Campus Ministry shares newly imagined student life space with Student Activities on the first floor of Crooker Center. The collaborative, expanded area, opens up many new opportunities for Campus Ministry to interact with the UST community.

Feel the Catholic Coffee Shop Vibe

Shared resources between Campus Ministry and Student Activities will help foster greater collaboration between student leaders involved in different student organizations. “Picture a dedicated prayer room for individual private reflection; a small-group room for 16 weekly Bible Studies; a place for Coffee and Donut Tuesday mornings; a lounge space where students are welcome to grab a cup of coffee, study, eat lunch or simply hang out with peers. Our hope for this space is a Catholic coffee shop vibe,” Nicole Labadie, director of Campus Ministry, said.

The work on this reimagined space is moving along with part two of renovations slated for completion by Christmas.

Fostering Community in this time of COVID

A big trend in Campus Ministry nationwide in this time of COVID is to foster community. “COVID brought a lot of isolation and loneliness, and Catholic campus ministries are thinking through creative ways to welcome people back to communal prayer and worship, retreats, service and fellowship opportunities,” Labadie said. “There is definitely the notion that virtual engagement is here to stay, and this is key for us in thinking about how we can best support the needs of all of our commuter students. The majority of our small groups are hybrid, so that students have the ability to attend either in-person or via Zoom.”

Celebrate Five Fall Feast Days with Fellowship

“Our big goal this year is to deepen the way that our community lives liturgically on campus,” Labadie said. “There are so many feasts and seasons that make up the Church’s liturgical year, and each month we will be highlighting a particular Saint’s feast day and celebrating through feasting! At the monthly feasts, following the 11:30 am Mass, we will have a social with food and drink inspired by that day’s Saint. The social is offered in collaboration with Student Activities and UST Events in order to engage as many faculty, staff and students as possible.”

For the fall semester Feast Days and socials are:

• Feast of the Archangels (Sept. 29)
• St. Francis (Oct. 4),
• St. John Paul II (Oct. 22),
• St. Martin de Porres (Nov. 3)
• Our Lady of Guadalupe (early Dec.).

All of these are offered in collaboration with Student Activities and UST Events in order to engage as many as possible!

Attend Theology of the Body Speaker Series

Additionally, look for two new programs: Theology of Body Speaker Series and the Festival of St. Thomas Aquinas (Jan. 28). The Speaker Series is titled, “Encounter: Love and Longing” and is a monthly Catholic speaker series focusing on John Paul II’s theology of the body.

Meet the Dynamic Campus Ministry Staff and Students

The Campus Ministry team is comprised of four professional staff members: Nicole Labadie, Fr. Paul English, CSB, Pat (Campus Minster), Abi Bielstein (Wedding & Chapel Event Coordinator).

Additionally, the team is supported by a number of dedicated student leaders:

• Seven interns who help lead different aspects of the ministry
• Three Peer Ministers who host communal prayer and fellowship opportunities, such as monthly praise and worship nights
• Four Brand Ambassadors who run social media and marketing initiatives, photograph events, and represent Campus Ministry at and beyond UST
• Thirteen student leaders serve on Mission Team, leading weekly small-group Bible studies
• Three serve as faith-based household leaders

RCIA Catechetical Sessions

The Campus Ministry Department exists to serve the spiritual needs of the entire campus community – students, faculty and staff. Anyone wishing to learn more about or deepen their knowledge of Catholicism is welcome to attend Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) catechetical sessions (Tuesdays, 5-6 pm).