A Different Kind of Thank You

This morning when I thought about writing a Thanksgiving entry for this CSC blog, I thought about writing a general thank you representing the entire staff (who, by the way, are very thankful for all of you).

I'm not going to do that, though. This thank you is going to be a little more personal.

I started working at the CSC as the Director of Operations on November 27, 2007--I started the Monday after Thanksgiving. I didn't quite know what I was getting into, and to be honest, sometimes I still don't. Every day is different. Every week, every month is unique.

The one constant--the one truly amazing constant--has been the people. My coworkers, the students, volunteers--I mostly interact with Gala and soup volunteers, the young adults, the old adults...you all have been constant reminders to me of God's love.

I mean that in a specific, intentional way--I'm not talking about God's love as some abstract idea, something you read about in a book or hear someone talk about. Rather, I'm saying that I see God's love in all of you. I see it in the way my coworkers truly want the CSC to be the best Newman Center for all students of faith at Wash U, how they are so selfless in the pursuit of sharing faith and love and challenging students to grow. I see it in the volunteers who go out of their way time and time again to serve and cook and fundraise and make this place run smoothly. I see it in the students who go on retreats and service trips and smile at new students who give the CSC a try. And I see it in the students who aren't all that active here, but they still make the choice to come to Mass when they could just stay in their dorm rooms and watch Simpsons reruns. I see it in the young adults who share their meager incomes with the CSC so the students can have the same programs and events and opportunities that they did, and I see it in that same group after Mass and at the happy hours when they laugh and chat and challenge each other--perhaps challenge each other even more than they did in college, when we were so resistant to other people challenging us. And I see it in the older adults, people who have no previous connection to the CSC other than they came to Mass or the Gala one time and found a group of people--a community, a congregation--of people who were opening and inclusive about their faith, not exclusive and derisive and dismissive.

I see God's love in each and every one of you. Every smile, every hug. Every day.

And really, is there any way to make this world a more loving place than to be a living example of God's love?

I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to work here for two years and been witness to the way all of you live in God's love. Thanks for being awesome. and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Jamey

Fr. Gary's Take on Religion on Campus

From an issue of Student Life this fall:

Is there a place for religion at Washington University? Not officially, because the Charter prohibits supporting any particular religion. Some would say not at all, most assuredly. Yet, how account for the growing number of religious groups over the last decade or the extraordinary growth of groups like the Catholic Student Center over those same years. The CSC alone has grown from about 45 registered students 18 years ago to about 800 now. And retreats have gone from about 22 that year to up to 300 now. And Mass attendance has necessitated 3 expansions of our Chapel, which includes students of all faiths and none on any given Sunday. Indeed, religion at WU is on the rise, and is frequently an object of reflection and study and debate.

Is it a search for identity when so many students experience themselves (especially in the classroom) as a minority and find their faith responded to by peer and faculty alike with hostility or indifference. A survey release 2 years ago—titled ‘How Religious Are America’s College and University professors?’—concluded that classroom attitudes are by-and-large anti-religious. Professors, while they believed in at least the possibility of God’s existence, were more than twice as likely to be skeptics or atheists as the general population. At the same time, this administration has been quite supportive of our presence for students.

Is it a student’s desire to belong or perhaps a search for meaning to their choices and to their lives? While the University does a remarkable job at educating and caring for students, campus ministries can provide what the University cannot.

Perhaps it has to do with the need we all have for guidance, for coaching, in the often complicated and painful world of relationships, arguably the most important “school” at WU. We at the CSC define our work at WU to be at the service of helping all students become more capable of giving and receiving love. That is for us the essence of God, the essence of life itself. Amo, ergo sum. (I love, therefore I exist.)

Campus ministry can be a place to go with your broken and blessed lives, to believe in something bigger than a me-centered life—something worth your young life, some horizon against which every day can be lived out and where your own personal story and the Great Story can connect and lead to transformation. A place to help us remember we are not alone. And a place to honor the desire many feel to worship, to give thanks, to pray.

From my perch across Forsyth for the last 18 years, being religious at WU can be a source of great consternation and great creativity, and it gives me great hope for the future of religion in the world. The latter because it is religious illiteracy that hurts people and can be dangerous to the common good. Ignorance imperils our public life. Campus ministries at WU work hard to encourage greater understanding of one another. Honest and sometimes difficult exchange about our religious traditions can bring us ever more deeply into the experience of being human together at this time and in this place. We seek to model the dialogue that will always lead to the truth, the truth I trust will set us free.

If religious groups are to succeed at WU, it will be because they respect ALL students as they are, of any faith or none. No proselytizing here, no coercion here, our covenant commits. It will be because it is open and engaging and willing to be challenged and inclusive and calls us beyond ourselves and our own agendas.

