towns and asks to stay at our homes. Everything depends on our willingness to grasp his presence and hear his voice.

If we are caught up in the din and frenzy, it becomes hard to perceive his closeness and our greatest risk is to be emptied and no longer to contain anything that gives life depth.

"Religion often becomes almost a consumer product. People choose what they like, and some are even able to make a profit from it. But religion sought on a 'do it yourself' basis cannot ultimately help us. It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves. Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us: Jesus Christ. Let us seek to know him better and better, so as to be able to guide others to him with conviction" (21 August 2005; ORE, 24 August, p. 12).

Knowing, proclaiming Christ

Knowing Christ "with conviction" demands both concentrated study and a passion for the content.

You are responsible, in the first place, for knowing the Person of Jesus Christ so that you can become convincing witnesses among your peers to your discovery of life's meaning.

The request to find Christ through study rather than through experience and prayer might appear misleading. Yet not one of us can forget that faith has a logic of its own and imposes its own rules.

Just as a consistent witness is decisive and prayer indispensable, so knowledge is crucial.

Without being acquainted with the Person of Jesus Christ it becomes difficult to love him; if his teaching does not stay alive how is it possible to imagine living as his disciples?

While the time we spend at university helps us to grasp the intricacy of the different branches of knowledge, it prepares us at the same time for a conscious deepening of what we believe. This enables us to live in the world as free people.

To exercise freedom, however, it is necessary to retain the amazement and wonder of those who continually discover horizons to investigate because they are fascinated by the mystery.

"Where do I find", the Pope said on 18 August 2005, "standards to live by, what are the criteria that govern responsible cooperation in building the present and the future of our world? On whom can I rely? To whom shall I entrust myself? Where is the One who can offer me the response capable of satisfying my heart's deepest desires?" (Welcome Address, 18 August 2005, Cologne; ORE, 24 August, p. 4).

To be truly free, it is necessary to be able to embody humility.

The Pope said: "Do not follow the way of pride but rather that of humility. Go against the tide: do not listen to the interested and persuasive voices that today are peddling on many sides models of life marked by arrogance and violence, by oppression and success at any cost, by appearances and by having at the expense of being . . . Be alert! Be critical!

"Do not follow the wave produced by this powerful, persuasive action. Do not be afraid, dear friends, to prefer the 'alternative' routes pointed out by true love: a modest and sound lifestyle; sincere and pure emotional relationships; honest commitment in studies and work; deep concern for the common good.

"Do not be afraid of seeming different and being criticized for what might seem to be losing or out of fashion . . . the way of humility is not the way of renunciation but that of courage. It is not the result of a defeat but the result of a victory of love over selfishness" (Homily, Loreto, 2 September 2007; ORE, 5 September, pp. 8-9).

Alert, critical, humble

Young university students like you should particularly listen to the invitation to be alert and critical. Watchfulness makes it possible to remain ever attentive to the occurrence of events; a critical spirit, for its part, imposes reflection and reasoning.

To take up an image dear to Pope John Paul II, you are called to live as "sentinels of the dawn", thus quick to spot every movement and skilled at ascertaining its direction.

The sentinel's "alertness" is not seduced by the sound of sirens but can go beyond it through will power.

As you well know, "criticism" is the fruit of reason that thinks and asks questions to work out the truth. No one lets himself be seduced by weak theories that seek to impose doubt in the attainment of truth and, through a subtle but arrogant relativism, induce people to think that the truth does not exist.

On the contrary, truth not only exists but we are in need of it. Of course, we are not primarily speaking of an abstract truth but of the truth that affects our own lives and is perceived as crucial if we are to live in a consistent and dignified manner.

Is not the university perhaps the privileged place in which to increase in knowledge and plot the paths that lead gradually to understanding the beauty of truth?

In the various faculties and with the different disciplines that you study, you will always have the opportunity to grow in watchfulness and in critical knowledge. Ask your teachers the questions that they themselves inspire in you and do not be afraid to spend your time in study and research.

For you, this is the season for sowing. Of course, it costs you effort because there are no immediate results. You have to develop with the certainty that what you acquire within these walls will be useful to you in the near future when you enter the priestly ministry or professional life.

It is typical of the mature person, moreover, to recognize that there are times when one must keep quiet in order to learn and other times when one must become teachers with one's own testimony.

Humility ...is ...a favourable condition for expressing true freedom.

Humility permits one to grasp the real meaning of things because it puts them in their right place; a humble person will never be able to absolutize anything since he is aware of his limitation and contradiction.

All that humility brings, on the other hand, is a sense of balance, which is why it is nourished by wisdom and leads to the fullness of truth.

It is in this sense that we are all, but especially you young people, called to make our own the Pope's repeated invitation to keep our gaze fixed on the truth.

Scientific discovery, of which we are only too aware today, and technology, which intrudes into the various areas of personal and social life, cannot claim to have the last word on human happiness. There is something that goes further and makes important breakthroughs possible in order to arrive at the meaning of life.

The various scientific hypotheses can be fascinating and can certainly create progress if they are combined with ethical principles; but each one of us discovers that this does not suffice. In order to be happy in life we must attain the truth that we feel as most important, and this is the truth of love.

In his first Encyclical, Benedict XVI gave much space to this topic. The important distinction between eros and agape shows with its full argumentative force that true love requires a change of outlook and mindset. Indeed, it is necessary to transcend the stage of selfishness to become able to give oneself for ever, without asking anything in return.

The importance of this teaching becomes ever more obvious with the appearance of numerous different forms that contradict reality.

The Encyclical's words ring out when it undauntedly faces the obscuring of a culture no longer in tune with the genuine vision of love: "the contemporary way of exalting the body is deceptive. Eros, reduced to pure 'sex', has become a commodity, a mere 'thing' to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity . . . The apparent exaltation of the body can quickly turn into a hatred of bodiliness" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 5).

If one lives in this dimension, sooner or later disappointment filters through and bitterness and hatred replace respect and love.

On the contrary, a culture that wishes to develop in the sphere of correct personal relationships needs to recover a deeper sense of love by adopting lifestyles that allow for its true recognition.

This is exactly what Benedict XVI affirms in Deus Caritas Est. "Love is not merely a sentiment. Sentiments come and go. A sentiment can be a marvellous first spark, but it is not the fullness of love . . . It is characteristic of mature love that it calls into play all man's potentialities; it engages the whole man, so to speak. Contact with the visible manifestations of God's love can awaken within us a feeling of joy born of the experience of being loved.

"But this encounter also engages our will and our intellect. Acknowledgment of the living God is one path towards love, and the 'yes' of our will to his will unites our intellect, will and sentiments in the all-embracing act of love. But this process is always open-ended; love is never 'finished' and complete; throughout life, it changes and matures and thus remains faithful to itself" (n. 17).

A lifelong development

As can be seen, the theme of the "journey" with which we began has returned. It shows the importance of constant growth towards which we have set out and which lasts for all of life.

There is one final aspect that I consider important in the Catecheses which the Pontiff has addressed to young people in various circumstances. It concerns the contribution you are called to make to building society.
"Following Christ, dear young people, also entails the constant effort to make one's own contribution to building a society that is more just and supportive and in which all may enjoy the goods of the earth.

"I know that many of you are generously dedicated to witnessing to your faith in the various social environments, active as volunteers and working to promote the common good, peace and justice in every community" (ORE, 5 September 2007, p. 9).

In our specific context, these words have a programmatic value. It was once rightly said: Non scholae sed vitae discimus. What is learned here serves for life. Many of you will meet again in the priestly ministry, and the duty to build society will be in particular the duty to give a sense of God to people today and to enable them to have a real encounter with him.

In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Benedict XVI gave an impetus to communicating in a new and scientifically based language the fundamental outline of Jesus Christ's history and has shown how history itself acquired a different meaning from the moment it received the Person of the Son of God. The Pope, in any case, gives you an example of how important it is to reach out to people without excluding anyone.

The Church lives this universal mission, and all who are called to serve her in the priesthood and consecrated life must prepare themselves to meet everyone, to become for each individual an effective means of grace.

Many other students will be involved in professional life as lay people who must fulfill their own secular vocation.

You know that in all its different structures the world needs your witness and your specific work, which you alone can offer. I am convinced that studying here, at the Pope's university, will enable you to make a considerable contribution with your skill and professionalism to the evangelization of the world.

As the ancient author wrote in the Letter to Diognetus: "The Lord set Christians in the world and it is not legitimate for them to abandon him". Therefore, a determined "yes" is needed on your part if you are to face with enthusiasm and courage the future and challenges it will have in store for you.

Dear young people, do not disappoint the Pope! I can assure you that he places great trust in you and expects of you a renewed presence in the world, especially among your peers who need to be able to feel tangibly the joy and beauty of believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was made man for our salvation.

The honest pursuit of truth...

2009-06-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/may/27/china-calvin-christianity

most of the article does not apply much, however one part was shocking

in China, the place where Calvinism is spreading fastest is the elite universities, fuelled by prodigies of learning and translation. Wang Xiaochao, a philosopher at one of the Beijing universities, has translated the two major works of St Augustine, the Confessions and the City of God, into Chinese directly from Latin. Gradually all the major works of the first centuries of the Christian tradition are being translated directly from the original languages into Chinese.

