THE IN AGGIELAND. CONNECTing Students to St. Mary s. Fall 2012 St. Mary s Catholic Center College Station, Texas

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1 Spirit THE IN AGGIELAND Fall 2012 St. Mary s Catholic Center College Station, Texas Director of Campus Ministry Fr. David Konderla dkonderla@aggiecatholic.org Associate Pastor Fr. Will Straten wstraten@aggiecatholic.org For a complete list of St. Mary s staff and their ministries: CONNECTing Students to St. Mary s Before classes start in the fall and through the early weeks of the semester, St. Mary s reaches out to students, bringing them in the door of their spiritual home-away-from home. Fish Come to Fry On September 1, St. Mary s Catholic Center hosted a FISH fry for freshmen in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. Lt. General Joe Weber, USMC (ret) and Vice President of Student Affairs at Texas A&M, was the keynote speaker. He encouraged the cadets to practice their faith, take advantage of the programs and activities at St. Mary s and view St. Mary s as a place of comfort and support. CONNECT Retreat for New Students Parishes all over Texas publicize St. Mary s CONNECT Retreat for incoming freshmen and transfer students. St. Mary s offers two retreat sessions before classes start; and this year, over 300 students attended. The retreats combine faith, fun, food and an introduction to the programs and activities of St. Mary s. Kickoff CONNECTs Students to St. Mary s St. Mary s was a busy place the weekend of September 1-2 our annual Fall Kickoff. The kickoff is a time for the students to sign up to participate in the many programs and ministries of St. Mary s. The Student Center was filled with booths showcasing different opportunities to serve, and the Aggie Knights cooked a sumptuous feast. Aggie Catholic Yell Leader Drew Nelson and Reveille also stopped by to welcome the students! Freshman CONNECTION Brings Catholics Together On August 29 after daily Mass, 125 new students enjoyed dinner at St. Mary s. They learned more about Catholicism at Texas A&M University and Blinn College, met Father David Konderla and the pastoral staff, and signed up to participate in activities. St. Mary s is also sponsoring several other opportunities during the semester for the freshmen to join together for friendship and fun. CONNECT. (top) Aggie Catholic Yell Leader Drew Nelson and Reveille welcomed students to the Fall Kickoff. (above) Fun, food and the opportunity to sign up for the programs and activities of St. Mary s brought the students in the door.

2 From the desk of Fr. David Is it your will that your child should be baptized in the faith of the Church, which we have all professed with you? For you who are parents of college students, it probably seems like only yesterday that you answered yes to this question on behalf of your baby. The priest poured the water; the door of faith opened; and your child began the journey of faith. And here we are some 20 years later. God s providence has led your child to walk that journey of faith on the campus of Texas A&M University and Blinn College and to grow in faith at St. Mary s. That is what makes this such a special and important place: our students are with us for only a short time, but what happens to them here lasts a lifetime and has consequences for all eternity. Mass, the sacraments, the programs and buildings, and the efforts of the staff, the permanent parishioners and the students themselves all bear fruit in this journey of faith to create Apostles for the Church and World. Thank you for entrusting your children to us and for the generous support you give us so that we can keep the doors of faith open to all of the students, freshmen through PhD. For those of you who aren t a parent of a current student, thank YOU for your investment in the young men and women here today, and through them, the universal Catholic Church. Apostles of the Interior Life (AVI) Sister Elena Morcelli joined the pastoral staff this fall. Sister Elena grew up in a small village in northern Italy, and joined the AVI in Like all of the sisters of her order, she studied at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome in an education program similar to that of a seminarian. In 2003, Sister Elena came to the United States and served as a campus minister at The University of Kansas until last May. Regarding the Aggies, Sister Elena said, I am very honored to serve at Saint Mary s, whose reputation extends beyond Texas! Here, I ve found a BIG FAMILY that wants to grow, and welcomes as many as possible. As I begin this new adventure, I offer prayers for the intentions of the Aggie Catholic family, and I humbly ask for your prayers that I may remain faithful to God s love and service. Farewell to Sister Raffaella Cavallin Howdy to Sister Elena Morcelli! At the end of the Spring 2012 semester, we said a fond farewell to Sister Raffaella, who joined the campus ministry staff at St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, serving The University of Kansas. We wish her the best and know that the students of KU are blessed by her service and example. Faithful Citizenship and Responsible Voting. St. Mary s helped students and others fulfill their civic and moral responsibility through voter registration. Ten students participated in Volunteer Voter Registration Deputy training. They directly registered over 100 people and passed out registration cards to another 200. Texas Catholic Conference Perks Up Voter Coffee House! During the election cycle, student voters learned about the issues through St. Mary s Voter Coffee House. On October 21, the guest speaker was Jennifer Carr Allmon, Associate Director of the Texas Catholic Conference (TCC), which is the official public policy voice of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Texas. She spoke about voting decisions based on the guiding principles of our Catholic faith as explained in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop s document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. The Spirit in Aggieland 2

