Last week I was at an advisory board meeting for Phoenix Catholic, the Catholic group at UW-Green Bay. Listening to all that the group is doing and the ways that students’ faith is being impacted was a great inspiration to me. The question that the board has been exploring over the past few years is, how can campus ministry be a bridge to missionary discipleship? Being at the meeting, it was a reinforcement of just how important and impactful college campus ministry is.
The four year period of time from 18-22 years old, the typical age of a college student, can really shape a person. When students go off to college, one of two things can happen. They either lose their faith and stop practicing or just drift away, or their faith is deepened and transformed. Unfortunately, the statistics point to the former, and it’s a huge percentage. There are a lot of factors that play into this. Some of these factors include the prevalent party environment and out of control drinking, the hook-up culture, and other activities contrary to the faith, the presence of some professors who are openly anti-Catholic or anti-Christian, who do not hold back on pushing their views in the classroom, the desire of students to recreate themselves and fit in. There is a lot that students are up against when they get to college, it truly is a whole new world, one that has the ability to suck people in and pull them from their faith.
In the midst of the seemingly typical college lifestyle, there is good that is happening. And that good is Catholic campus ministry. Having access to a faith community filled with others who are the same age and are striving to grow closer to Jesus and deepen their faith is what makes a difference. Being able to attend various gatherings throughout the week such as dinners, Bible studies, service events, and more, as well as mass and adoration is what makes a difference. My time in college had a huge impact on my own faith and I know that without Phoenix Catholic, my faith would not be the same. And I am seeing other students’ lives and faith being deepened and transformed. That gives me hope.
No one can force their kids to get involved with the Catholic organization on their campus. But they can encourage and pray that they may choose to do so, or that they may encounter others who invite them to do so. If you have any college students in your life or kids who may one day go to college, pray that they would be open to growing in their faith when they head off on their own. College campuses are known to be places where not so good things happen. But they also can be the place for students to have deep encounters with Christ. Let us all pray for Catholic organizations on campuses and for all who may be impacted by them!
Faith and The Good Stuff 