Is the practice of faith a value-add then, during these years? Clearly, yes. Because it will challenge us to be less selfish, because it will lead us to be a better citizen of the world, it will encourage us to step back and ask the Big Questions like ‘what am I going to do with my life?’ and ‘how can I contribute?’ and ‘what is my personal and our civic morality?’ and questions like ‘what is the relationship between wealth and success and happiness?’ Studies confirm that students who engage religious rituals every week studied longer and reported higher grade point averages, and had greater satisfaction with the institution than their peers. It can undoubtedly invigorate our education. Honest and sometimes difficult exchange about our religious traditions can bring us ever more deeply into the experience of being human together at this time and in this place.

Religion at WU is an experience worth exploring. Many have.

Javier Mendoza Concert

Didn't win the private Javier Mendoza Concert at your home during the Gala auction? I just received word that Javier will soon be celebrating the release of his new album via a concert in November. The details are below.

Saturday, November 14 at 8pm
ALL AGES SHOW
COCA Founder's Theatre in the Ucity Loop just off of Delmar
Advance tickets $20 (includes a copy of the new CD for 1st 300 tickets sold)

Tickets can purchased online at www.javiermendoza.com

Puppy Photos

Here are a few photos of the puppy that will be part of the super silent auction at the Gala:

A Puppy Comes to Church...and Returns to the Gala

Anyone who hangs out after Mass this Sunday may notice a creature that you're not used to seeing on the CSC grounds. This adorable little puppy, a border collie/lab mix, will be scouting out his future parents amongst all of you who are attending the Gala.

James Mitchell, owner of Mitchell James Salon, works with Partners for Pets to save puppies like this one. He has been neutered and has all his shots, so he's just ready for a new home. If you see him after Mass and want to bring him home, all you have to do is show up at the Gala to bid on him in the silent auction. Contact Jamey at stegmaier@washucsc.org to purchase Gala tickets.

IST Trivia Night!

Go on Awakening

If you are under 30 years old and haven't been on the Awakening retreat, go on Awakening (Oct. 17-19). It's as simple as that.

That's my advice, and I'd like to back it up with my experience on my Awakening retreat as a Wash U freshman 10 years ago.

I went on Awakening as tentatively as one could go. I was wary about missing a weekend away from new friends during my first semester, wary about going away with a bunch of people I didn't know, wary about the idea of being spoon-fed religion for a weekend.

By the end of the weekend, I realized that I need not have been wary at all.

The weekend is intense. I won't deny that. But it's intense in a good way. It's intense in the way that you get to know people better in three days (and essentially you're forced to get to know people in small group discussion, which, for my introverted side, was really helpful) that you'll get to know most people in three months. It's intense in a way that I imagined college would be--intense discussions in the quad, heated debates about life and love and politics and religion and relationship, talks that go well into the night. In no way did I feel like I missed out on a weekend away from Wash U. Rather, I felt like the rest of Wash U missed out on Awakening.

Also, Awakening isn't about spoon-feeding you religion in any way. Sure, there's prayer and confession and Communion, but they're presented in the most open, welcoming environment possible. In one weekend I realized that my religion, my faith, applied to all aspects of my life, not just the hour or so I put in my time on Sundays. It exemplifies that idea, and although you can wrap your mind around that idea by reading it here or hearing it during Gary's homilies, it's something that needs to be experienced firsthand.

Here's perhaps my biggest sell for Awakening: I was a huge doubter about the weekend before going into the retreat. After the retreat, I was not only a table leader for the next Awakening, but I also went on Growth (Awakening 2.0) after that, and then my senior year I gave the opening talk at Awakening (this is coming from a person who shudders at the thought of public speaking). I wouldn't have done any of those things if Awakening hadn't moved me. And it did, it really did. It moved me.

That's my two cents. Give it a try. Go on Awakening and being fully human, fully awake for a weekend.

The Waterfall: Before and After

For those of you who don't remember what the pond in the back looked like before, here are before and after photos. Feel free to drop by the CSC waterfall at any time to pray, nap, relax, or chat.

before

after

The Newman Gala Menu

Photos and descriptions of the Gala menu have been posted on the Gala website here: http://www.cscgala.org/menu.php

Feel free to salivate.

Gospel Question

Have you ever been given bad advice?

