Anna Wheatley has witnessed the transforming power of Mass and community.
The senior and campus ministry vice-president at Shenandoah University in Winchester was not active at all in Catholic Campus Ministry her freshman year. By her sophomore year, she was drawn to CCM by the warm, welcoming community and its many opportunities to grow in faith and as a person. But it wasn’t until she invited her non-Catholic best friends to Mass and CCM events that she realized how a community rooted in Christ can change lives.
The CCM community revolves around Sunday Mass. It was consistently offered on campus starting eight years ago in the university chapel. It made Mass accessible as the nearest parish was not within walking distance. Our newly formed Mass choir this year has elevated worship. In addition, the fellowship time over a delicious dinner after every Mass has developed a sense of community, friendship and belonging. As a result, Mass attendance has doubled in the last two years.
To increase opportunities for eucharistic worship, CCM started a semesterly outdoor eucharistic adoration event called “Jesus on the Quad” two years ago and weekly eucharistic adoration on Tuesday nights this year. The ministry has added a Saturday morning Mass to begin its weekly breakfast and bible Study, where participants split into men’s and women’s groups for Scripture study. These liturgies have been made possible through the generosity of visiting priests and deacons from the diocese.
Other community-building, social opportunities CCM initiated last year include monthly Thursday Night Bowling, monthly Thursday Night Supper and a new CCM student lounge open daily from 9 a.m. to midnight where students can pray and study together. The men’s and women’s groups also take opportunities to hang out outside of breakfast and Bible study.
CCM inaugurated two retreats last year — a beach retreat in the fall and a student-led spring retreat — and a student-led first-year retreat this year. Last year, two students went to the SEEK national conference, whereas this year, 13 students attended. Last year, 18 students attended College Summit in Richmond, which is triple the previous year’s attendance.
The goal of all of these spiritual and social opportunities is to bring students closer to Christ so that they continue to practice and share their Catholic faith beyond college in their occupation or vocation.
Wheatley indeed credits the SU CCM community and its liturgical and social activities as a turning point in her non-Catholic best friends’ faith journey. With the example and encouragement of other students, seniors Ava Pannullo and Kali Highlander joined OCIA and will enter the Catholic Church this Easter. This year, Pannullo herself became a CCM officer, serving as media and outreach coordinator. She also joined Wheatley in running the first-year retreat and spring retreat.
“I have observed so many students grow in faith and come home to the Catholic Church through the many spiritual and social opportunities offered by SU CCM,” Wheatley said. “All it takes is an invitation. CCM does the rest by making the Eucharist and community so attractive and accessible.”
Filamor is campus minister of Shenandoah University Catholic Campus Ministry in Winchester.
