Science and the Soul: Young Catholic Scholars Presentation, May 1

Join the Young Catholic Scholars on Tuesday, May 1 for a discussion on where the brain stops and soul starts, drawing from Chapter 7 of The Hidden Face of God by Gerald Schroeder. Click here to download the supplemental reading.  Contact Kara Sikorski at sikorski@washucsc.org  for more information. 

CSC in 1-2-3: Environmental Stewardship

1. Defining Sustainability: Sustainability focuses on meeting present needs without sacrificing the ability of others (including future generations) to meet their needs. Three interwoven issues act as the basis for sustainability: Economic Development, Social Development and Environmental Protection, which will be our focus today.

2. Catholic Call to Environmental Stewardship: As Catholics, we are called to be good stewards or caretakers of the environment by a variety of sources. First, there is the Bible. In the book of Genesis, we are told the beautiful story of how God created the Earth, giving humans responsibility for the land and the animals, and reminded “how good it was.” Later, we are given accounts of great misuse of the environment, such as Ezekiel 34:2-4, 17-18. Finally, we are informed of the beauty that comes from good stewardship in verses such as Leviticus 26:3-4, 6. Various Popes and Saints have also urged greater commitment to environmental stewardship, including John Paul II in his Joint Declaration on the Environment in 2002, Pope Benedict XVI in “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation” in 2010, Saint Francis of Assisi and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

3. Moving Forward: Sunday, April 22 is annual Earth Day, but it’s important to treat every day as an ‘Earth Day.’ Decide on a pledge for the environment to follow. Take the St. Francis Pledge or WashU’s Sustainability Pledge. Educate yourself, your friends and family on sustainability and ways to help the environment. At the CSC, join us on Sunday, April 22 as we celebrate Earth Day at our 11am and 9pm Masses. Make a conscious effort to use the recycling bins located around the CSC, and sign up for the weekly e-mail rather than relying on the paper bulletin each week. There are so many ways to get involved and make a difference, and we are here to help! Contact Theresa Schmidt at schmidt@washucsc.org for suggestions or additional ideas.

Written by Theresa Schmidt, Intern-in-Service (2011-2012)

CSC in 1-2-3: Graduate Legacy

1) The CSC Graduate Legacy is a $1000 pledge for graduating students to support the mission, core values, and future students of the Catholic Student Center at Washington University over the next 5 years.

2) The Graduate Legacy Program was established in 2008 by graduating students who wanted to find a way to leave their mark on the Catholic Student Center and provide community for future students as others have done for them.Since then, 85 students have chosen to support to the community that served them throughout their time here by pledging to give $1000 within 5 years of graduation.

3) All 2012 Graduate Legacy participants will be invited to a celebratory dinner at the home of Schlafly Beer founder, Tom Schlafly on Monday, April 30, and will have a group photo taken to be posted at the CSC as a representation of all alumniwho support us.

For more information, visit the CSC Graduate Legacy Page on our website, or contact Linda Domeyer .

Written by Kara Sikorski, Advancement Assistant

Spotlight on Student Summers: Alex Dressler Prepares for the Ride of His Life with 4K for Cancer

By Theresa Schmidt, Catholic Student Center Intern-in-Service (2011-2012)

      We’ve always known that our students at the Catholic Student Center are exceptional, but it’s still amazing to hear their summer goals and plans when most of us are thinking about lounging in the pool or being homework-free for three months. Case in point: CSC Sophomore Alex Dressler, who is preparing for the ride of his life this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund’s 4K for Cancer, a 70 day bike ride from Baltimore, Maryland to San Francisco, California on May 26-Aug. 6. Alex says, “I heard about the 4k through a mutual friend who participated last summer and said it was a life changing experience. I have been training daily by riding and running to get in shape, and I have been praying and challenging myself daily to stay emotionally strong because I know that this will be a very trying period.”

      ‘Trying’ is an understatement: Alex and his group of nearly 30 college students from across the country will ride 60 to 110 miles a day for about nine hours a day, with weekly stops to volunteer in cancer hospitals along the journey. Alex anticipates these stops will provide as much rest for the soul as the body: “I personally think that [volunteering in hospitals] will be the most fulfilling part of the trip, [for] the lives that I can affect along the way as well as the change that they can impart on me with their perseverance.”

      For Alex, cancer research is a cause that’s very personal: “The most exciting aspect of the experience for me is that fact that I will be able to represent those people who have had to face this illness. This is something that is close to my heart as my Grandpa Clark died of leukemia when I was in eighth grade and I hope to be either a doctor or participate in cancer research when I am older.”

     A double major in mathematics and biochemistry, Alex has felt called to medicine since high school: “I went to a Catholic high school, and I always remember one lecture in which they talked about a Jesuit who was a scientist and used theories to show that God’s kingdom and science can clearly blend together. I always thought that that was sort of a calling for me to pursue science. I just think it is amazing how everything seems so chaotic all the time, but when you look closely underneath the surface of a problem or a phenomenon, everything is very carefully ordered and precise. That is what is truly inspiring about studying science for me, because it reveals God to me in everything.”