All of this is happening outside the control of the official body which is supposed to monitor and supervise the churches in China. Instead, it is the philosophy departments at the universities, or the language departments and the departments of literature and western civilization that are the channel.

the Calvinists are shining light on their own errors, lets hope they take an honest look.

What others do part IV

2009-06-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Chi Alpha Campus ministries
http://www.chialpha.com/

An Assemblies of God, supplement to church for college students.
Chi Alpha Campus Ministries is a Christian campus ministry on universities throughout the United States and around the world. We are a movement of college-age men and women earnestly following Jesus. We are not a fraternity or sorority. We invite everyone to be a part, regardless of background.

We meet on campus in groups of varying size and style. These gatherings are informal, infused with music and interaction, and cover topics from relationships to the nature of truth. We create opportunities for students to meet God, each other, and the needs of the community.

We are sponsored by the Assemblies of God. We encourage students to seek out a spiritual covering and be accountable in their walk with God. In turn, Chi Alpha pastors are accountable to the national Chi Alpha organization and the national organization is accountable to the Assemblies of God. The Assemblies of God has a nearly century-old heritage of reaching the lost with a Biblical message of Jesus.

is on over 200 campuses throughout the U.S. and around the world today.

resource
"connecting a practical help for launching college ministry"
I. Chartering your group with the college
a. Benefits of registering as an official campus organization
b. How to charter your group step-by-step
c. Public vs. private universities
d. Chartering at two year schools
e. A note on university funding
f. From the frontlines
II. After chartering – Interaction with the University
a. Tips for making the university love you
b. Tips for making the university loathe you
III. Legal issues on Campus
Connecting with Students
IV. Five Strategies to Get You Going
a. Strategy One: Prayer - Praying on Campus
b. Strategy Two: Relationship - Informal Relational Activities
c. Strategy Three: Cross-Cultural - International Student
Friendship Ministry
.
d. Strategy Four: Cell - Small Groups
e. Strategy Five: The Gathering - Large Group Gathering
V. Principles for Effective Campus Ministries
VI. After You’re Up & Running
a. Do’s & don’ts
b. We asked pioneers…
c. The first year (a timeline)

• Serve the university—Ask not what your university can do for
you, but what you can do for your university
.
➢ Example: Freshmen move-in, international student airport
pick-up, volunteer crisis counseling.
• Be positive—Often Christian organizations are known for what
they are against rather than what they are for
. Discover what
part of the university’
s mission you can wholeheartedly support
and actively pursue that area. Build your group in such a way
that if you ever left the campus the university president would
grieve that you were no longer there.
• Only contacting university officials when you need something
—Genuinely get to know them, build relationships and find
ways to serve the overall mission of the university
.Whether you’re a full-time missionary, part of a church near campus, or a student yourself, reaching college students is not only possible, but very doable!

5 strategies
Strategy one: Prayer-Praying on campus
Strategy two: Relationship – Informal relational activities
Strategy three: Cross-Culture - International Student Friendship
Ministry
Strategy four: Cell - Small Groups
Strategy five: The Gathering – Large group gathering

Principles for effective worship
Engaging Worship:
Deliberate Evangelism:
Problem-Solving Messages:
Intimate Community and Challenging Discipleship:
Empowering Ownership:
Do What Works:
Focus on Freshmen:

They also have details on various programs.

What they are doing part III

2009-06-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hillel
hillel.org
The largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life provides opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity through its global network of regional centers, campus Foundations and Hillel student organizations. Hillel is working to provoke a renaissance of Jewish life.

They have some very sad statistics, however i feel their numbers are pretty close to the corresponding Catholic statistics characterized by the following: low student involvement, raising kids Jewish(Catholic) not important, many consider self culturally Jewish (Catholic), many are turned off by approach of Hillel (Newman Society, etc.) on campus, many think involvement is uncool or too religious.

Hillel's mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel student leaders, professionals and lay leaders are dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish college students, where they are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially. Hillel helps students find a balance in being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood. Hillel is committed to excellence, innovation, accountability and results.

“To enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish community and the world.”

life.”To make this vision a
reality we seek to “double the
number of Jewish students who are
involved in Jewish life and who have
Meaningful Jewish Experiences.”

To accomplish this, we will:
• emphasize the relevance of
Jewish life to today’s student for
exploring their Jewish identity,
advancing their personal and
professional development, and
enriching the world;
• recruit, develop and retain
outstanding campus
professionals and Jewish
educators;
• expand, diversify and decentralize
student leadership, and seed
student-led initiatives;
• prioritize and deepen
collaboration between national
and local Hillel boards and
professionals;
• position Hillel as the platform for
Jewish life on the campus
through partnerships and
alliances at both the local and
national level.

Hillel’s Strengths
• Brand and profile;
• Provision of valuable student
resources;
• Organization’s international
network;
• Organization’s pluralistic
approach;
• Dedication, creativity, and
enthusiasm of Hillel’s staff.

Hillel’sWeaknesses
• Low student involvement;
• Image as being “uncool,” “too
religious,” “exclusive,” “cliquey;”
• Inadequate funding, lack of
financial stability year-to-year,
limited human resources;
• Lack of multi-faceted approach to
campuses and appreciation of
campus differences;
• Employee burnout; lack of
professional opportunities.

What they are doing part II

2009-06-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

Muslim Student Association

msanational.org

10 steps to starting a chapter at your university
get info, get members, 1st meeting, core group, register, meetings, bank account, tax needs, office, join msa national
training opportunities
Information on various political task forces and on communications
how to advertise
including
You may want to extend a warm welcome to other faithbased
groups such as the Jewish Student Association (JSA)
and Christian groups. Let them know that you want to work
together to provide beneficial services to students, and
facilitate a stronger student environment on campus. Make
sure they see you as a potential ally for certain issues.
event ideas

example objectives (mission statement?)
The objectives of this organization are to provide a means for
Muslims at Georgetown University to fulfill their obligations
to Islam:
To create an environment on campus that will foster the
development and growth of the diverse Muslim community
at Georgetown University.
To provide Muslims with proper accommodations to fulfill
religious obligations including maintenance of the Prayer
room, the organization of the Friday prayer, as well as any
accommodations for Ramadan.
To sponsor programming and events that positively
contribute to the development of Islam and Muslims on
campus. This may include lectures, panel discussions,
halaqas (Islamic discussion groups) as well as social
events.
To act as a resource to the whole campus community and
represent Islam in the best possible manner.
To actively engage both Muslims and non-Muslims in
a portrayal of the message of Islam as completely and
accurately as possible.

very interesting

What others are doing

2009-06-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Campus Crusade for Christ International

ccci.org

The second largest(?) Campus ministry program after the Catholic Church.

The good: huge expansion, meeting their personal goals, 667 million budget for 2008, a program that immediately pushes all members into ministry, promotion, and leadership (just wait). They have almost 40 ministries with web presence, they have a huge staff. They have good intentions.

The bad: low percentage of commitment, little unity, has a business structure(complete with president). No theological training.

The ugly: look up their belief statement, I dare you, their limited theology has no history, it is a response to their problems with Catholicism, "we have 66 books in the bible," "you go immediately to heaven or hell". Not to mention "We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our movement, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has called us." oh and there motto: " to build spiritual movements everywhere."

below you see there brag list and there budget

Last year, 52.4 million students were invited to respond to the
gospel through Campus Crusade for Christ (2 million more
than customers of the iTunes store in 2008), and 1,340,834
students indicated decisions to become Christians

For 42 years, Athletes in Action has built a global reputation for
excellence in sports ministry. Over 85 million people in 75
countries heard the gospel in 2008 through Athletes in Action
ministry initiatives.

Every month, about 2,000 soldiers committed their lives to
Christ through the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade,
thanks to people like Chaplain Mike Zell.

2,500
e-mails that flood in each week from visitors to Campus
Crusade’s Global Media Outreach Web site. Almost 25 percent
of all visitors indicate a decision to follow Jesus. “

One staff
member from Fiji, Josefa Rokosawa Muriwaqa, set a personal
goal to talk with 3,000 people about Jesus in 2008. Several
years ago, he set the goal of 365 in one year and surpassed it
by 83. He’s increased his goal each year. “I share my faith with
people everywhere I go: on the road or inside a plane,” he
says. “I communicate my faith with people as a result of my
love for God.”

Globally, 423,323 students—nearly half a million—were
members of a “growth group,” learning the basics of
Christianity. Additionally, 37,790 others—almost double the
seating capacity of Madison Square Garden—boldly applied
evangelism and discipleship training to change their world.

one-to-one mentoring. Each
week Omar mentored 10 men, each one expected to begin
mentoring someone else.

Campus Crusade has a ministry presence in 191 countries, representing 99.5
percent of the world’s population. This is 73 more countries than where McDonald’s restaurants
have reached.

