Spirit T H E IN AGGIELAND Fall 2008 St. Mary s Catholic Center College Station, Texas save the date The REVOLUTION Begins at St. Mary s It was like a storm of grace that fell on St. Mary s, exciting students about God s plan for our creation as male and female, said Aggie campus minister Sister Marie Bernadette Fusselman 83 about The REVOLUTION, a kickoff event to encourage students to study Pope John Paul II s writings on the Theology of the Body. The REVOLUTION began on the evening of Friday, October 10 with 385 students participating. After gathering in the Student Center, student leaders seated the attendees in the darkened church. There they viewed a multi-media presentation and dramatization about the conflicts, mixed messages and expectations contemporary society has for men and women. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo will be speaking at Texas A&M on Friday, February 13, 2009. Details will be posted at by January 15. For more information or to reserve your ticket, please email info@aggiecatholic.org. In a gentle and compelling manner, Christ was then presented as the answer to our hearts deepest longings, with the message that God s creation of humans in his image as male and female reflects the dignity and holiness of our sexuality. Christopher West, author and speaker on the Theology of the Body, spoke personally to the Aggies via a recorded message to encourage them to continue learning the beauty of the truth of God s plan for human sexuality. Afterwards, approximately 250 students signed up for 12 study groups led by 26 student leaders. Sister Marie Bernadette stated, The long-term goal is to launch the Theology of the Body message to all students at A&M. It s not just for Catholics it s for everyone who has a body. Director of Campus Ministry Fr. David Konderla dkonderla@aggiecatholic.org Associate Pastor Fr. Brian McMaster 95 bmcmaster@aggiecatholic.org For a complete list of St. Mary s staff and their ministries:
St. Mary s Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Church On Sunday, October 5, St. Mary s celebrated the 50th anniversary of the church building by dedicating a new altar and unveiling the renovated interior. Bishop Gregory Aymond of the Austin Diocese, Bishop Kevin Vann of the Fort Worth Diocese, Father David Konderla and Father Brian McMaster of St. Mary s were joined by several priests with connections to Aggieland for this concelebrated Mass. During his homily, Bishop Aymond reminded the congregation of the vibrant faith of six cadets from the A&M College of Texas over 104 years ago. These students walked six miles to Mass at St. Joseph Church in Bryan, inspiring the pastor, Msgr. John Gleissner, to dedicate much of the rest of his life to bringing the riches of the Catholic faith to the campus of A&M. The present church is the second in the history of the ministry, and over the last several months has undergone a significant renovation. While long been viewed as beautiful and welcoming, the church now includes a sense of the history and majesty of the Catholic faith. New lighting, enhanced faux marble statuary niches and interior painting give the church a brighter look. The antique painted Stations of the Cross, historic and beautiful works of art over 120 years old, enhance the spiritual ambiance of the church and encourage the students to meditate on the passion of our Lord. The Last Supper scene on the newly dedicated main altar keeps the event at the center of our lives as Catholics. This altar also contains relics of St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of colleges, and St. Dominic. The relics were gifts from Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Father Charlie Banks. Stewardship a way of life In appreciation for their experiences at St. Mary s, current and former students are organizing within their classes to present St. Mary s with a class gift. This idea of giving back started with the Class of 2005. Inspired by these young Ags, a member of the Classes of the 1940s helped develop the concept of decade class gifts. All class gifts are applied to St. Mary s permanent endowment. The interest from these funds will allow St. Mary s to continue to minister to future generations of Aggies. When a class gift reaches $25,000, the interest income will benefit St. Mary s. Total gifts pledged are $339,000! Thank you to those who have pledged and contributed to their class gift! If you would like to add to your class total, please contact Rachel Johnson (979) 846-5717 or email rjohnson@aggiecatholic.org. $80,000 Decades Class Gifts $80,000 Class of 2000 & Beyond $70,000 40s $70,000 $60,000 $60,000 $50,000 $50,000 05 08 $40.000 $40,000 $30.000 $20,000 $10,000 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s $30,000 $20,000 $10,000 07 06 0 The Spirit in Aggieland 0 00 01 02 03 04 09