      The road will not be easy, neither metaphorically with pursuing a degree in medicine or literally with the bike ride. Alex explains, “Both the medical field and this bike ride will be two of the most challenging things that I have ever done in my entire life. I think that having a strong trust in God that everything will work out and trusting that He has a path for me is very important. There will be days on the bike ride where I will want to quit, I know that for sure, but having the determination and the trust in God, I believe that I will be able to get through both the bike ride as well as medical school and become a strongly skilled doctor someday.”

     Alex’s strong passion and conviction for the cause will help ease his journey. “This is a great cause because it is both a fundraiser and a tribute for anyone who one knows that has been affected by cancer. Before we are allowed to go on the bike ride, we are asked to raise a minimum of $4,500* per rider. Throughout the trip, we will write the names of those people who have been affected by cancer on the back of our legs as a dedication for a part of the ride for that person. If any of the donors have a person for whom they would like to dedicate a part of the ride, then I would love to support them, or even if someone cannot donate to the cause and they would like to dedicate a certain portion of the ride to someone, I would love to do that as well. I just want to do all I can for the people who are struggling with this disease.”

      Our thoughts and prayers will be with Alex this summer as he embarks on this incredible journey.

       For more information about Alex’s ride or to help him reach his goal, visit http://4kforcancer.org/profiles/alex-dressler/. Donations are due by May 10.

*As of 4/15/2012, Alex is halfway to his goal with a total of $2,005 raised.

CSC in 1-2-3: Catholicism and Contraception

1) The Church teaching on contraceptives and the realistic application of that teaching are complex and nuanced.  To understand the relationship between Catholicism and Artificial Contraception a basic understanding of the Church's teachings on pro-life and marital love is necessary.  The Church's pro-life stance is an unfailing commitment to protect the dignity of life from conception to natural death.

2)  Often, the term pro-life is equated to anti-abortion, and while that is included in a Catholic understanding of pro-life it is only one piece.  Major pro-life issues of the Catholic Church include:  abortion, contraception, death penalty, embryo research, end of life issues, love and marriage, persons with disabilities, and reproductive technologies.  Modern technology has identified that human life begins at conception, the moment that the egg is fertilized.  In very basic terms; many common forms of artificial birth control cause abortions by not allowing a newly conceived human child to implant in the mother's womb.

3)  To fully appreciate the Catholic Church's pro-life stance, its important to consider that the conception of, birth and raising of a child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving.  With that in mind, the Church teaches that each and every marital act is unitiveand is open to the possibility of conceiving a child.  Artificial contraception is contrary to this teaching on marriage, as it separates conception from the sexual union.

Ready to delve deeper?  Join us for Foundations of Catholic Theology: Religious Freedom and Contraception on Tues., April 17 at 7pm in the CSC Social Hall.

Written by Cynthia Enghauser, Service & Social Justice Campus Minister

University-Wide Food Drive

The university is sponsoring a campus-wide food drive this week to help fight child hunger in St. Louis. There will be a bin at the CSC through next Sunday.

More information can be found here: http://communityservice.wustl.edu/food//

CSC in 1-2-3: Easter Vigil

1) Basics: The EasterVigil is the highlight of the liturgical year. It is a celebration you don't want to miss. It begins in darkness and ends with a festive party. There are four main parts to the EasterVigil. This liturgy does count for your Sunday mass.

2) History: The Easter Vigil traditionally is the holiest night because Christians gathered in vigil waiting for the Lord to return. When he did not come in person they celebrated his presence with the Eucharist. While they waited they read the scriptures which described all of salvation history and they sang psalms and the bishop baptized the elect who joined the community in great joy and celebration. It is a night that marks the passage from death to new life. And with the newly baptized we all renew our baptismal promises and celebrate the resurrection.

3) Ceremony: A blazing fire is prepared and the paschal candle is lit from the fire, then the priest and deacon process into the dark church chanting "The Light of Christ" and lighting each person's candle from the Pascal candle (The Lucernarium). Immediately the church is transformed from dark to a glow of light. TheVigil continues with a series of readings from the Old and New Testament, beginning with the creation story and concluding with the Gospel of the Lord's resurrection. After the homily the baptismal liturgy begins, those who have been preparing for Baptism and Confirmation now receive the sacraments. This is followed by the 4th part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, at which time all receive communion together. As the liturgy ends with a triple alleluia all are invited to come to a party in the hall and the celebration continues.

Written by Sr. Linda Straub, Campus Minister

**Join us for our Easter Vigil Mass at 7:30pm Saturday, April 8 in the CSC Chapel, with a great party to follow!**