GMU College Night

Catholic College Night Attracts Students from Many Colleges

By Mary Frances McCarthy
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 7/13/06)

Who on earth was St. John Fisher? None of the college kids seemed to know, and that’s exactly what they came to find out at George Mason University in Fairfax last Thursday night.
Even before there was Theology on Tap for young adults, there were Thursday nights at GMU’s campus ministry center in the summer. Thursday night gatherings offer students a chance to socialize with fellow college students and learn something new about their faith.
Last week, Father Bill Gurnee, campus minister at George Washington University in Washington, spoke very passionately about his hero, St. John Fisher, and the priesthood.
Jay Jesse, who converted to Catholicism while attending GMU two years ago, still returns to campus for Thursday night gatherings even though he’s graduated.
“I enjoy getting the chance to listen to people like Father Bill,” he said. “The world is not full of practicing Catholics who are faithful, but this is a good environment.”
Jesse enjoyed the talk on St. John Fisher, because “having a family that is not Catholic, there’s a disconnect. It’s good to have saints as a spiritual family. I look to them for guidance.”
Why is St. John Fisher Father Gurnee’s favorite saint?
“You don’t choose your favorite saints, they choose you,” he said.
After having several people mention St. John Fisher to him when he was in the seminary, Father Gurnee began reading about the little-known saint. His story and the way he constantly sought to be a better priest and wanted to encourage other priests to better themselves inspired Father Gurnee.
St. John Fisher was born in England in 1459. He decided early in his life to become a priest, but right before his ordination he decided to go into academia and attended Cambridge. After teaching at Cambridge and becoming a well-known lecturer, he decided to return to the seminary and was ordained in 1500. He was the confessor of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.
It is said that he was responsible for the conversion of King Henry VII.
“Imagine George Bush getting down on his knees and crawling to a priest to hear his confession,” Father Gurnee said. “What a beautiful gift, to inspire a monarch.”
In 1504, he became Bishop of Rochester, the smallest diocese in England.
One of his greatest desires was to sanctify the priesthood. With money given to him by Lady Margaret, he founded St. John’s College at Cambridge.
While most clerics were living as if they were kings, St. John was determined to train men to be faithful priests serving God, not kings. He was constantly giving his money to the poor and to seminarians who could not afford schooling. He would send his servants to take care of the poor instead of having them care for him.
“It was galling to him to live a life of luxury,” Father Gurnee said.
When King Henry XIII sought a divorce from his first wife, Catherine, St. John Fisher stood steadfastly in opposition. While other clerics took an oath acknowledging Henry as the leader of the Church in England, John stood alone, faithful to the Church.
“John Fisher and John Fisher alone said ‘You cannot do this,’” Father Gurnee said.
For not obeying King Henry XIII, John Fisher was hanged, drawn and quartered, beheaded and buried in an unmarked grave.
The next talk is titled “Thinking Critically in an Oprah Winfrey Culture,” and will take place on July 13 at St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel, 4515 Roberts Rd., Fairfax at 7 p.m.
The following week, on July 20, GMU’s campus ministry will be hosting a coffee house.
For information, contact Catherine Horan at 703/425-0022 or choran1@gmu.edu.

Mary Frances McCarthy can be reached at mmccarthy@catholicherald.com.