3 Vocation Station Gig em Aggie Vocations! Father Lawrence Brophy 05 (formerly Ed) was ordained a priest for the Cistercian Order on September 8, 2012, the day the Catholic Church honors Our Lady s birthday. Father Brophy holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics from Texas A&M University. He has taught mathematics and religion, and is currently finishing his last year of full-time studies for a PhD in mathematics from the University of North Texas. (at right) Liz Haaser 04, Sara Polasek Boyea 07, Luke Boyea 05, Fr. Lawrence Brophy 05, Nate Thomas 05, Brittany Baxley Thomas 04, Bailey Thomas 35 St. Mary s Choirs Give Back to God Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven. Walter Savage Landor While it s fun to be in the choir, these students take music seriously! My favorite thing is the passion, energy and sincerity of the students who participate in the choirs. They love to make music just for the fun of it but they also embrace the opportunity to inspire and evangelize the faith of their friends and peers, said Mike Macicek, St. Mary s Director of Music and Liturgy. This passion doesn t stop with the choirs. The students in the pews aren t shy about singing too. This participation makes the Mass joyful, unified and inspiring, exemplifying the meaning of the Greek root words for liturgy a public service. When these students graduate, they are prepared to bring God s gift of music to their future parishes, all over Texas and beyond! The Spirit in Aggieland 3

4 Stewardship a way of life Living Faith Society Welcomes 1000th Member! St. Mary s is pleased to announce that Berry Isensee is the 1,000th member of the Living Faith Society (LFS)! LFS members commit to making a monthly electronic gift by checking account or credit card. To mark this milestone, Berry received a coveted St. Mary s thermal coffee cup, a large bag of maroon M&Ms and a Year of Faith devotional. Thank you to all LFS members! Your monthly gift allows St. Mary s to reduce fundraising costs and plan programs and activities knowing there is a predictable cash stream to pay the expenses. St. Mary s is not a typical parish and relies on benefactors to meet the expenses of the ministry. Pew collections cover only a fraction of the costs. If you want to ensure a bright future for the Catholic Church in Texas and beyond, please consider supporting St. Mary s in bringing the riches of the faith to the Aggie Catholics. If you would like information about joining the LFS, please contact Johanna Hackemack, (979) or jhackemack@aggiecatholic.org. Aggie Priest Donates Royalties to St. Mary s Aggie Father Brian McMaster 95, author of the forthcoming book, Totus Tuus: To Jesus Through Mary with Blessed John Paul II, is donating his advance and royalties to St. Mary s Catholic Center and a religious community. He presented Aggie Father Will Straten 00, associate pastor, with the first installment. Thank you, Father Brian! Did you know that you can make a gift of literary or intellectual property rights to St. Mary s? For more information about such a gift, either as a donation or through a will or trust, contact Eileen Kuvlesky, (979) or ekuvlesky@aggiecatholic.org. A Lasting Gift to St. Mary s Thank you to Anne and Kevin O Neill for including St. Mary s Catholic Center in their estate plans. It is wonderful knowing that our gift, through our will, will support St. Mary s Catholic Center after our lifetime, said the O Neills. Married for 52 years, Anne and Kevin share a great love for the Catholic faith and the Aggies. Anne s father, Col. Walter Parsons was assigned to A&M from , and Anne feels that she has been a part of St. Mary s since then. In 1990 when Kevin retired from the Army, they returned to Aggieland. When asked why they included St. Mary s in their estate plans, the O Neills said that after taking care of their family, they want to help students become strong Christian leaders who will belong to parishes, raise families or pursue a religious vocation. Matching Your Gifts From time to time, St. Mary s has been blessed by groups of families offering to match weekend pew collections dollar-for-dollar up to a particular amount. During the weekend of October 20-21, a group of families agreed to match up to $40,000, and over $60,000 was collected making a total of $100,000 to support the ministry to Aggie Catholics! THANK YOU to all who participated. As St. Mary s grows to serve more Aggie Catholics, we would welcome the chance to sponsor other matching collection weekends. These weekends not only bring in needed funds, they also encourage the students in their sacrificial giving. If you would like to join other families as sponsors, please contact Katie Wood at (979) or kwood@ aggiecatholic.org. Aggie Knights Receive Highest Award Texas A&M University Council was named the Outstanding College Council of by the Knights of Columbus. The award was presented at the annual college conference in New Haven, Connecticut, September This marks the third time in six years the council has received this award. The Aggie Knights are extremely honored. We thank all who made it possible and look forward to continuing to serve our church and community, said Grand Knight Will Rooney. Service has been the hallmark of the council throughout the year. Projects include: transforming a rundown rental property into a home for a single mother and her children; providing hundreds of religious articles to deployed military personnel; standing vigil during a local 40 Days for Life campaign; and helping to organize the Run for Their Lives 5K fundraiser that brought in $2,000 for scholarships to help pregnant and parenting students. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson presents award to Texas A&M University Council s Grand Knight Will Rooney. The Spirit in Aggieland 4