CAMPUS MINISTRIES
Reaching the students and faculty on the
world’s high school and college campuses.
STUDENT VENTURE: high school
www.studentventure.com
U.S. CAMPUS MINISTRY
www.campuscrusadeforchrist.com
FACULTY COMMONS
www.facultycommons.com
ATHLETES IN ACTION
Building spiritual movements everywhere
through the platform of sport.
• Campus and Pro: On-site evangelism
and discipleship with hundreds of teams
and thousands of athletes.
• Sports teams and summer opportunities:
Traveling teams and camps carrying the
gospel to 80 countries.
• Media: Sports themes and gospel
presentations distributed to a half billion
people worldwide.
• Sports Legend Series: Exposing 20
million people to truth through
America’s most visible sporting events.
www.athletesinaction.org
FAMILYLIFE
Equipping couples and individuals to build
godly homes through:
• Conferences: More than 100 events
nationwide.
• Radio broadcasts: Reaching nearly 1,000
communities.
• Media resources: Bible studies, books,
DVDs and audio for all family members.
www.familylife.com
ADULT PROFESSIONAL
MINISTRIES
CHRISTIAN EMBASSY
Reaching government and diplomatic leaders
in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
• DC www.christianembassy.com
• UN www.ce-un.org
EXECUTIVE MINISTRIES
Reaching executives and the leadership
community with the gospel through
evangelistic dinner parties and discipleship
groups.
www.execmin.org
HERE’S LIFE INNER CITY
Mobilizing urban churches to meet physical
and spiritual needs in the inner city.
www.hlic.org
LIFE BUILDERS
Building into lives of individuals through
one-to-one evangelism and discipleship.
www.lifebuildersnet.org
MILITARY MINISTRY
Bringing hope and resources to
the military worldwide.
www.militaryministry.org
PRIORITY ASSOCIATES
Presenting Christ and developing spiritual
leaders in the marketplace.
www.priorityassociates.org
Our global scope:
Covering the world with the gospel
THE JESUS FILM PROJECT®
Showing the JESUS film to everyone in
the world in his or her native tongue.
www.jesusfilm.org
JOSH MCDOWELL MINISTRY
Winning people worldwide to Christ
and convincing them of the credibility of
Christianity and the attractiveness and
reasonableness of a biblical lifestyle.
www.josh.org
THE IMPACT MOVEMENT
A partnering ministry building spiritual
movements within the African-American
community and among people of African
descent worldwide.
www.impactmovement.com
ANDRÉ KOLE MINISTRY
Presenting Christ’s claims using the artistic
means of illusion in live stage shows.
www.andrekole.org
BRIGHT MEDIA FOUNDATION
Developing and promoting the use of
media tools, based on the literary works
of Bill and Vonette Bright, to disciple
future generations.
www.brightmedia.org
ETHNIC MINISTRY RESOURCES
Equipping churches and ministries to share
the gospel in ethnically diverse cities.
GLOBAL AID NETWORK (GAiN)
Demonstrating the love of God through
word and deed to provide hope for hurting
and needy people around the world through
relief and development projects.
www.gainusa.org
GLOBAL MEDIA OUTREACH
An Internet ministry that creates
multilingual evangelistic and discipleship
sites as part of a growing global community
outreach strategy.
www.globalmediaoutreach.com
GREAT COMMISSION FOUNDATION
Providing financial expertise and biblical
perspective to help maximize investment
opportunities, minimize taxes and reap
an eternal harvest.
www.gcfccc.org
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
ACADEMIES
Responding to the challenge to deploy
leaders who can build movements of
spiritual multiplication in the community.
KEYNOTE
Using music and multimedia to present the
gospel in culturally relevant manners.
www.keynote.org
THE KING’S COLLEGE
Educating and equipping tomorrow’s
leaders for strategic institutions.
www.tkc.edu
MEDICAL STRATEGIC NETWORK
Equipping medical professionals to penetrate
their spheres of influence with the gospel.
www.gomets.org
NEWLIFE RESOURCES
Serving churches and ministering to
Christians with tools for building
effective ministry.
www.campuscrusade.com
THE ORLANDO INSTITUTE
Equipping leaders to make disciples
by offering certificates and master’s
degrees through residential and
distance learning programs.
www.toi.edu
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
AT LAKE HART
Providing vital services and strategic
resources to accelerate the fulfillment
of the Great Commission.
www.lakehart.org
Our global opportunity:
Ministries with a unique focus, essential to the success of our mission

2008 2007 2006 2005
United States Revenues $ 519,227,000 $ 514,449,000 $ 497,516,000 $ 454,487,000
Operating Change in Net Assets* $ 4,758,000 $ 15,553,000 $ 30,404,000 $ 19,989,000
Non-Operating Change in Net Assets* $ 13,491,000 $ 9,015,000 $ 15,166,000 $ (17,685,000
Total Change in Net Assets $ 18,249,000 $ 24,568,000 $ 45,570,000 $ 2,304,000
International Revenues** $ 148,186,000 $ 131,640,000 $ 110,027,000 $ 103,493,000
World Revenues (U.S. and International) $ 667,413,000 $ 646,089,000 $ 607,543,000 $ 557,980,000
Fund-Raising Expenses*** 8% 7% 8% 8%
General and Administrative Expenses*** 7% 7% 7% 8%
Average Size of Gift Received $ 128 $ 127 $ 125 $ 121
Most Frequent Contribution $ 50 $ 50 $ 50 $ 50
Average Staff Family’s Monthly Compensation $ 5,229 $ 5,021 $ 4,642 $ 4,773
Average Staff Single’s Monthly Compensation $ 2,466 $ 2,167 $ 2,181 $ 2,275

What is the policy?

2009-06-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.catholic.org/collegiate/story.php?id=33564

In 2004, the U.S. bishops approved a policy stating, in part: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

thats pretty clear

also

a history of commencement scandals with a trend towards fewer schools causing the scandals

Archbishop Burke : Prevent Repeat of Notre Dame

2009-06-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=33854

lessons must be taken from Notre Dame’s conferral of an honorary doctorate on Obama.

Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama was not only “profoundly shocking,” but also underscores a grave situation requiring action to ensure the incident is never repeated.

Burke said that the “betrayal of the Catholic identity of Notre Dame University” grew out of the danger of “pursuing a kind of prestige in the secular world, which leads to a betrayal of the sacred aspect of its work, namely the fidelity to Christ and His teaching.”

“That the premiere Catholic university in the United States would give an honorary doctorate of law to one of the most aggressive pro-abortion politicians in our

history is profoundly shocking.”

We need to take the measures that are necessary so that this is not repeated in other places. If it could happen at Notre Dame, where else could it happen?”

D’Arcy was working hard to encourage a spiritual renewal among students at Notre Dame, “while at the same time correcting what is gravely wrong.”

“I have friends who are professors or students at the university who tell me that there are a great number of the students are very devout in their practice of the Catholic faith, and strive in every way to live their faith and grow in it,” said Burke. “We certainly want to save that and promote it.”

I am curious as to how a repeat will be prevented and how the Catholic universities in this country and around the world will heal, grow , and be a witness to all of the necessity and truth of Christ and His Church

colleges seek new policy on inviting politicians

2009-06-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/wake-obama-flap-colleges-seek-new-policy-inviting-politicians

(sorry about the link)

Though the U.S. bishops don’t have the recent flap over Notre Dame and President Barack Obama on their formal agenda this week in San Antonio, the aftermath of that episode is very much in the air. As it happens, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the main umbrella group for Catholic colleges in America, has a suggestion for the bishops: to scrap their current policy and make a clearer distinction between “honoring” a politician who holds views contrary to church teaching and merely providing a platform.
The ACCU made its recommendation during a June 11-12 meeting of its board of directors, held at the University of San Diego.
The following is the summary of their discussion, provided by the summer issue of the ACCU newsletter:
“In response to a request from Bishop Thomas Curry, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, the Board held a lengthy discussion concerning campus speaker policies. This conversation continued a dialogue started by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who informed bishops in 2006 that their document ‘Catholics in Political Life’ warranted further clarification regarding its application to Catholic higher education.
“ACCU’s directors informally concluded that it would be desirable for the USCCB to withdraw ‘Catholics in Political Life’ since it was written as a stop-gap statement prior to the 2004 national election. A successor document, if any, should distinguish between ‘honors’ and ‘platforms’ and should acknowledge more clearly the differing roles of campus authorities and bishops. In addition, ACCU’s directors suggested that juridical expressions of bishops’ or universities’ responsibilities should be kept to a minimum, lest they inhibit the ‘mutual trust, close and consistent collaboration, and continuing dialogue’ to which Ex corde Ecclesiae calls Church and university authorities.”

This seems like excuses to me, clarification is when the bishop tells you," uninvite that guy." Seriously the current criteria and some common sense is all we need.

Pope's address to a Catholic University

2009-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

"mission" of the Catholic University, that is, to undertake scientific research and teaching activities in accordance with a consistent cultural and formative project, at the service of the young generations and the human and Christian development of society.

(work towards) a fruitful and harmonious synthesis between Catholic identity and full insertion into the Italian university system

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6730&repos=1&subrepos=0&searchid=479718

Philosophy in Aeterni Patris

2009-06-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

from Aeterni Patris

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_04081879_aeterni-patris_en.html

Nor is the triumph of the Christian faith a small one in using human reason to repel powerfully and speedily the attacks of its adversaries by the hostile arms which human reason itself supplied. This species of religious strife St. Jerome, writing to Magnus, notices as having been adopted by the Apostle of the Gentiles himself; Paul, the leader of the Christian army and the invincible orator, battling for the cause of Christ, skillfully turns even a chance inscription into an argument for the faith; for he had learned from the true David to wrest the sword from the hands of the enemy and to cut off the head of the boastful Goliath with his own weapon.(23) Moreover, the Church herself not only urges, but even commands, Christian teachers to seek help from philosophy.