Liturgical Ministries A Thriving Part of St. Mary s During the past year, St. Mary s has experienced unprecedented growth in the number of students participating in liturgical ministries. When these students graduate, they will bring this training and experience to their future parishes. Director of Music and Liturgy, Mike Macicek, reports that there are now approximately 100 students in seven choirs and music groups. He believes this growth is due to St. Mary s emphasis on celebrating the Mass in a way that honors the best of Catholic liturgical tradition and striking a balance between musical styles. Vocation Station Religious Vocations Continue to Flourish In addition to growth in music ministry, there are now approximately 300 students serving as lectors, acolytes, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, Mass coordinators and ushers. In fact, there are so many students involved in liturgical ministries that St. Mary s has developed an online system of assigning and communicating with these volunteers. Macicek notes that not only have the numbers grown, but the level of commitment has deepened as well, stating, The students understand that liturgical ministries are not just something they do if they have the time, but an opportunity to bring the riches of the faith to others. They see their participation as a way to serve God. The Spirit in Aggieland Sister Amata Filia (Laura Diershke 04) has progressed from postulancy to the novitiate of the Sisters of Life. She received her habit on June 5, 2008. Her new name means beloved daughter. Sister Amata Filia formerly served on the staff of the Coalition for Life. On the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, August 15, 2008, Marcus Fryer 00 pronounced his perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a Jesuit, concluding his twoyear novitiate at Grand Coteau, Louisiana. He is now at St. Louis University, where he continues his formation. On June 21, 2008, Sister Nicole Trahan 97 professed her first vows as a Marianist Sister. Sister Nicole was a campus minister at St. Mary s Catholic Center. Brother Michael Slovak 01 made his first promises as a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity (SOLT) on July 15, 2008. Prior to religious life, he was employed by St. Mary s as a computer network administrator.
New Faces, New Opportunities St. Mary s Continues Outreach (L-R): Larry Finch (Aggie); Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight; Danny Kendall (Aggie), Grand Knight; Ross Calloway (Aggie); and, Chris Frerich (Aggie). Photo courtesy of the Knights of Columbus Aggie Knights Recognized as Outstanding College Council Second Year in a Row. The Texas A&M University Knights of Columbus Council 10624 in College Station was recognized as the outstanding college council on September 20 at the annual College Council Conference in New Haven, Connecticut. This award honors college-based councils for the depth and dynamism of their programming, especially in areas of service. With a consistent service ethic throughout all their activities, the Aggie Knights sponsored or participated in 70 different service events for the Church, university and community. In addition, the Aggie Knights have an outstanding reputation for their focus on vocations, with 10 Aggie seminarians as council members. This is the second year in a row that the Aggies have received this award. More than 150 Knights representing approximately 55 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines participated in the conference. Sea Aggies Find Safe Harbor at St. Mary s. Hurricane Ike displaced 1,700 students from Texas A&M at Galveston, home of the Sea Aggies, students who study maritime or marinerelated subjects. In the true Aggie spirit, the university invited these students to College Station to continue their studies for the semester. The university also asked St. Mary s if the Student Center could be used for some of their classes. Of course, St. Mary s said a big Howdy! During the Fall Semester, the faculty of A&M at Galveston are teaching 11 classes here, and our guests have expressed their gratitude for being able keep their studies on track. Gig em Sea Aggies! Adam Koll is the new Director of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the ministry that helps students explore whether God is calling them to join the Catholic Church. Adam earned a B.A in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse and a Master s of Divinity from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Before coming to Texas, Adam served as a campus missionary to the University of Minnesota with a Catholic ministry called St. Paul s Outreach. Most recently he was the Director of Faith Formation at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station. His interests include evangelization and helping to build unity in the Body of Christ for God s glory. Business School Intern at St. Mary s Reaching all 12,500 Catholic students and letting them know about the events, programs and activities at St. Mary s is a challenge. Marketing majors in the Mays Business School want the practical experience of putting classroom knowledge into action. From these different perspectives, a beautiful collaboration has been born! Beginning last September, and scheduled to continue in subsequent semesters, a student intern from the business school will bring marketing knowledge and expertise to St. Mary s. The intern will work with the staff and student groups on marketing Catholic campus ministry, programs and activities. Senior Thomas Kasper 09 was chosen for the first three credit internship. He has been working with volunteer statistician, Bradley Wesner, to survey students, understand the findings and make recommendations on how to get the word out about St. Mary s. Kasper has also been advising many of the Catholic student organizations in marketing strategies for their groups. The Spirit in Aggieland