5 St. Mary s Sees Surge in Liturgical Ministers Of course, to celebrate Mass, you need a priest, but with eight weekend Masses, our priests need a lot of help! On August 27, approximately 250 students participated in training to become ushers, altar servers, lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. When the students graduate, they take this experience to their future parishes. St. Mary s is especially pleased that 50 students trained as ushers. In addition to being the welcoming face of Christ to those coming into the church, the ushers have many responsibilities, including passing the collection basket, handing out bulletins, and helping any who need assistance. They also make sure that the church looks presentable for the next Mass, creating a pleasant, clean atmosphere for prayer. Blessing of the Animals With so many programs at A&M focusing on the care of animals, two great traditions combined for a special event. On October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Aggies and their pets gathered in the Franciscan Garden, next to the rectory, for the annual Blessing of the Animals. This year, Deacon Glen Milton blessed all creatures great and small, honoring the Franciscan and Aggie Catholic love for God s creation. Eucharistic Adoration at St. Mary s The Blessed Sacrament is present on the altar of the Hannigan Chapel for 58 hours during the week. Students sign up for particular hours of prayer, while others drop in to pray when they have a few minutes to spend with Our Lord. Each month, The Rock, a student-led ministry of St. Mary s that glorifies God through contemporary praise and worship music, hosts Cornerstone, a time for communal Eucharistic adoration. In addition, on the first Fridays of the month during the school year, St. Mary s hosts Dark Thirty, a time for prayer that includes an hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the singing of evening prayer (Vespers), and the traditional Catholic first Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Spirit in Aggieland 5

6 Spirit THE IN AGGIELAND St. Mary s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University 603 Church Avenue College Station, TX (979) SAVE THE DATES! Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14 Parents Weekend Thursday, April 25 Volunteer Appreciation / Raffle Drawing Profile in Faith J.J. Brewer 14 political science When I was a fish going through the Corps, life was tough. Initially, I thought becoming a Catholic would add to my stress. The first time I set foot in the Activity Center for RCIA I didn t know anybody, but I was amazed at how many wanted to join the Catholic Church. I was welcomed. I knew I belonged, so I stayed. Tuesday night, RCIA night, was the highlight of the week. Eucharistic Adoration. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta taught that Eucharistic Adoration promotes vocations to the priesthood and religious life. With over 50 hours of weekly Adoration and many students discerning God s call, the Aggie Catholics are listening to Mother Teresa AND Jesus! I loved all of the people I met through RCIA, and the teachings spoke to me in a way that made the Catholic Church something that I yearned to be a part of. After being baptized, confirmed, and receiving my first Holy Communion, I knew I couldn t leave RCIA. I want to give everyone coming into the Church as good as an experience as I had two years ago, and so now, I m part of the RCIA team. To all benefactors thank YOU. I feel blessed every day to be able to grow closer to God through my Catholic faith. You made sure St. Mary s was here for me when I was searching, and my life has changed because of your generosity. You allowed me to find Christ through his one, true Church and that is something that will have eternal consequences!