Is philosophy an important of the Catholic education?

Domestic and civil society even, which, as all see, is exposed to great danger from this plague of perverse opinions, would certainly enjoy a far more peaceful and secure existence if a more wholesome doctrine were taught in the universities and high schools-one more in conformity with the teaching of the Church, such as is contained in the works of Thomas Aquinas.

Let carefully selected teachers endeavor to implant the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas in the minds of students, and set forth clearly his solidity and excellence over others. Let the universities already founded or to be founded by you illustrate and defend this doctrine, and use it for the refutation of prevailing errors.

also let us follow the example of the Angelic Doctor, who never gave himself to reading or writing without first begging the blessing of God, who modestly confessed that whatever he knew he had acquired not so much by his own study and labor as by the divine gift; and therefore let us all, in humble and united prayer, beseech God to send forth the spirit of knowledge and of understanding to the children of the Church and open their senses for the understanding of wisdom. ...offer up to God the most efficacious patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is called the seat of wisdom; having at the same time as advocates St. Joseph, the most chaste spouse of the Virgin, and Peter and Paul, the chiefs of the Apostles, whose truth renewed the earth which had fallen under the impure blight of error, filling it with the light of heavenly wisdom.

Should a Catholic only study the philosophy of the Angelic Doctor?

that question to be answered next time in Fides et Ratio

Actin University

2009-06-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

from wdtprs.com/blog
Acton University, an annual event held in Grand Rapids, MI, is the most authentically ecumenical event I have ever attended. It doesn’t set up to be obviously ecumenical, of course. Perhaps that why you find an authentic ecumenism here.

from Acton
http://www.acton.org/actonu/
Acton University is a unique, four-day exploration of the intellectual foundations of a free society. Guided by a distinguished, international faculty, Acton University is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and integrate rigorous philosophy, Christian theology and sound economics.

At Acton University, you will:

Build your own curriculum. Choose from more than fifty courses ranging from the theological and philosophical, to the policy-oriented and practical.

Learn from world-class faculty. Meet leading authorities on economics, theology, public policy, globalization, the environment, and other disciplines.

Network. Interact with people from diverse backgrounds who share a concern about issues at the heart of faith and freedom.

Equip yourself to engage in the debate. Better articulate your understanding of the Judeo-Christian view of liberty and morality and its application in a free and virtuous society.

still a little bit of clarification would be helpful

AUSTRALIA: Universities offer food aid to poor students

2009-06-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

AUSTRALIA: Universities offer food aid to poor students
31 August 2008
Issue: 0042

The rising cost of living is hitting some Australian university students so hard that the universities have now resorted to handing out emergency food aid, reports ABC News. Student organisations say many students across the country are going hungry, and the Australian Catholic University in Sydney has set up a system where students can take food handouts anonymously.

It says an increasing number of students are turning up to classes hungry, forced to skip meals because of the growing costs of living. So the university has had to set up a cupboard stocked with essential food items. Cath Leary, who runs the programme, says dozens of students access it on a daily basis.

"Some people are doing it really tough, some people are eating one meal a day," she said, adding that the university is hearing from counsellors in particular of students reporting that they are probably not eating as much as they should be. She thinks many more students than are using the cupboard, are going hungry.
Full report on the ABC News site

Uh-oh for SLU

2009-06-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

In there newspaper

"Is SLU a Catholic university or simply a University based on Catholic traditions? This issue was officially settled in a 2007 lawsuit against the University, but the Jesuit Mission is still used to justify University decisions."

I hope for the first but the language does not seem promising

http://media.www.unewsonline.com/media/storage/paper953/news/2009/04/30/Editorials/Questions.Unanswered.And.Things.Left.Unsaid-3733761.shtml

also

"The current ordeal with the "All of Us" campaign has been a great means for the administration to disappoint us seniors (or potentially to inspire us) as we walk away from SLU. Seeing the way the administration has handled Una's V-Day events has been extremely frustrating, and I was not even directly involved with the productions of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer or The Vagina Monologues.

The fact that MMRP was not allowed on campus is perhaps the biggest disappointment, especially after University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., attempted to mark it as coming straight out of the script for The Vagina Monologues, which is an outright lie."

again confusing

http://media.www.unewsonline.com/media/storage/paper953/news/2009/04/30/Commentary/Legacy.Of.A.Slu.Education-3733843.shtml

SLU update

2009-06-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Two professors clarify the Church's stance on homosexuality and the role of the university to defend her Church.

"those who demand "gay rights," though they preach tolerance, are intolerant of the core beliefs of the Catholic Church "

"The Catholic Church has always tried to change the minds of both homosexuals and heterosexuals who make sexual satisfaction the center of their lives and think it can justify any behavior. The Church loves them enough to tell them when it believes they're harming themselves or others."

http://media.www.unewsonline.com/media/storage/paper953/news/2009/04/30/LettersToTheEditor/Promoting.Catholic.Doctrine-3733782.shtml

Ex Corde Ecclesiae II

2009-06-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

to be applied concretely at the local and regional levels by Episcopal Conferences and other Assemblies of Catholic Hierarchy

A Catholic University, like every university, is a community of scholars representing various branches of human knowledge. It is dedicated to research, to teaching, and to various kinds of service in accordance with its cultural mission.

A Catholic University, as Catholic, informs and carries out its research, teaching, and all other activities with Catholic ideals, principles and attitudes. It is linked with the Church either by a formal, constitutive and statutory bond or by reason of an institutional commitment made by those responsible for it.

Every Catholic University is to make known its Catholic identity, either in a mission statement or in some other appropriate public document, unless authorized otherwise by the competent ecclesiastical Authority.

4. Catholic teaching and discipline are to influence all university activities, while the freedom of conscience of each person is to be fully respected(46). Any official action or commitment of the University is to be in accord with its Catholic identity.

Freedom in research and teaching is recognized and respected according to the principles and methods of each individual discipline, so long as the rights of the individual and of the community are preserved within the confines of the truth and the common good

. The responsibility for maintaining and strengthening the Catholic identity of the University rests primarily with the University itself.

The identity of a Catholic University is essentially linked to the quality of its teachers and to respect for Catholic doctrine.

All teachers and all administrators, at the time of their appointment, are to be informed about the Catholic identity of the Institution and its implications, and about their responsibility to promote, or at least to respect, that identity.

all Catholic teachers are to be faithful to, and all other teachers are to respect, Catholic doctrine and morals in their research and teaching.

the number of non-Catholic teachers should not be allowed to constitute a majority within the Institution, which is and must remain Catholic.

The education of students is to combine academic and professional development with formation in moral and religious principles and the social teachings of the Church; the programme of studies for each of the various professions is to include an appropriate ethical formation in that profession. Courses in Catholic doctrine are to be made available to all students

In ways consistent with its nature as a University, a Catholic University will contribute to the Church's work of evangelization.

If problems should arise concerning this Catholic character, the local Bishop is to take the initiatives necessary to resolve the matter,

promote the pastoral care of all members of the university community, and to be especially attentive to the spiritual development of those who are Catholics... in order to unite intellectual learning with the religious dimension of life.

All members of the university community are to be invited to assist the work of pastoral ministry, and to collaborate in its activities.

(Cooperation)

Conclusion
a cultural and religious meaning of vital importance because it concerns the very future of humanity.

the task of bringing the message of Christ to man, to society, to the various cultures:

The salvific action of the Church on cultures is achieved, first of all, by means of persons, families and educators... Jesus Christ, our Saviour, offers his light and his hope to all those who promote the sciences, the arts, letters and the numerous fields developed by modem culture.

The Church and the world have great need of your witness and of your capable, free, and responsible contribution.

A holistic education

2009-06-16T20:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.babystepsdvd.com/

college students should see this

Ex Corde Ecclesiae Part 1

2009-06-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

BORN FROM THE HEART of the Church, a Catholic University is located in that course of tradition which may be traced back to the very origin of the University as an institution.

By vocation, the Universitas magistrorum et scholarium is dedicated to research, to teaching and to the education of students who freely associate with their teachers in a common love of knowledge

to unite existentially by intellectual effort...the search for truth, and the certainty of already knowing the fount of truth

They are for me (Pope John Paul II) a lively and promising sign of the fecundity of the Christian mind in the heart of every culture.

It is also my desire to express my pleasure and gratitude to the very many Catholic scholars engaged in teaching and research in non-Catholic Universities...a stimulus to the selfless search for truth and for the wisdom that comes from above.

There is only one cultre: that of man, by man and for man...The Church... explores the mysteries of humanity and of the world, clarifying them in the light of Revelation.

between the unfathomable richness of the salvific message of the Gospel and the variety and immensity of the fields of knowledge in which that richness is incarnated by it, a Catholic University enables the Church to institute an incomparably fertile dialogue with people of every culture.

Catholic Universities are called to a continuous renewal, both as "Universities" and as "Catholic".

what is at stake is the very meaning of the human person

that "the Christian mind may achieve, as it were, a public, persistent and universal presence in the whole enterprise of advancing higher culture and that the students of these institutions become people outstanding in learning, ready to shoulder society's heavier burdens and to witness the faith to the world

Catholic Universities are essential to (The Church's) growth and to the development of Christian culture and human progress.

essential characteristics:

1. a Christian inspiration not only of individuals but of the university community as such;

2. a continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic faith upon the growing treasury of human knowledge, to which it seeks to contribute by its own research;

3. fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us through the Church;

4. an institutional commitment to the service of the people of God and of the human family in their pilgrimage to the transcendent goal which gives meaning to life

In a Catholic University, research necessarily includes (a) the search for an integration of knowledge, (b) a dialogue between faith and reason, (c) an ethical concern, and (d) a theological perspective.

