By Gretchen Crowe
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/21/05)

Worried about the future of the Catholic Church? Don’t be. Every day campus ministry programs at colleges and universities throughout the country embrace and catechize students in the love and teachings of Christ. Campuses in the Diocese of Arlington are no different. Supported by the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal, the vibrant campus ministry programs at George Mason University in Fairfax, Marymount University in Arlington and the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Fredericksburg follow the teachings of "Empowered by the Spirit," a pastoral letter by the U.S. bishops focusing on campus ministry, which calls for campuses to develop leaders for the future.

"Campus ministry has the great opportunity to tap the immense pool of talent in our colleges and universities and to help form future leaders for society and the Church," the bishops wrote. "In the Christian community, genuine leadership is based not on coercive power or high status, but on loving service that leads to the empowerment of others. … Campus ministers can facilitate the development of Christian leaders by encouraging members of the faith community to identify their gifts and use them for the common good."

At George Mason, special committees of students, with the help of Campus Minister Father Peter Nassetta, coordinate Sunday late-night student liturgies and a weekly all-night eucharistic adoration, and organize social and catechetical opportunities such as Thursday Night Suppers and retreats.

Student Campus Minster Theresa Koucheravy, senior, said that through these opportunities, students from George Mason’s Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) are enabled to spread the love of Christ to others on campus.

"CCM has been my home for three years, and its presence has completely transformed my relationship to God and with those around me," she said. "I can no longer separate my faith from my everyday existence. No matter where I end up or what vocation I am called to fill, the decisions that I have to make will be shaped by the Christian lens that has been refined here."

One of the keys to a successful campus ministry program is providing a variety of outlets where each student can use his or her individual talents to serve God and the campus community. At Marymount, student-run small faith groups serve as one way to engage students. According to Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry Father Jack Peterson, these weekly meetings provide an opportunity for students to "pray, discuss issues of faith, share where they are on their journey and build fellowship among other Christian students on campus.

"These groups help the students stay focused on Christ, learn more about their faith in Him, build strong friendships that are based on Christian values and have a place to go to share what is really on their hearts," Father Peterson said. 

At Mary Washington, Father Ronald Escalante, chaplain, advises a 17-person coordinating council, including a vocations chair and a freshman representative chair.

Father Escalante said that most of the CCM programs at the university are subsidized by the BLA, including the annual post-graduation WorkCamp program, where students travel to Kentucky for a week to repair homes, and a "major winter retreat" held in January.

Because of the high cost of those programs, Father Escalante said that without the help of the BLA, he would be forced to limit the number of students who attend.

"We probably would have to cap the numbers. We could do it, but not with this many people," he said. "We’re a lot smaller than <schools like> George Mason. We don’t get a lot of collection money. We’re very, very dependent on the BLA."