Archdiocesan students encounter Christ through campus ministries
Spring is a time of transition on most college campuses. Students go on break, study for finals, prepare for graduation, and make summer plans. For the colleges and universities served by the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Campus Ministry, however, the season has also provided an opportunity to bring students closer to Jesus Christ.
Archdiocesan campus ministers currently serve students through Newman Catholic clubs at several area colleges, including Kean University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, Ramapo College, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the Newark campuses of Rutgers University/New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Through weekly Masses, Bible study, Eucharistic Adoration, service projects, talks, and other activities, ministers help students deal with the stresses of college life, foster deep friendships, and provide a place for young adults to find meaning and purpose through their faith.
Following the cross on campus
The clubs have been especially active during Lent and Easter this year. At Montclair State University, for instance, students gathered to pray the Stations of the Cross after their weekly Newman Nights. “Initially, we were a bit worried that many students would not be interested in sticking around,” said Sebastian Perez, a campus minister at MSU. “Week after week, however, our little chapel was filled. Once, when a presentation went overtime, students even ended up staying late that evening to pray the Stations together.”
On March 31, the students held a public Stations of the Cross procession. “A group of about 15 students, led by our chaplain, Fr. Jim, followed a large metal cross and stopped to meditate upon each station at various spots around the campus,” Perez said. “It was a beautiful witness to the faith.”
“As we continue to celebrate the Easter Season, the Office of Campus Ministry continues to witness the transformative power of the Risen Christ encountering the college students we’re blessed to serve,” said Fr. Jim Chern, director of campus ministry for the archdiocese.
Students enter the Church
Students participating in ministry events need not be Catholic. In fact, ministry activities often serve as a gateway to the faith, leading participants to eventually enter the Church or complete their initiation through the sacraments.
That includes six Ramapo College students who received the Sacraments of Initiation at a Mass on April 19, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Michael A. Saporito. The bishop was joined by Father Jarek Zaniewski, chaplain for Ramapo College, and Deacon Jeff Rutowski, who is on staff at the college. During the liturgy, held near the Ramapo campus at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mahwah, two students were fully initiated into the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion. Another student, who formerly belonged to a Christian non-denominational church, was confirmed and received the Eucharist for the first time, while three other students received the Sacrament of Confirmation. About 50 classmates, friends, and family members attended the joyful celebration.
Bishop Saporito also visited Montclair State University on April 12, Divine Mercy Sunday, to administer the Sacraments of Initiation to five students. One of them, Jennifer, was baptized after spending two years in the campus’s OCIA program, an event that Sebastian Perez said was “especially moving.”
“As the students’ catechist, I came to know them personally,” Perez. As he participated in the liturgy with the students’ families, “I couldn’t help but feel like another proud parent in the crowd,” he said.
“It was a great joy to have Bishop Saporito visiting our different campuses to baptize, confirm, and give First Communion to students who have become part of the Catholic Church through our mission,” Father Chern added.
An active spring
Students who enter the Church through campus ministries will have plenty of support as they continue their faith journeys.
In March, Kean University students were invited to attend a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, the regional bishop of Union County. After Mass, students were given the opportunity to speak with him individually and ask questions.
Other activities included a mission trip to Kentucky organized by the Newman Catholic Club at Stevens Institute of Technology, a bingo night with area residents being served by The Mercy House, a series of Thomistic Institute lectures at Kean University, and an opportunity to share “Pizza and Prayers” with monks at NJIT.
And in April, all the campus ministries gathered for their first-ever Intercollegiate Spring Formal. Around 70 attended the festive event for dancing, food, faith-sharing, and friendship.
“Young men and women on our campuses have multiple daily opportunities to encounter Jesus in fresh and life-changing ways,” Father Chern told Jersey Catholic. “Many of them have expressed how moments like these have helped them to navigate the pressures of academics, relationships, and the future with deeper hope and purpose.”
“The local fruit of our campus ministries is part of something much larger,” he added. “Across the country, and even globally, we are seeing a remarkable movement of young people — especially Gen Z — coming to the Catholic Church or returning to the faith with renewed fervor. Dioceses are reporting record numbers of people who entered the Church this Easter, which we saw in our own archdiocese.”
Visit the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Campus Ministries to learn more.
To view a photo gallery with more images of campus ministry activities, CLICK HERE.
Featured image: Students from Kean’s Catholic Newman Club joined students from other campus ministries for the first-ever Intercollegiate Spring Formal in April. (Photo courtesy of Kean Catholics)