Theology plays a particularly important role in the search for a synthesis of knowledge as well as in the dialogue between faith and reason. It serves all other disciplines in their search for meaning, not only by helping them to investigate how their discoveries will affect individuals and society but also by bringing a perspective and an orientation not contained within their own methodologies.

interdisciplinary studies, assisted by a careful and thorough study of philosophy and theology, enable students to acquire an organic vision of reality and to develop a continuing desire for intellectual progress.

Through research and teaching the students are educated in the various disciplines so as to become truly competent in the specific sectors in which they will devote themselves to the service of society and of the Church, but at the same time prepared to give the witness of their faith to the world.

University teachers should seek to improve their competence and endeavour to set the content, objectives, methods, and results of research in an individual discipline within the framework of a coherent world vision.

Students are challenged to pursue an education that combines excellence in humanistic and cultural development with specialized professional training.

Directors and administrators in a Catholic University promote the constant growth of the University and its community through a leadership of service; the dedication and witness of the non-academic staff are vital for the identity and life of the University.

The future of Catholic Universities depends to a great extent on the competent and dedicated service of lay Catholics.

Bishops have a particular responsibility to promote Catholic Universities, and especially to promote and assist in the preservation and strengthening of their Catholic identity, including the protection of their Catholic identity in relation to civil authorities.

since theology seeks an understanding of revealed truth whose authentic interpretation is entrusted to the Bishops of the Church(29), it is intrinsic to the principles and methods of their research and teaching in their academic discipline that theologians respect the authority of the Bishops, and assent to Catholic doctrine according to the degree of authority with which it is taught

The basic mission of a University is a continuous quest for truth through its research, and the preservation and communication of knowledge for the good of society

If need be, a Catholic University must have the courage to speak uncomfortable truths which do not please public opinion, but which are necessary to safeguard the authentic good of society.

Those involved in pastoral ministry will encourage teachers and students to become more aware of their responsibility towards those who are suffering physically or spiritually. Following the example of Christ, they will be particularly attentive to the poorest and to those who suffer economic, social, cultural or religious injustice. This responsibility begins within the academic community, but it also finds application beyond it.

Catholic students can, in fulfilment of their baptism, be prepared for active participation in the life of the Church; it can assist in developing and nurturing the value of marriage and family life, fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life, stimulating the Christian commitment of the laity and imbuing every activity with the spirit of the Gospel

Various associations or movements of spiritual and apostolic life, especially those developed specifically for students, can be of great assistance in developing the pastoral aspects of university life

privileged place for a fruitful dialogue between the Gospel and culture.

A faith that places itself on the margin of what is human, of what is therefore culture, would be a faith unfaithful to the fullness of what the Word of God manifests and reveals, a decapitated faith, worse still, a faith in the process of self-annihilation

Among the criteria that characterize the values of a culture are above all, the meaning of the human person, his or her liberty, dignity, sense of responsibility, and openness to the transcendent. To a respect for persons is joined the preeminent value of the family, the primary unit of every human culture.

the dialogue between Christian thought and the modern sciences.

a living institutional witness to Christ and his message, so vitally important in cultures marked by secularism, or where Christ and his message are still virtually unknown.

Precisely because it is more and more conscious of its salvific mission in this world, the Church wants to have these centres closely connected with it; it wants to have them present and operative in spreading the authentic message of Christ

Extremely systematic this encyclical elaborates on the purpose of a university and what is meant by a Catholic university. Clarifies role of students, teachers, administration, the Bishop, and the university itself. Challenges all universities to seek truth in light of the dignity of every human person and challenges the Catholic university to demonstrate that all (academic) roads lead to Rome

A Catholic university in its infancy

2009-06-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Juba — The Catholic University of Sudan will start a BA degree in Economics and Business Administration at its Juba campus.

The acting Vice-Chancellor, Fr Michael Schultheis, SJ, told Bakhita Radio that the 28 students who passed the introductory year will start the new course in August. He added that the University will start an evening course for working students.

The new course has 150 applicants. The Catholic University of Sudan was licensed on August 1, 2008 and opened on September 29.

The Juba campus functions provisionally in the Comboni Secondary School premises. It has a library with 20 thousand titles in two containers. The works for permanent buildings for the campus are underway.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906120652.html

I guess that clears that up. A university ain't about the buildings.

Archbishop of Detroit is Catholic University's New Chairman

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Archbishop Vigneron was appointed in January by Pope Benedict as the new prelate for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Archbishop Allen Vigneron, of Detroit, was elected Tuesday by the Trustees as Chairman of the Board for Catholic University of America (CUA).

Chartered by the Holy See in 1887, Catholic University is the “Pope’s University” in the United States. As such, the institution is under the direct supervision of the U.S. bishops.

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=33781&cb300=vocations

Sounds like good news. I wish I new some more details.

Bishop tells students: challenge false teachings

2009-06-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Cork-born Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue urged Catholic students at Oxford University to have “an enquiring fidelity” to the teaching of the Church and to abandon “the fictions foisted on us by some clergy, religious and laity who are disobedient and arrogant in their will-to-power.”

The bishop is the author of the 2-part plan for renewal called Fit for Mission? Schools and Fit for Mission? Church which has created a stir not just in Britain but around the English-speaking world.

He believed that full renewal will only happen when Catholics, particularly leaders in “schools, seminaries, parishes, and dioceses,” stop obstructing the authentic implementation of the Council and “positively engage with it.”

He invited them to “re-discover the devotions of the Church, such as praying the rosary, the Stations of the Cross, Benediction and regular confession. The Holy Father goes every week, so why not us also.”

He asked them to “start from the assumption” that the Church has good reasons for what she teaches, and to “search out those reasons” in the Scriptures and the Catechism.

A Catholic who says or teaches anything contrary to Church teaching should be politely but firmly challenged, “be they a lay catechist, teacher, deacon, priest or even a bishop.”

http://alive.ie/headline2.php

It is are responsibility as students to make sure we are being well formed.

Also I am curious about Fit for Mission? Schools

Intro to Ex Corde Ecclesiae

2009-06-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

The encyclical on Catholic universities and universities in general by Servant of God Pope John Paul II. The title translates to: From the Heart of the Church.It was written to expand and clarify Book 3 Title 3 Chapter 2 of the Code of Canon Law (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2O.HTM) . It was written in part in response to such ideologies (pronounced heresies) as those expressed in the Land O'Lakes Statement (I have not read it and it is not very high on my reading list but it can be read here->) (http://consortium.villanova.edu/excorde/landlake.htm). Ex Corde Ecclesia sets the Bishop as the head, Christ as the center, and Sound Theology as the unifier of the University. I have two pages left of the Encyclical and God's willing I will have a run through up tonight/

Mandatum

2009-06-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Below is a sample Mandatum.

Attestation of the Professor of Catholic Theological Disciplines

I hereby declare my role and responsibility as a professor of a Catholic theological discipline within the full communion of the Church.

As a professor of a Catholic theological discipline, therefore, I am committed to teach authentic Catholic doctrine and to refrain from putting forth as Catholic teaching anything contrary to the Church's magisterium.

**************************************

Acknowledgment of Diocesan Bishop

I hereby acknowledge your declaration to remain within the full communion of the Catholic Church in fulfillment of your role and responsibility as a teacher of Catholic theological disciplines.

I recognize your commitment as a teacher of Catholic theological disciplines to teach authentic Catholic doctrine and to refrain from putting forth as Catholic teaching anything contrary to the Church's magisterium.

While the mandatum does not constitute you as an agent of the magisterium, it does affirm that your work as a teacher of Catholic theological disciplines is an important part of the Church's mission.

This mandatum remains in effect as long as you are engaged in the teaching of theology or until it is withdrawn by competent ecclesiastical authority for a just cause.

for more info
http://www.usccb.org/bishops/mandatumguidelines.shtml

Choosing a Catholic College

2009-06-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

"I think it important at the outset to point out what I do not consider the principal criteria in choosing a Catholic college, to wit: a pretty campus, good food, athletics (participation in the NCAA "March Madness" or New Year's Bowl games), famous alumni, social life, success in sending graduates off in to the professions, the understandably biased opinion that alumni, faculty, and administration members have about their own institution, and so on. These may or may not be useful criteria in selecting a university to attend, but they are not related to what makes a college Catholic. I have found through the years a surprising amount of hopeful self-deception about the Catholicity of colleges. This is true for any number of reasons, most of which are related to a "The Way We Were" nostalgia concerning pre-Vatican II Catholicism. On the other hand, there also is a general sense of despair about sending the kids anywhere for four years of college without seeing them lose their faith or their moral compass."

"At the heart of a truly Catholic university will be a sound theology department which, as befits the "Queen of the Sciences," should be considered the central department of the university."

"The majority of Catholic colleges have a two- or three-course requirement in theology for its undergraduates, who presumably will consider the teaching of their professors as authoritative. A college that habitually tolerates teaching that is at odds with the Church's teaching forfeits the name Catholic in any real sense."

