Just one more Marian post for October

Saw this on Aggie Catholics a while ago and really liked it.

Not yet a regular blog writer… The life of a Campus Minister :)

Oops, it’s been a while since I posted anything to this blog.  And it is not like nothing is going on  - rather, too much is going on and I just haven’t found a regular habit of posting yet.

So what has been going on since the last post?  Well, there was Pumpkinfest.  Our World Youth Day Group sold 325 Dozen KrispyKremes out of the local Knight’s of Columbus tent. We have a group of 21 going from our two parishes, including a couple of college kids.

I visited the local jail for a bible study.  We have a great group of people who go out to the jail on a regular basis, doing a variety of crafts, bible studies, etc.  I am always struck by how not-so-very-different the jail population is from the college kids.  They are mostly the same age group, have similar interests and issues, similar questions.   For many of the young women in jail, if it hadn’t been for drugs, they could very well be in college now.

We are also running another session of Welcoming Catholics Home in our parish – a wonderful way of inviting people who have left the Church for whatever reason back to the faith.   It is a great opportunity to listen to people share their faith journey and to walk alongside of them for a while.

Then of course there are the myriads of day-to-day tasks: advertising programs, meeting with students, answering emails, studying and going to meetings…

I will try to do better to add content to the blog. It is still a work in progress, as are we all.

Rosaries on Parade…

The Crescat posted a wonderful idea which fits right in with our October focus on the Rosary.  Quoting her blog:

All you have to do is comment on someone’s rosary, remarking about it’s beauty or uniqueness. What usually follows is a brief story of how and where they acquired it. Some used to belong to a special person, some were purchased on a pilgrimage, while others may have been blessed by a priest who is a good friend.

So, to celebrate the beauty of the rosary I would like to see yours. I want to know it’s story and I would be honored if you allowed me to share it here. Or post a picture and summary on your own blog and invite others to do the same. Who knows, maybe someone who hasn’t called their Mother in decades will be inspired. I truly believe in the power of the Rosary.

So here is mine:

I made this rosary about 20 years ago, while recuperating from a really nasty stomach flu.   I was out of commission for a good three weeks and for some reason I still don’t fully understand, I wanted to pray a rosary and I didn’t own one.  At the time I lived in Atlanta and there was only one Catholic Books & Religious Articles store and it was not accessible by public transportation.  So, I pulled out some cherry wood pieces that I used for architectural models, found some beads at a neighborhood craft store and made my own.  It has been restrung many times,  from the original leather shoe lace material, to a heavy chord to the current chord which I also use to make knotted chord rosaries. I call this rosary my miraculous rosary for the simple fact that I have not yet managed to lose it.

Do you have a favorite rosary, or a rosary with a history … feel free to add your story in the comment box.

A Confession and a Resolution

One of the frustrations in campus ministry, as in many ministries, is the frustration of scheduling.  Students are so incredibly busy these days and the possibility of finding a time slot for an event or program so that many students can attend is almost impossible.

Together with student leaders I plan various possible events and programs – a bible study, a rosary or an outing to go bowling or a road-trip to a concert or conference-  many will say they may come, but when the day arrives,  maybe only one shows up.   Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the one, but …

So then I start to wonder: did we schedule it at the wrong time, should we try a different time? Should I give up on this or that program and maybe we should just do dinners and bowling and nights of playing guitar hero and movie nights? Should we give up on trying to do prayer and catechesis and attending conferences? But then I look at my own commitments.  What happened to all the resolutions I made over the summer to follow through on ideas and to risk a little more?  When was the last time that I really prayed for my students other than in a generic way?  Do I really know any of their prayer intentions? When is the last time I made any real sacrifice for their needs?  I so I stand convicted: I have been slack in following through.

So here is a new resolution: I will start with a prayer commitment.  Every day I will pray a rosary for my students and for the entire Keene State College Community.  I invite everyone to join me.   I will post on my facebook status and the twitter feed at least 15 minutes before I start.  If it is a nice day, I will most likely go pray it while walking on campus, maybe at the brickyard pond or on the trail to the athletic fields. If you are available, you can come and join me.  I will post when and where I am going to start so we can meet up.  If you can’t join me, but have a specific prayer intention for which you would like me to pray, drop me an email, or facebook or tweet me.  The addresses are on the top right hand column of this blog.  If you are not on facebook or twitter, but would like to be informed of when and where I will be praying the rosary, email me with an email address and I will email you or a cell phone number and I will text you.

And just to give you a little something to whet your appetite for prayer:

 

 

October Student Mass and Supper

Once a month there is a Student Mass at St. Bernard Church for both the College Students from KSC as well as the Confirmation classes  of our parish.  One of the joys at this Mass is singing with the music group.  Any student is welcome to join the group.  For more info, join the St Bernard Student Mass Music Group on Facebook.  You will get info about practices and other get-togethers.  We are also looking into the possibility of bringing the joy of song to other venues, like our county jail.

After the Student Mass, the Newman Students get together for supper.  This month,
supper was provided by Sisters of Mercy who work in our parish school and our local Catholic Charities office.  It is an opportunity for our students to relax and simple enjoy a homecooked meal and good fellowship (and a little silliness as well).

October: Month dedicated to the Rosary

Once again October has managed to sneak up on me.  I really had planned to be prepared for the month dedicated to the rosary with all sorts of programming related to the rosary.   Not all is lost however.  The Newman Center is planning to have at least one Sunday Newman Student Org. Meeting dedicated to the rosary.  October 10 we will get together and learn to make chord or bead rosaries and how to pray the rosary.  We are also planning on praying the rosary on campus.  We have to find a space, but even if we only pray one rosary per week together, we can get though all the mysteries (joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious).  More about the mysteries later.

It would also be appropriate to watch The 13th Day: the True Story of Fatima (perhaps on October 13th?).  Check out the trailer.

All month long we will be posting on topics related to the Rosary and our Blessed Mother on this blog.  Check back often.