Huge CSU Study Break for Students at the CSC

Catholic Student Union is sponsoring the best study break ever for students at the CSC this Wednesday, May 1, from 4:00-5:30. It will include free massages, free Tropical Moose shaved ice, cornhole, and spikeball.

CSU's Dollar Dinner will immediately follow the study break in the CSC social hall (5:30-7:00).

Discernment Talk

Sr. Linda recommends the following talk by Fr. Paul Coutinho on discernment:

http://www.slu.edu/mission-and-ministry/faculty-and-staff-mission-programs/living-the-ignatian-spirit/what-is-discernment

Upcoming Service and Social Justice Events

Contemplatives In Action: Social Analysis Sunday: Sunday April 14th at 6:30pm

* Join us for a panel discussion with educators from around the St. Louis area!  This event is open to all students and young adults.

GSYA Day of Service: Saturday, April 20th at 9:30am

* Join us for a service event at a community garden in the Ville Neighborhood of North St. Louis.

Contemplatives In Action Info Sessions: Sunday, April 21st at 8pm and Tuesday, April 30th at 6:30pm

The 2nd Sunday of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday

John Paul II declared the 2nd Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday as a recognition of the inconceivable mercy of Christ.

In particular this feast day stems from private revelations that St. Faustina received in the early 20th century, where she wrote of Christ's great love for all and his desire to extend mercy to all. The Church teaches that on this particular Sunday special graces of mercy are present in taking the Eucharist, if you have received the sacrament of reconciliation within 20 days of Divine Mercy Sunday. In recognizing Christ's great mercy through our own repentance and desire for mercy the Church teaches that our sins are indeed completely forgiven. The Church also teaches that Christ's mercy compels us to go out and be merciful in our own lives and in the world. 

Check out more info about this feast day at:
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/notes-and-quotes-for-reflection-on-divine-mercy.cfm

Marathon This Sunday!

The St. Louis Marathon is this Sunday, and for part of the morning it will be somewhat difficult to access the Catholic Student Center. Forsyth will be partially blocked until around 10:37 per the route schedule, so please plan accordingly when scheduling your morning.

Holy Week Schedule

Holy Thursday: 7:00 at the CSC
Good Friday: 7:00 at the CSC
Holy Saturday Easter Vigil: 7:30 at the CSC, party to follow
Easter Sunday: 9:30 and 11:30 at Graham Chapel

CSU Fish Fry

Join us from 5:30-7:30 on Friday, March 22 for some wonderful company and a delicious Lenten dinner at the Catholic Student Union's annual fish fry! The cost is only $5, and all are welcome to attend. This event will be held in the CSC social hall.

Bodily Stations of the Cross

Sacred Movements of Devotion
(Bodily Stations of the Cross)

Monday, March 18, 7pm in CSC Commons
Come experience the living Stations of the Cross through this modern form that incorporates bodily "yoga" type poses for each of the participants. You will not only journey with Christ in his passion through spiritual meditation but also through feeling a bit of the suffering in each station in your own body with each pose. No yoga experience is necessary in order to do the poses associated with each station. Please bring your own yoga mat and comfortable clothing. All are welcome to attend!

Confession Marathon

The CSC's annual Confession Marathon will be Wednesday, March 6. We will have priests available from 2pm-midnight for the sacrament of reconciliation. Students, we especially hope that you will be able to join us. Students will be given priority if there is any wait.

CSC Day of Prayer

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, CSC staff members will be present in the chapel all day praying with and for students. Come by anytime from 8am-8pm to enjoy the silence and pray by yourself or with someone for what is stirring in your own heart. The day will conclude with praise and worship music at 8pm.

Deepening Retreat

Deepening: Faith, Soul, & Community

Graduate Students and Young Adults

The Deepening Retreat (March 1-3) is an opportunity for the graduate student and young adult community to form, explore, and strengthen relationships with God and with each other. We will seek to gain a deeper understanding of our God, our community and ourselves through a weekend of talks, small faith groups, prayer, and group activities. Please join us!

Awakening Retreat

Sign-ups are now available for our annual Awakening retreat (February 22-24), the biggest retreat of the year. This retreat is an incredible opportunity to deepen your spirituality with other students and young adults! The total cost of the retreat is $50. For more information, or to sign up, contact the Awakening coordinators, Marc Remmert and Kathleen Hiltz at awakening.spring.2013@gmail.com or ask Cynthia (enghauser@washucsc.org).