"A list of the on-campus speakers during the last academic year who dealt with themes concerning Catholic doctrine and morals would also be revealing. After all, why should your tuition money support the dissemination of opinion antithetical to Catholic teaching?Another good indicator is simply to probe the knowledge of any recent graduate. A few pointed questions will quickly reveal what he knows and where he stands with regard to the Church and her teaching. Finally, if the university harbors any well-known "dissenters," the case is closed."

"it must believe that there are areas of knowledge which should be common to all students in the areas of literature, philosophy, music, and art.If the university views itself merely as a place that prepares students for a career rather than a place that prepares them for life and gives them a deep appreciation of knowledge as an end in itself in the natural sphere, then it disqualifies itself as anything other than an academic supermarket."

"Be sure to read the colleges' mission statement (if they have one). If you encounter words like standard, belief, maturity, conviction, commitment, marriage, family, evangelization, culture, character, truth and knowledge, take a closer look. On the other hand, if you encounter words and phrases like values, openness, just society, search, diversity, and professional preparation, move on." HA

"The state of the college chaplaincy can be a strong indicator. What percentage of the student body and faculty is Catholic? What percentage practice their faith in the traditional sense of weekly Mass and (at least) yearly confession? Does anyone on campus know or care? Is the emphasis placed on catechesis, formation, practice, and evangelization rather than on "social justice" and "community building"? Are a significant number of students responding to the call of the priesthood, religious life, or other forms of total dedication in the world?"

"Do the college dormitories at the school you are examining have basically the same rules and regulations, moral tone, and adult supervision that you would wish for your college-age child if he were living at home?" good question

"Throwing hundreds of young men and women together in close quarters produces inevitable and natural results, most of which–in the best-case scenario–do not prepare them well for Christian marriage and which–in the worst case–cause irreparable damage. If you dare, spend the night or even a day or two living in a dormitory. In my experience, most parents do not want to believe that atmosphere of hedonistic immaturity and boorishness that reigns in these places. High spirits are one thing; animal behavior raised to an art is another."

"Secular universities have many problems, but claiming to be Catholic is certainly not one of them. If you can't find the right Catholic college, send your child to the best possible secular university–taking into account cost and the student's academic ability–and encourage your child to bring his belief and practice as a Catholic to bear on his studies and friendships. Who knows, with the passage of time–perhaps decades or less–we may Catholicize the secular universities. "The Pontifical Princeton University" has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

http://www.catholicity.com/mccloskey/choosingcollege.html

Catholic University Of Ukraine

2009-06-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Awesome Awesome Awesome

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian_thompson/blog/2009/06/06/in_ukraine_a_catholic_university_offers_a_way_forward_for_a_tired_western_church

"this wonderful institution offers a philosophy of teaching in radical contrast to the moribund model of Catholic further education found in this country and much of the West."
"teaches not only the liberal arts and trains Eastern-rite Catholic priests, but also places a community of mentally and physically handicapped people at the centre of its spiritual and social life."

This is similar to a program not affiliated with the university in the U.S. I will get back to you with the name. Also if I am not mistaken this idea may have come from MacIntyre and his ideas of community.

http://www.ucu.edu.ua/eng/about/

"The Ukrainian Catholic University is an open academic community living the Eastern Christian tradition and forming leaders to serve with professional excellence in Ukraine and internationally – for the glory of God, the common good, and the dignity of the human person.

Type of institution: A private institution for education and research. Founded by the St. Clement Fundation, whose elected head is Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church."

They don't just preach Catholicism. They don't just teach sound theology and foster an environment of prayer. Do those things but live the Catholic life to. Ora et labora.

Interesting website

2009-06-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

http://laystudentsinrome.googlepages.com

four NEW articles

2009-06-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

(5 including this one)
It's been a while since my last post. I've been doing research and want to remind everyone I do not have all the answers. If anyone would care to contribute to the blog in any way please feel free to submit an article. I try desperately to show what's available for the student in general and the Catholic in particular. Please feel free to comment or email me suggestions.

Catholic Campus Ministry Association

2009-06-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

"CCMA Vision Statement
CCMA aspires to excellence in leadership, programs and resources for Catholic campus ministers and the Church so that:

* All Catholics in higher education will have rich and abundant opportunities for personal, spiritual and theological growth.
* All involved in Catholic campus ministry will embrace and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ on campus, in the Church and throughout the world.
* All who participate in Catholic campus ministry will be formed and empowered to take their places as leader in the Church.
* The academic community will welcome the Catholic Intellectual Tradition as an indispensable partner in the search for truth and wisdom."

not bad not bad

National Catholic Student Coalition

2009-06-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

"provides students with the necessary resources, network, and partners in order to aid in the formation of faith-filled Catholics. In turn, we strive to empower students to take ownership of their Faith and enable them to grow as current and future leaders of the Church.

Guided by this mission, we provide students with the ability to utilize the ideals of the USCCB’s pastoral letter, Empowered by the Spirit, in order to live the Gospel in their collegiate lives."

* A Voice for Catholic students on campuses across the U.S.
* A Vision which strives to embody Catholic identity for college students across the nation
* A Network enabling campuses throughout the country to interact and share ideas.
* A Resource in the form of annual conferences, regional events and the new, on-line resource bank.
* A Partner with national and international associations whose missions are aligned with our own…
which includes: Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA), Pax Romana CMICA/USA, International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS), International Young Catholic Students (IYCS), National Association of Diocesan Directors of Campus Ministry (NADDCM), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
There is a membership fee apparently

Cardinal Newman

2009-06-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am looking into the history of the Newman societies, and hoping to read the book of this Servant of God his Eminence Henry Cardinal Newman on the university.

FOCUS part II

2009-06-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

FOCUS seems to be behind in its game. They have yet to send me the information I signed up for several days ago on their website. Their website is impressive however. There core beliefs may be of interest:
Dynamic Orthodoxy:
"Dynamic Orthodoxy means being converted by all of Christ’s teaching and having a new mindset, the mindset of Jesus."
Living Tradition:
:the Tradition of the Church:
and
"to hand this truth on to others"
Vital Unity:
"Our faithfulness to Christ leads us to work for the unity Jesus prayed for. We strive to have an intense love for one another. (c.f. Jn 13:35) We love and follow the Pope, our Bishop, and our pastors with whom we work."
Heroic Generosity:
"Jesus heroically gave Himself up for us on the Cross and we are called to also give of ourselves and to carry our crosses as well."

They have a conference in a few months Dec 30 – Jan 3

FOCUS

2009-05-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Fellowship of Catholic University Students

I just found out about this and am looking for information. They seem like a solid group.

Masculinty on Campus

2009-05-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

We need Priests, and we need real men to be Priests.
What's so intriguing? The report shows that college men are pressured to be stereotypically "masculine" without doing the hard work of getting a good college education. In other words, they are expected to be Rambo and Steven Hawkings by nature not effort. In fact, any effort they might put into becoming Well-educated Men is seen as decidedly "gay" or feminine by themselves and their struggling peers.

How did this happen? The report is fuzzy on this question. My guess is that there is a combination of factors.

First, the feministization of college campuses places men in a position of repressing their masculinity publicly and overemphasizing it privately (dorms, frats, etc.). Men are oppressed into being "feminist" in class by ideologue profs and campus administrators. Then, the more extreme forms of outrageous masculine behavior (binge drinking, fighting, sexual aggressiveness) are indulged when the nannies aren't around.

Second, part of the feministization of our campuses involves the repression of classically positive male virtues (virtue means manliness, not that virtue is exclusively masculine, of course!). Courage, temperance, fortitude, etc. are cast as overly intellectual and anti-emotional. This leaves courage to be practiced as bravado. Fortitude becomes aggression. Temperance becomes weakness.

Third, for the most part adolescent males have no one to teach them how to be virtuous men. Who do they have in the popular culture to look up to? Rappers, professional wrestlers, ambiguous superheroes, gangsters, rapist/drug addicted/narcissitic athletes?

http://hancaquam.blogspot.com/2009/05/for-sake-of-our-young-men-its-time-to.html

Southeastern University of Louisiana

2009-05-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Small university
Large Catholic center
Daily Mass, Exposition, reconciliation
Catholic Student Association
Visionary Priest
Large staff for the size
"Starving Student Fridge"
Huge potential
Big plans for this year
They used to have a Catholic dorm.

One of the campus ministers challenged my views (which I have not yet posted)considering the ideal.

Should a Catholic center be focused inward or outward?
Should we be "a people set apart "or "a part of the world but not of it"?
Probably both, but how much to either side?

Bold Idea

2009-05-15T20:11:00.001-07:00

What if the Catholics of a university undertook a bold endeavor? Make one rosary for every person on campus, pray one rosary for every person on campus, and then hand that rosary to every person on campus with an explanation, an encouragement, and an invitation. It would take work. It would not, however, be impossible, and I feel it would have tremendous impact.

Kansas University

2009-05-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

From what I hear on the streets KU is one of the premier Catholic campuses. Let me present "Ask me Why I'm Catholic."

