For the first time in years, maybe since the tradition started more
than a decade ago, the Catholic Campus Ministry’s new student Luau at George
Mason University in Fairfax was canceled. The popular fall event that annually
drew thousands of students, rain or shine, to play yard games, eat from the
buffet and meet the campus ministry staff was called off due to COVID-19
restrictions.
“Most of our events had to be reimagined,” said Father Joseph
Farrell, who became the new director of campus ministry at the university last
summer.
Campus regulations and restrictions on the size of gatherings
continued to change, limiting the ministry’s ability to plan and host events,
so part of the reimagining for Father Farrell and his staff included finding
ways to meet students where they are. In some cases, that meant walking around
campus and meeting them outdoors, one on one.
“(Students are) so hungry for conversation and interaction,” said
Father Farrell, who said seeing student volunteers and staff reaching out
individually to others is “like seeing Christ go after the lost sheep.
Another area the staff has tapped into is the digital one — a
sphere their intended audience is well-versed in. The ministry invested in
technology including a new video camera, studio lights and sound mixing
equipment, to put on “appealing productions,” said Father Farrell, “so we can seamlessly
reach the students at home.” Both student volunteers and professional staff
assist in livestreaming Masses and events such as “Thursday Night Streams”
featuring different speakers.
One tradition that’s been refashioned to include both online and
one-on-one components is an annual weekend retreat held at the start of the
spring semester. This year, the retreat, based on the Spiritual Exercises of
St. Ignatius Loyola, was converted to a five-week, individually guided format
for Lent.
There will be a series of talks on five consecutive Saturdays
leading up to Holy Saturday that students can join in person or via livestream.
The talks will offer instruction on how to do the meditations, which students
will do on their own during the week using their copies of the Spiritual
Exercises and booklets with meditations and resources provided by the ministry.
Each week, the students can elect for a one-on-one meeting with a staffer to
discuss their prayers and experiences.
The topics of the talks cover God’s plan in creating humans, sin
and reconciliation, Christ’s Passion and resurrection, and the hope of heaven.
“I’ve seen so much fruit from this retreat over the past 14
years, so many conversions and students who encounter the Lord in a really deep
and life-changing way, and I didn’t want to give up on the retreat entirely,”
said John More, campus minister of liturgy. “We brainstormed as a staff and
came up with the model we’re going to use during Lent.”
The new format also allows more people to attend the retreat.
“Since we’re not going away, we’re able to open the retreat up to the local
community of people who come to Mass at the chapel and support us so
generously,” said More. “We’re excited to be able to offer this to them in
gratitude for all their support.”
With all the adjustments to life on campus, one thing that hasn’t
changed is the enthusiasm of the students.
“There is so much potential. There’s so much energy with young
people,” said Father Farrell.
“You can see that young people sort of intuitively give
themselves because they’re looking to the future,” he said. “You really feel as
a college chaplain that you’re shaping the future.”
Bartlett can be reached at [email protected].
Find out
more
“Spiritual
Exercises Lenten Retreat,” will be held Saturdays, Feb. 27-April 3, 9 a.m.
Gmuccm.org/packages.