st. mary s in action ASAP s Stampede for Need Goes National Dark Thirty at St. Mary s Every First Friday. For Aggies, DarkThirty is a term that harkens back to Bonfire, which was not lit at a specific time, but was said to burn at dark thirty. St. Mary s Dark Thirty is a renewal of the traditional Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Fridays of the month. Artists have depicted this Sacred Heart as burning with love for us. For the past few years, a group of Aggie Catholic students organized a 5K fun run called Stampede for Need to raise money for the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Society provides direct assistance to the area s needy through help with rent, utilities, medication, food and clothing. This candle-lit liturgy includes eucharistic adoration, the chanting of vespers, and the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Dark Thirty musicians composed a modern and relevant adaptation of this traditional litany to reintroduce students to the devotion to the Sacred Heart. That s not the whole story, however. Although Stampede for Need was a local program organized by Aggies in College Station, its success got the attention of many outside of the community. The national Society of St. Vincent de Paul has adopted the Stampede for Need concept and created a much broader program called Friends of the Poor Walk. The First Annual National Friends of the Poor Walk was held on the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, September 27. This simple program begun by Aggies evolved into an event for almost 10,000 walkers in 112 locations across the United States, raising over $800,000 for the poor! Gig em ASAP! Voter Education, Registration a Priority for Catholic Aggies Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, Aggies Serving Another Person (ASAP) and St. Mary s Aggies Promoting Life (SMAPL) worked together to organize a Voters Coffee House the evening of Sunday, October 12. Marie Seale, the Austin Diocese Director of Pro-Life and Chaste Living, presented information about the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. In addition, the Aggies staffed information tables informing people about voter registration and absentee ballots. The Spirit in Aggieland graciously hear us.
Aggies Welcome Apostles of the Interior Life to Campus God is blessing us by sending more workers to his fruitful vineyard at A&M, said Father David Konderla, Director of Campus Ministry, regarding the August arrival of four Apostles of the Interior Life Sisters to Aggieland. The Apostles of the Interior Life, (Apostole della Vita Interiore, or AVI) as the name suggests, strive to help students listen for God s voice in their lives and conform themselves to his will. They do this through one-on-one spiritual direction, direct evangelization and speaking to the students during the organized programs and activities of St. Mary s. Most students begin spiritual direction not knowing exactly what it is, but they are enthused by the name and perceive it to be a great tool for spiritual growth. We meet individually with students for one hour every other week, listening to their concerns, desires and plans for the future. We offer input on how to keep the Lord at the center of their lives, explained Sister Raffaella Cavallin. This ministry to the Aggies is so popular that by mid-october all of their available time slots for spiritual direction had been filled. Presently, 80 students are under the spiritual direction of the sisters, who are seeing results. Through this direction, God is already bringing students back to the practice of their faith after many years of being away. Profile in Faith angela albrecht 09 civil engineering major I got involved at St. Mary s right away as a freshman, and I thank St. Mary s from the bottom of my heart for everything that the ministry has given me. The priests, the staff and the faith community have all impacted my life tremendously. When I started college, I was excited about my faith, but I thought I had things all figured out. I didn t know there was more to being Catholic than my surface understanding. My involvement at St. Mary s has helped me mature into a deeper love of God and appreciation for my faith. The activities here are wonderful springboards for holiness. I especially treasure the encounters with Christ in the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. The witness of the staff and my peers have helped to cultivate a desire to spend the rest of my life growing on a journey toward holiness. I am also very grateful to all the benefactors of St. Mary s, for it is through their generosity that this ministry has been able to flourish and reach countless students. My faith gives direction to the discernment of my future. I m not sure what I will do when I graduate, but Christ has opened my heart through prayer. I seek to follow him completely, according to his will, whether it is through the vocation of marriage or in devoting my whole self to him in religious life. I pray that I may respond wholeheartedly, Thy will be done, whatever life brings. The witness of the staff and my peers have helped to cultivate a desire to spend the rest of my life growing on a journey toward holiness. The Spirit in Aggieland