“I thought it was a very non-threatening way of evangelization, and I liked that.” -Father Steve Beseau
...
Some (questions) are tougher than others — like the one from a Muslim student trying to understand how a human Mary can be the mother of God. Others are far less challenging, like the student who walked up and said simply, “I’ve got a question for Catholics: What’s your favorite candy bar?”
The questioners are as diverse as their questions, ranging from devout Catholics to cynical atheists, and include students and professors alike.
...
“That’s why we have our catechetical classes here,” added Father Beseau. “The students are coming in and they don’t know their faith when they get here. So we have these classes where they can learn their faith, and they’re able to put that into practice immediately.”
...
By any measure, Red Tuesday has been a phenomenal success. Thirsty for knowledge, college students are sometimes finding their classes are leaving them with more questions than answers. An open invitation to dialogue in the heart of campus is, well, a godsend.
“We’re really amazed at the amount of discussion of religion on a secular campus,” said Father Beseau. “It’s brought into classes all the time. What’s even more amazing is how misunderstood the Catholic Church is. And it’s not even a difference of opinion — it’s just factually wrong what these professors are literally pontificating on in the classroom.”
...
Father Beseau said Red Tuesday’s success has far exceeded his expectations. It has satisfied the goal of bringing visibility to the St. Lawrence Center. But it has also proven a great teaching and sharing tool and has built community among Catholic students who are growing in faith as they witness to others.
“Campus ministry on a secular campus is probably one of the best-kept secrets in the church,” he said. “This is where 90 percent of our future parents, teachers, and priests are coming through.
“There are still a lot of young people out there that haven’t turned against the faith as much as they never learned it or experienced it. This is an opportunity for us to invite people to come back or to learn more.”

http://www.theleaven.com/V30/v30n36jayhawker.html

Texas A and M again

2009-05-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

I mentioned briefly Ask a Catholic a Question, a New Evangalization approach of St. Mary's at Texas A and M.

http://marysaggies.blogspot.com/2009/03/ask-catholic-question.html

The Ideal University Catholic

2009-04-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

within the next few days I hope to release my ideal model from what I have learned so far

St. Thomas More University of Oklahoma

2009-04-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

There is only one Oklahoma, and there is only one St.Thomas More. Catholics are a minority on campus but this parish/college chapel is pouring out great graces on those that who go there.

an adoration chapel open 24 hours a day
daily Mass
a holy Priest
a large tract of land with plans to expand
a student center
a small library
liturgy of the hours
a core leadership team
Mass times on all entrances of the church

I was only there briefly but I met some nice students and parishioners

LCCS Louisiana Catholic College Students

2009-02-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

www.lccsonline.org

LCCS is, on the state level, a lot of what University Catholic is about. A sharing of resources and ideas between colleges and universities for more effective ministry, to save souls and form college students in their faith.
They have conferences and gatherings at colleges around the state which provide opportunities to visit and experience first hand the Catholic life each institution provides.
An event is being hosted at Christ the King right now, and when I was over there I witnessed a large group of students from all over the state praying a rosary together in front of the blessed sacrament. A practice which by itself is able to catylize the conversion and growth of many souls.

On another note I was also involved with a retreat yesterday that had no members of LCCS, and few members in other groups organized from the top down. Just Catholic college students and Catholics beyond college leading a retreat. Both are good, but which way is better, or is there even an ideal.

NO I haven't forgotten about my "upcoming posts" post.

Knights of Columbus

2009-02-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

I have recently joined the ranks of the Knights of Columbus and am beginning to learn about the Knights of Columbus college councils. I can think of no better men's group for College Catholics than The Knights. No other organization offers college men the support, fraternity, or practicality as the Knights. The Knights of Columbus give name recognition, service opportunities, and a post-college transition. Once one graduates from college and moves on to bigger things one can find a Knights of Columbus council almost anywhere and begin serving ones post-college Parish. This opportunity is not available with other men's groups.

Christ the King at LSU or new post... finally

2009-02-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Events at Christ the King:
Monday Adoration
REIGN (Praise and Worship)every other Tuesday
Last Lecture Series by catholic professors every other Wednesday
Free Lunch every Thursday (possibly the most popular event... ever)
Rosary- Monday-Thursday 8:30 pm
weekday mass m-f 11:45 am
m-th 6 pm
Discernment group meets every Thursday at 5:30 for evening prayer
Faith, Peace, and Justice- primary Christ the King volunteer organization and has Friday movie discussions
Retreat Team- does an average of 1 retreat a week for high or middle schoolers
Social Planning Committee- oh yes Christ the King has dances...themed dances
Confirmation classes
P-I-G: a pool based game that is highly addictive and can be played by any number of people 2+
Recent happenings at LSU Christ the King:
Men's Rosary for the Women- a wonderful idea spearheaded by the facebook group " 7AM Rosary for Women"
Christ the King leadership council- approximately 10 students meet every week with the pastor to discuss and implement different Catholic events and initiatives at LSU one of their first initiatives has been the highly successful fliers which they pass out in the main thoroughfair of campus all day Monday(mine are crinkled for effect)

An Introduction

2009-01-26T09:03:00.001-08:00

To those who know their Latin the title of this blog may seem redundant. To those who know their current events the title of this blog may seem oxymoronic. The university system has as its mission truth and in as much as the university system and those in it are true to their mission they approach the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has as her mission bringing the Way, the Life, and the Truth to the world and in as much as the Catholic Church and those in her are true to their mission the Catholic Church approaches all people and in a special way those involved in the university system. It is at the boatyard Christ met the tired, it is at the table Christ met the hungry, it is at the synagogue Christ met the questioning. To each of the three groups he gave Himself. As it were there may be no higher concentration of tired, hungry, questioning people than in the university. The Church has unceasingly offered up prayer for both student and teacher and has loved fervently both. It seems however that every day the devil gains more ground in a fight in which Christ is already victorious.
May people who come to ask questions find answers. May those who wish to take the world by storm, give their hearts to Christ.
The goal of this blog is not so much to teach theology, but to teach the power of the invitation. Let the Catholic Chapels of the world rise from the Catacombs to the Cathedrals, as it rises from the place one takes ones parents to the place one takes ones friends. I plan to make known resources for both parishes and parishioners as I explore and and offer experiences of Catholic programs around the country. The one searching for Christ should not be given the extra burden of searching to find the Church Oratory. As the Father stood waiting for the prodigal son so should the Church stand, pointing the way and welcoming newcomers with an embrace.
The question - which group gets the most from the university experience? - can only be answered one way - those who are received into or return home to the Church - for they have found what they were seeking:the fullness of Truth.

A look ahead

2009-01-26T09:01:00.001-08:00

Plans are in the works for the following

In the "Done Right" series I will discuss the successes and successes alone of Catholic programs around the country. The first two are the following universities:
St. Mary's at Texas A & M
Christ the King at LSU

There are three categories of universities: those with a Catholic foundation, those with a public foundation, those with a religious but non Catholic foundation. These will be discussed in detail however there will be a preceding post on the major differences, difficulties, and solutions.

Creative and appropriate methods of advertising will be discussed. Many programs are well planned but have low attendance; solutions will be discussed.

There are many resources available to and for University aged Catholics; these will be explored.

There are many good Catholic books however these can cost a pretty penny. A special post will be dedicated to building up a library and discussing certain books which are book group worthy.

Other topics include:

* Does your Church need a leadership team?
* The rights of the student
* The importance of Reconciliation and Exposition
* Fund raising
* Diocesan Involvement
* Preparing college students for adult life
* Catholic formation houses

I look forward to hearing your comments and would appreciate contributing writers.

The address of His Holiness to Catholic Educators

2009-01-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

Your Eminences,
Dear Brother Bishops,
Distinguished Professors, Teachers and Educators,

"How beautiful are the footsteps of those who bring good news" (Rom 10:15-17). With these words of Isaiah quoted by Saint Paul, I warmly greet each of you -- bearers of wisdom -- and through you the staff, students and families of the many and varied institutions of learning that you represent.

It is my great pleasure to meet you and to share with you some thoughts regarding the nature and identity of Catholic education today. I especially wish to thank Father David O'Connell, President and Rector of the Catholic University of America. Your kind words of welcome are much appreciated. Please extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire community - faculty, staff and students - of this University.

Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth (cf. Spe Salvi, 4). This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and his teaching.

In this way those who meet him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good, and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened within the community of our Lord's disciples, the Church.

The dynamic between personal encounter, knowledge and Christian witness is integral to the diakonia of truth which the Church exercises in the midst of humanity. God's revelation offers every generation the opportunity to discover the ultimate truth about its own life and the goal of history. This task is never easy; it involves the entire Christian community and motivates each generation of Christian educators to ensure that the power of God's truth permeates every dimension of the institutions they serve.

In this way, Christ's Good News is set to work, guiding both teacher and student towards the objective truth which, in transcending the particular and the subjective, points to the universal and absolute that enables us to proclaim with confidence the hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Set against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope.

Dear friends, the history of this nation includes many examples of the Church's commitment in this regard. The Catholic community here has in fact made education one of its highest priorities. This undertaking has not come without great sacrifice. Towering figures, like Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and other founders and foundresses, with great tenacity and foresight, laid the foundations of what is today a remarkable network of parochial schools contributing to the spiritual well-being of the Church and the nation.

Some, like Saint Katharine Drexel, devoted their lives to educating those whom others had neglected -- in her case, African Americans and Native Americans. Countless dedicated Religious Sisters, Brothers, and Priests together with selfless parents have, through Catholic schools, helped generations of immigrants to rise from poverty and take their place in mainstream society.