Babysitter Wanted

A young couple in the community is looking for a babysitter for their 5-month old daughter on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-5. They live near Delmar and 170. If you're interested, please contact Jamey (stegmaier@washucsc.org) to connect you with the couple.

Awakening Retreat

Sign-ups are now available for our annual Awakening retreat (February 22-24), the biggest retreat of the year. This retreat is an incredible opportunity to deepen your spirituality with other students and young adults! The total cost of the retreat is $50. For more information, or to sign up, contact the Awakening coordinators, Marc Remmert and Kathleen Hiltz at awakening.spring.2013@gmail.com or ask Cynthia (enghauser@washucsc.org).

Superbowl Sunday

Mass times for Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3) are 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, both at the Catholic Student Center. There will be no 9:00 pm Mass, and the 4:00 pm Mass will conclude with plenty of time for you to make it home in time for kickoff.

Young Catholic Scholars presentation

Are you interested in the intersection of faith and science? The two can often seem contradictory, but as the CSC's Young Catholic Scholars have learned over the past 7 months, they are intrinsically intertwined. If you'd like to hear about what they've learned, join us at the CSC in the living room this Thursday, January 24 from 5:00 to 6:00. Pizza and beer (21+) will be provided.

If you are a student pursuing a degree in a field of science and want to delve deeper into science vs. faith (and receive a scholarship for doing so), Thursday's presentation is a great way to meet the program director, Sr. Amy Hereford, and learn more about the program from her and the Young Catholic Scholars themselves.

Freshmen Welcome Back Dinner

Freshmen--

Welcome Back! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Break with friends and family! With the hopes of making the transition back to school a little easier, let the CSC staff take care of dinner for a night!

Please join us at the CSC on Wednesday, January 16th at 6pm for a welcome back dinner. It will be a great chance to see classmates again as well as enjoy a great meal.

Please RSVP by emailing Matt Schwab (schwab@washucsc.org) so that we can have an accurate head count. Please include any dietary restrictions you have in the email.

We hope to see a lot of you there!

6 Tips for Parents of Teenagers

On Sunday, December 30, 2012, Fr. Gary had some words of wisdom with parents (specifically parents of teenagers) in his homily. You can watch the homily here or make note of his 6 tips for parents here:

Parents: When it’s not easy, there are several things to remember: 

1. Don’t freak out (panic) when it happens in your family.  It even happened in Jesus’ family. 
2. Please try to not take it personally. It is not. They are doing their work. (Remember: something is wrong if your kids aren’t pushing back in their adolescents, not if they are!) 
3. Keep a sense of humor. Help each other remember to laugh. 
4. Keep boundaries that are healthy.  But maybe check them out with somebody else you trust in case too strict or too loose.
5. Do the inner letting go that enables you to say "they are not me!" They are not me and they should not be. 
6. Make sure the kids know that no matter what, you are committed to them…  and that nothing will ever break that commitment. 

Your children may bring you all kinds of heartaches, particularly during these adolescent years, but they need to know that your love is constant in their lives.  They need to know they will never cease to be your son or daughter. 

The Mother’s Lament at the Slaughter of the Innocents

Why are you tearing
Away to his doom
The child of my caring
The fruit of my womb
Till nine months were o’er
His burden I bore
Then his pretty lips pressed
The glad milk from my breast
And my whole heart he filled
And my whole life he thrilled

All my strength dies
My tongue speechless lies
Darkened are my eyes!
His breath was the breath of me
His death is the death of me.

But slay me, even me,
And let my boy be.
A mother’s most hapless
My bosom is sapless,
Mine eyes one tearful river,
My frame one fearful shiver,
My husband sonless ever,
And I a sonless wife
To live a death in life.

Mass from Dec. 23 - Jan. 6

The CSC will only have 11:00 am Mass on December 23, December 30, and January 6. The 9:00 pm Mass will resume on January 13.

Christmas Eve Mass will be at 4:00 at Graham Chapel and 10:30 at the CSC.

There is no Christmas Day Mass at the CSC.

The CSC will be technically "closed" over the break, but staff will be in and out. If you need to speak with a specific staff member, we recommend e-mailing them over the break.