Experiencing Education from the other side: A Reflection of Justice in our Educational System by Elizabeth Doveno, Campus Ministry Intern

Education is one of my greatest passions with just so much to discuss here. I have one of my good friends, Quentin from Texas A&M University, to thank for this. He asked me once to really evaluate how many students failed to recognize all the possibilities that await them after their graduation and the system that creates that problem specifically in Texas but in the whole nation as well. September is the time to think and really reflect on education; students are returning to school some with reluctance and others ecstatically, parents are buying new school supplies and taking their children clothes shopping hoping these supplies will last till May, parents are listening to what their children will be learning this year, teachers are preparing lesson plans and decorating their blank classroom walls with as many materials as possible, parents are being concerned about child care for while they are still at work, teachers are concerned about teaching all the material for the new school year and having to teach again those things students did not learn, parents are spending lots of money for education and all the things that go with it. There are so many issues that may not effect us, but something that must be looked at. Students who live in the poorest of areas are not given the same educational opportunities as students living on the rich side of town. The state education system requires teachers to teach particular things, which is all in good intention, but looses value when teachers are forced to teach to a test. Beyond that, teachers are at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to support from administration, parents, and students. The work they put in is not always appreciated. Addressing the current issue of education, while being a Catholic striving towards holiness, I must be aware of the underprivileged and poor who are not given the best education, the state and federal education laws that inhibit some and benefit others, and who and how students are being educated.

One of the discussions Quentin and I had in the issue of education was that the poor and the underprivileged, those living in inner-city Houston, are given less opportunity and ability to achieve higher education than compared to someone living in the outskirts of Houston, like The Woodlands. Typically, the further a person lives away from a city the more money that individual has. This is because the person is able to spend the extra expenses on travel and time while those who work and live in the inner cities usually have less money and are the poorest of the poor. Because of this, there is less money in general but also towards education. They must spend the money on the necessities of life including food, water, and shelter. But even thinking beyond primary and secondary education a person in a lower income situation is less likely to be able to attend a university such as Washington University in St. Louis. Personally, I don’t think this is fair or right. Why should our society dictate that individual who was born into a lower economic standing to be unable to attain the same position than someone born into a higher economic standing?

Now, don’t get me wrong. WashU has created an adult program in the evening for those who would like to take extra classes and there are still means of getting funds such as scholarships and even going through particular organizations like the military to be given a free education for their service. But I do believe that the community could do more to help such as continue to support scholarships, make FASFA more available for our high school graduates in the schools where students are less privileged, and help at these schools through volunteering or tutoring. If you listened to the second reading at mass today you heard James tell us that it does no good to use our words to wish well when we are capable of giving a portion of ourselves to help those who are in need. We are all part of the Body of Christ, even those who are economically less privileged than others. What are we doing for the part of Christ’s body that is not as lucky?

Something else Quentin and I talked about was how in Texas the state regulates what students are being taught and expects to see it be taught through a standard test rather than taught through experiential learning, such as letting the kids to have more hands on experience in a lab doing research for cancer or seeing how an engineer constructs a bridge. In many cases, by teaching to a standardized test stifles creativity and expand the knowledge horizons. Students become less challenged by their teachers because there is only a need by the test and no further comprehension. Therefore, education has now placed boundaries on what is acceptable and what is not; in what can be learned and the endpoint of learning. After moving to St. Louis, I have talked with several different people and they have expressed distress in that the public schools of St. Louis are under the jurisdiction of the city with simplifying education down to a simple state test as well. It is good to have a desire to see students learning particular reading, writing, math, science, and history skills. However, it becomes a problem when this is all that is cared about. Teachers become concerned about their jobs in that if their students do poorly they could loose their job. The state is more focused on receiving money than to expand horizons on education. What is sad is that there are still a great number of students who cannot read even making it through graduation! My fiancé told me how his dad’s company had an employee who miraculously made it through his public university essentially illiterate. This is absolutely appalling and sad. Fortunately, for this person was lucky enough to be given the resources and the means to learn how to read.

In St. Louis there are many programs that address the issue of illiteracy; one is called the YMCA Literacy Council that helps adults who did not learn to read in their primary and secondary education that you can get involved in. There is an importance to make it known to our government, especially locally, that as Catholics we believe this to be unjust. While reading you may be thinking that those people do not effect me in any sort of way, why should I even care? Think of the verse in 1Cornithians 12:25-26 “so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” What we do to and for one another effects our church in some way or another. In what ways do your actions effect the church as a whole?

Lastly, I have learned though conversations with friends who are teachers, there is a lack of support with high demands. It comes as no surprise why there is such a high burnout rate. One friend told me that they had an entire day within their district devoted to the state test and how they must teach to it otherwise they could lose their jobs. Beyond that, I have heard from teachers from Texas of the lack of support they have received from their districts for getting materials and resources needed. In more recent history one of the bigger struggles for teachers has been to play teacher, parent, mentor, and discipliner. School is not meant to be a home, but sadly it is so for many students. Teachers are not trained to be those roles. They are trained to be educators for all those who come into their classroom. Not only that, but many teachers do not want to be in that situation of playing that role. This creates just a very unhappy situation, but what else can be done?