This sacrifice continues today. It is an outstanding apostolate of hope, seeking to address the material, intellectual and spiritual needs of over three million children and students. It also provides a highly commendable opportunity for the entire Catholic community to contribute generously to the financial needs of our institutions. Their long-term sustainability must be assured.

Indeed, everything possible must be done, in cooperation with the wider community, to ensure that they are accessible to people of all social and economic strata. No child should be denied his or her right to an education in faith, which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.

Some today question the Church's involvement in education, wondering whether her resources might be better placed elsewhere. Certainly in a nation such as this, the State provides ample opportunities for education and attracts committed and generous men and women to this honorable profession. It is timely, then, to reflect on what is particular to our Catholic institutions. How do they contribute to the good of society through the Church's primary mission of evangelization?

All the Church's activities stem from her awareness that she is the bearer of a message which has its origin in God himself: in his goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal himself and to make known the hidden purpose of his will (cf. Eph 1:9; Dei Verbum, 2). God's desire to make himself known, and the innate desire of all human beings to know the truth, provide the context for human inquiry into the meaning of life.

This unique encounter is sustained within our Christian community: the one who seeks the truth becomes the one who lives by faith (cf. Fides et Ratio, 31). It can be described as a move from "I" to "we", leading the individual to be numbered among God's people.

This same dynamic of communal identity -- to whom do I belong? -- vivifies the ethos of our Catholic institutions. A university or school's Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction -- do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22)?

Are we ready to commit our entire self -- intellect and will, mind and heart -- to God? Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools? Is it given fervent expression liturgically, sacramentally, through prayer, acts of charity, a concern for justice, and respect for God's creation? Only in this way do we really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we uphold.

From this perspective one can recognize that the contemporary "crisis of truth" is rooted in a "crisis of faith". Only through faith can we freely give our assent to God's testimony and acknowledge him as the transcendent guarantor of the truth he reveals. Again, we see why fostering personal intimacy with Jesus Christ and communal witness to his loving truth is indispensable in Catholic institutions of learning.

Yet we all know, and observe with concern, the difficulty or reluctance many people have today in entrusting themselves to God. It is a complex phenomenon and one which I ponder continually. While we have sought diligently to engage the intellect of our young, perhaps we have neglected the will. Subsequently we observe, with distress, the notion of freedom being distorted.

Freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in -- a participation in Being itself. Hence authentic freedom can never be attained by turning away from God.

Such a choice would ultimately disregard the very truth we need in order to understand ourselves. A particular responsibility therefore for each of you, and your colleagues, is to evoke among the young the desire for the act of faith, encouraging them to commit themselves to the ecclesial life that follows from this belief. It is here that freedom reaches the certainty of truth. In choosing to live by that truth, we embrace the fullness of the life of faith which is given to us in the Church.

Clearly, then, Catholic identity is not dependent upon statistics. Neither can it be equated simply with orthodoxy of course content. It demands and inspires much more: namely that each and every aspect of your learning communities reverberates within the ecclesial life of faith. Only in faith can truth become incarnate and reason truly human, capable of directing the will along the path of freedom (cf. Spe Salvi, 23).

In this way our institutions make a vital contribution to the mission of the Church and truly serve society. They become places in which God's active presence in human affairs is recognized and in which every young person discovers the joy of entering into Christ's "being for others" (cf. ibid., 28).

The Church's primary mission of evangelization, in which educational institutions play a crucial role, is consonant with a nation's fundamental aspiration to develop a society truly worthy of the human person's dignity. At times, however, the value of the Church's contribution to the public forum is questioned. It is important therefore to recall that the truths of faith and of reason never contradict one another (cf. First Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith Dei Filius, IV: DS 3017; St. Augustine, Contra Academicos, III, 20, 43).

The Church's mission, in fact, involves her in humanity's struggle to arrive at truth. In articulating revealed truth she serves all members of society by purifying reason, ensuring that it remains open to the consideration of ultimate truths. Drawing upon divine wisdom, she sheds light on the foundation of human morality and ethics, and reminds all groups in society that it is not praxis that creates truth but truth that should serve as the basis of praxis. Far from undermining the tolerance of legitimate diversity, such a contribution illuminates the very truth which makes consensus attainable, and helps to keep public debate rational, honest and accountable.

Similarly the Church never tires of upholding the essential moral categories of right and without which hope could only wither, giving way to cold pragmatic calculations of utility which render the person little more than a pawn on some ideological chess-board.

With regard to the educational forum, the diakonia of truth takes on a heightened significance in societies where secularist ideology drives a wedge between truth and faith. This division has led to a tendency to equate truth with knowledge and to adopt a positivistic mentality which, in rejecting metaphysics, denies the foundations of faith and rejects the need for a moral vision. Truth means more than knowledge: knowing the truth leads us to discover the good.

Truth speaks to the individual in his or her the entirety, inviting us to respond with our whole being. This optimistic vision is found in our Christian faith because such faith has been granted the vision of the Logos, God's creative Reason, which in the Incarnation, is revealed as Goodness itself. Far from being just a communication of factual data - "informative" - the loving truth of the Gospel is creative and life-changing - "performative" (cf. Spe Salvi, 2).

With confidence, Christian educators can liberate the young from the limits of positivism and awaken receptivity to the truth, to God and his goodness. In this way you will also help to form their conscience which, enriched by faith, opens a sure path to inner peace and to respect for others.

It comes as no surprise, then, that not just our own ecclesial communities but society in general has high expectations of Catholic educators. This places upon you a responsibility and offers an opportunity. More and more people - parents in particular - recognize the need for excellence in the human formation of their children. As Mater et Magistra, the Church shares their concern. When nothing beyond the individual is recognized as definitive, the ultimate criterion of judgment becomes the self and the satisfaction of the individual's immediate wishes.

The objectivity and perspective, which can only come through a recognition of the essential transcendent dimension of the human person, can be lost. Within such a relativistic horizon the goals of education are inevitably curtailed. Slowly, a lowering of standards occurs. We observe today a timidity in the face of the category of the good and an aimless pursuit of novelty parading as the realization of freedom.

We witness an assumption that every experience is of equal worth and a reluctance to admit imperfection and mistakes. And particularly disturbing, is the reduction of the precious and delicate area of education in sexuality to management of 'risk', bereft of any reference to the beauty of conjugal love.

How might Christian educators respond? These harmful developments point to the particular urgency of what we might call "intellectual charity". This aspect of charity calls the educator to recognize that the profound responsibility to lead the young to truth is nothing less than an act of love. Indeed, the dignity of education lies in fostering the true perfection and happiness of those to be educated.

In practice "intellectual charity" upholds the essential unity of knowledge against the fragmentation which ensues when reason is detached from the pursuit of truth. It guides the young towards the deep satisfaction of exercising freedom in relation to truth, and it strives to articulate the relationship between faith and all aspects of family and civic life. Once their passion for the fullness and unity of truth has been awakened, young people will surely relish the discovery that the question of what they can know opens up the vast adventure of what they ought to do. Here they will experience "in what" and "in whom" it is possible to hope, and be inspired to contribute to society in a way that engenders hope in others.

Dear friends, I wish to conclude by focusing our attention specifically on the paramount importance of your own professionalism and witness within our Catholic universities and schools. First, let me thank you for your dedication and generosity. I know from my own days as a professor, and I have heard from your Bishops and officials of the Congregation for Catholic Education, that the reputation of Catholic institutes of learning in this country is largely due to yourselves and your predecessors.

Your selfless contributions - from outstanding research to the dedication of those working in inner-city schools - serve both your country and the Church. For this I express my profound gratitude.

In regard to faculty members at Catholic colleges universities, I wish to reaffirm the great value of academic freedom. In virtue of this freedom you are called to search for the truth wherever careful analysis of evidence leads you.

Yet it is also the case that any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission; a mission at the heart of the Church's munus docendi and not somehow autonomous or independent of it.

Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual.

I wish also to express a particular word of encouragement to both lay and Religious teachers of catechesis who strive to ensure that young people become daily more appreciative of the gift of faith. Religious education is a challenging apostolate, yet there are many signs of a desire among young people to learn about the faith and practice it with vigor.

If this awakening is to grow, teachers require a clear and precise understanding of the specific nature and role of Catholic education. They must also be ready to lead the commitment made by the entire school community to assist our young people, and their families, to experience the harmony between faith, life and culture.

Here I wish to make a special appeal to Religious Brothers, Sisters and Priests: do not abandon the school apostolate; indeed, renew your commitment to schools especially those in poorer areas. In places where there are many hollow promises which lure young people away from the path of truth and genuine freedom, the consecrated person's witness to the evangelical counsels is an irreplaceable gift.

I encourage the Religious present to bring renewed enthusiasm to the promotion of vocations. Know that your witness to the ideal of consecration and mission among the young is a source of great inspiration in faith for them and their families.

To all of you I say: bear witness to hope. Nourish your witness with prayer. Account for the hope that characterizes your lives (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) by living the truth which you propose to your students. Help them to know and love the One you have encountered, whose truth and goodness you have experienced with joy.

With Saint Augustine, let us say: "we who speak and you who listen acknowledge ourselves as fellow disciples of a single teacher" (Sermons, 23:2). With these sentiments of communion, I gladly impart to you, your colleagues and students, and to your families, my Apostolic Blessing.

(Review to Come)

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

2009-01-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

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