Campus Ministry
What More Could We Ask For?
Sometimes that happens as they spread peanut butter and jelly onto bread to feed the hungry. Sometimes it happens at Game Night. Sometimes at the Prayer Table in the Quad. Sometimes in Alfonso Dining Hall over fries and salad. Or at Mass. Or the Busy Person’s Retreat. It happens every day all over campus.
The Campus Ministry staff includes Joseph Preston, Director; Brother Alan Parham, Volunteer Campus Minister; Sister Julita Bele Bau, Associate Director; and Hannah Jones, Associate Director. This is a team wholly devoted to encouraging spiritual growth, whether a student is devout or “not very religious.” Their office and their hearts are open to all, setting an unparalleled example of inclusivity. Each of them echoes Joey’s deep desire to “increase the depth and breadth of faith” of all students.
Hannah picks up Joey’s thread, adding, “It’s beautiful to see how cohesive our goals are: to encounter students as people, knowing who they are and figuring out what they need.”
Br. Alan tells how that works. “We do a lot of listening,” he says. “It doesn’t do any good to offer what students don’t want. You have to listen.” With open ears and open minds, Campus Ministry offers, in addition to daily Mass, a variety of get-togethers and retreats and service projects and campus engagements, all serving as opportunities to connect. Many of these activities have been resurrected from pre-COVID days and intentionally aim to meet students’ needs – physical (yes, there are snacks!) and social and personal. “We offer activities,” explains Sister Julita, “but we really give a foundation for spirituality.”
And, with the trusting relationships these connections foster, students have begun sharing. “After COVID’s lockdown, people are beginning to open up more and articulate better,” Hannah says. “They’re starting to be able to say, ‘Here’s a deficit in my life.’”
Whether at an event or at the Prayer Table, that’s when a dialogue ensues, a conversation about struggles and victory – and faith.
“CBU students have the heart to serve,” says Julita. “I want to bring them to the reality of the world” where their service will change them and change those they serve. That’s where transformation happens. That’s where a powerful triumvirate fosters the deeper, broader faith Joey hopes for.
The power of invitation – to attend, to participate, to share.
The power of connection – in service, in fellowship, in worship.
The power of legacy – of Lasallian principles, of the Christian Brothers, of the Campus Ministry.
Senior Psychology major Brooke Johnson, who understands Campus Ministry’s goal of bolstering faith in every student, will serve as a mentor at the next Busy Person’s Retreat, an event that means a great deal to her after participating as a freshman. She describes the faith climate at CBU this way: “If you aren’t very spiritual, we are still accepting of whoever you are, whatever you are. If you’re in another religion, you’re still welcome.” Joey reiterates that idea, saying, “Everything we do in ministry should reflect the richness and diversity of the student population” – racially, socio-economically, spiritually.
Br. Alan says, “That’s why there are prayer rugs in the Interfaith Prayer Room. And I want to add yarmulkes.”
And Sister Julita smiles and nods, with a twinkle in her eye and a little clap of glee – “Yes. We want to help everyone find their God. This is where goodness and goodness meet. That’s the beauty of life. What more could we ask for?”