For me as a Catholic, it is important to support not only those friends who are teachers back in Texas but also those teachers here in St. Louis. They, like Jesus, are using their faith in action in teaching. Sometimes they must teach what is difficult such as geometry and may be rebuked in that students feel it is pointless in a similar manner like Jesus was. We can pray for our teachers in that they are given the courage and the ability to face all the challenges that the classroom presents today. We can send letters of encouragement to those teachers in especially those schools with the lack of funding, support, and help. And as for those students who may not see the point in their education or school is essentially home we can pray and offer our time through programs like Big Brothers/Big Sisters in helping taking away some of those extra burdens teachers bear.

In the past, I volunteered once a week for an hour helping kindergarteners learn to do simple math and reading through a program at Texas A&M University. You could also do the same through tutoring through schools. We can write letters to those teachers in those areas that are not as economically privileged such as those working for Teach for America and other service corps. By sending letters of encouragement and appreciation for a job that is not always so appreciated in hopes that they will be given the strength and courage to get through the tough moments of the day. We can continue to pray for students, teachers, and leaders in education in that they make good choices and decisions. We can send letters to our congressmen telling them to give our schools more assistance. We can be mentors and tutors to students helping them succeed into something greater than the status quo. We can get involved in the school districts to play an active part of the education system. So, in what way are you going to be Jesus for our educational system?

The Gala in Football Season

For the first time ever, the Newman Gala (as a Gala, not a brunch) will be in the fall this year. That means that it'll be in the middle of the NFL/college football season, which I didn't think would have much of an impact on the attendance.

However, as of Friday, I realized that it could have a positive impact on attendance.

As it turns out, the Minnesota Vikings--including Brett Favre and esteemed running back Adrian Peterson--are staying at the Ritz the night of the Gala. They play the Rams the following day, so odds are against them partying with us in the ballroom, but you never know. It's definitely worth showing up to find out.

Lord, rain down on us

Today, I invite you to pray with me for those in the driest parts of the country right now. In Texas has had very little rain the past 4 months, which is not the norm. In some parts it is so dry they have been able to recover lost things in the dried up river banks. With the lack of rain, it has been hotter--even late at night! So, please pray with me for those needing rain.

Prayers for Intentions

Today is the first Friday of the month meaning it is a day for the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (An explanation can be found here.) For this reason, I have decided to pray the Litany of the Most Sacred Heart for the intentions in the iPray box. I also prayed a decade of the Rosary focusing on the Luminous Mystery of the Transfiguration which also strengthens our own hearts in striving to reach Christ's.

I invite you to pray those prayers at some point this day. God bless you!

The iPray is now listening to the Prayerlist

So what is iPray?

iPray was created based off a passion and desire to pray for those in my community and those just in need of prayer. It is a play off of the iPod in that rather than streaming music or podcasts it is streaming prayer intentions.

How does iPray work?

It works in two ways: 1. You can either go to the Catholic Student Center at Washington University put your intention in the box that is next to Mary in the Chapel. Or 2. Leave a comment here on the blog.

After that is done, I will check on a regular basis the intentions and pray for them. Later, I will post on the blog how I prayed for the latest intentions.

Who can use iPray?

Because this blog is open to any and all it is totally open to any person in need of an intention lifted up.

Who will read my intentions?

I will be the only one reading the intentions. If you wish for others beside myself to pray for your intention please indicate that.

Why does this matter? What is the point of it all?

I strongly believe in the power of prayer and interceeding for one another in prayer. We are called to pray for one another even! (James 5:16) This is something I have really enjoyed doing for a handful of years now.

So start sending your prayer requests. So till then, God bless you!

To read more blogs and updates check out http://ipraycsc.blogspot.com

Gospel Question

What is your new [school] year's resolution? How do you want to grow this year? What are the parts of you that have gotten "moldy" and need to be scooped out of the cottage cheese container?

This Week's Gospel Question

Do you identify as Catholic on Facebook?

This Week's Gospel Question

Have you ever argued with anyone about your faith or spiritual issues?

Gala Volunteer Sunday

You may notice a contingent of people in the community wearing silly, out-of-season ties or bright, colorful scarves this Sunday. Most likely, they’re in the Gala planning committee. The 2009 Newman Gala (October 10) is a mere 2 months away, and the committee has been hard at work to make it a special experience for all of you. If you have any questions for the committee members, feel free to approach them after Mass. Invitations to the Gala are going out in one week, and raffle tickets ($50 each; 1/30 wins; grand prize is $3000) are available for sale after mass, from Jamey Stegmaier (x221, stegmaier@washucsc.org), or online at any time.

Gospel Question

This week's Gospel question:

What on earth are we doing here?

Feel free to discuss in the comments section.