A warm Catholic welcome abundant with prayer, food, hospitality and the comfort of family greeted Bishop Timothy Senior at the Newman House on the campus of Bucknell University on a rainy April 10 as he arrived to celebrate Mass and share dinner and conversation with nearly 30 Catholic Campus Ministry students.
From the comfort of a window seat in the Newman House’s spacious living room, Paloma Orti was sincere with the bishop when he asked students during a question-and-answer session what the home means to them.
“Life here at this house is the best,” said Orti, a student from Spain who has spent the academic year at Bucknell.
“It is incredibly valuable to have a place like this,” she said. “Having a little chapel here, where you can come 24/7 to pray or find a priest who is always available, having that in the day-to-day life is so important because it brings you so much closer to God and helps you get to know Him better.”
“I don’t want to leave when this year is over,” she said.
The Newman House at Bucknell is the center of Catholic Campus Ministry, one of 12 such programs on college and university campuses within the Diocese that accompanies students in spiritual formation, fellowship, social activities and prayer as they live out their faith. A small chapel in the Newman House at Bucknell offers students an intimate opportunity to spend time with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and a place for weekday Masses. Sunday Masses are celebrated in the university’s Rooke Chapel.
Throughout the year, students enjoy weekly dinners, community service opportunities, retreats, Bible study and social events with CCM staff, which includes Father Tiburtius Raja, chaplain; Kelsi Buckley, Catholic campus minister; and Tracey Bobb, program assistant.
“We are blessed with a nice space here on campus for the Catholic students to call their own,” said Father Raja. “This is a very secular university and so it can be a challenge to live the Catholic faith here on campus, but the students do a great job doing that. We try to inspire and support them in living their beliefs and values.”
“Students are free to come here, study, use the kitchen, enjoy each other’s company. The parishes and Knights of Columbus Councils around us in Lewisburg, Milton and Selinsgrove also give their support by making food for the students. That’s a big support, especially while the students are away from home. That’s special for the students so they feel like they are part of the larger Catholic community,” he said.
On April 10, the Newman House was particularly abuzz for the bishop’s visit; nearly 30 students and a handful of parish volunteers engaged in conversation as they set up tables, chairs and food for dinner. They also helped set up for Mass, carrying extra chairs to the quaint chapel, where they gathered around the altar as one family as the bishop celebrated the liturgy.
During a hot meal provided by parish volunteers, students had an opportunity to converse with the bishop one-on-one, and again during an open question-and-answer session that covered everything from spirituality and prayer life to the virtue of patience and the value of Catholic education.
Students also sought the bishop’s counsel on how to welcome their peers into the faith, and how to connect with those who misunderstand or disagree with Church teaching.
“The witness of a devout Christian is most important. There is an intellectual way of reasoning the existence of God; our faith is reasonable, understandable. But the witness is the most powerful way to do that,” Bishop Senior said. “That’s how the Church grew in the beginning. The Christians loved one another and cared for each other, and the Church grew very quickly in a relatively short amount of time. That’s because others were moved by their witness and inspired by their example.”
“God meets us where we are, in whatever we’re dealing with, and loves us unconditionally. Everyone is called for a deeper conversion, and that means something different in everyone’s life and at different times in our life. It’s about extending the invitation to others and then listening to them. Everyone is unique and has their own story and experience. It’s important to listen and accompany,” he said.
Mark Mosier, a senior mechanical engineering major from Holy Spirit Parish in Palmyra, joined Catholic Campus Ministry at Bucknell when he was a freshman, although he said his involvement was limited to assisting with setting up for Mass in his first year. Today, he serves as CCM president.
“My second year with CCM, the other students welcomed me in quickly and I was glad to join in,” he said. “I grew up going to Catholic school and weekly Mass and was surrounded by the faith, so it continued here naturally for me through CCM.”
“I would have continued practicing my faith had Catholic Campus Ministry not been here, but I know I wouldn’t be nearly as devout as I am now,” Mosier said. “For example, Adoration is here at least once a month and I’ve come to appreciate the peace with it, and how much of a blessing it is to sit in the peaceful presence of the Lord. I’m praying more frequently, especially the Rosary. I’m also praying with other people, which adds another dimension to the faith.”
In March, Mosier was one of 11 CCM students from Bucknell in a group of 15 pilgrims who journeyed to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee Year.
“I was so blessed by that experience,” he said. “Seeing all the Catholic art, history and beauty and everything that Rome has to offer was impactful. My favorite place was Assisi. The view looking out over the countryside was incredible. Experiencing the tomb of St. Francis and being able to pray and have Mass there with a magnificent choir singing – it felt like being in heaven.”
The pilgrimage was a truly unique experience to share with fellow CCM students, over and above the full slate of social gatherings, retreats and volunteer activities offered throughout the year, Mosier said.
“It’s amazing what stems from the Newman House,” he said. “It’s a home for all of us. You can come here, study, eat, relax, pray. It’s a calm place in the middle of campus where you can forget about what’s going on inside and enjoy peace and friendships.”
Kelsi Buckley, Catholic campus minister for the past seven years, said she can’t overstate the significance of Catholic Campus Ministry and the Newman House in the lives of students.
“This place truly is a home for them, and I’ll give you an example to back that up. Recently, we were without heat here and still the students came every day to study and hang out. They could have gone to any other place on campus where there was heat, and they came here because they wanted to be here and be with each other. That proves to me that this is not just a building with free snacks; it’s a home and community,” she said.
“Catholic Campus Ministry is an absolutely vital program, with pillars of community service, social activities, spiritual activities and outreach. If this place didn’t exist, I don’t know what these students’ faith life would be like after they graduate, because they grow so much intellectually and spiritually in their four years here,” she said. “CCM is organic. They grow in faith together.”
Learn more about Catholic Campus Ministry in the Diocese of Harrisburg at https://www.hbgdiocese.org/youth-and-young-adults/campus-ministry/. Catholic Campus Ministry receives funding from the Diocesan Annual Campaign, and this story is one example of DAC contributions in action. Learn more at https://www.hbgdiocese.org/diocesan-annual-campaign/.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
