Spring 2021 Newsletter

FORMING SERVANT LEADERS

SPRING / SUMMER 2021 NEWSLETTER

FATHER WADE The presence of God’s grace through adversity is a defining trait of Christianity. The mystery of the Cross and Resurrection form the heart of our Easter faith, and our campus ministry has lived this mystery throughout this year.

In early February, I sat down with Daniel

Despite this setback, the ongoing resilience

Porting, one of our campus ministers, for a

of our staff and students testified to the

meeting. Reminiscing about the adventures of the

goodness of God through adversity. The work

past year (a leadership transition, Covid-19, and

of the ministry continued unbroken even

other unusual events), we laughingly said to each

through the month-long absence of a usable

other, “What else could possibly happen? We’ve

first floor. Students found ways to gather and

seen it all!”

proclaim the Gospel on our patio and on our

About a week later, a historic ice storm—one

building’s third floor. By the end of March, we

staff member called it “Freezemageddon”—swept

had a new floor, and the change in flooring

across Texas, cutting power to millions, shutting

material brought light and new beauty to the

down the university for days, and freezing and

entire room. It also has given us a good

bursting water pipes throughout the state. The

foundation for needed upgrades to the interior

Catholic Center had a pipe break of its own, filling

design of the first-floor gathering space.

much of our first floor with a half-inch of standing water. Lesson learned: never joke that you’ve seen it all!

PG 01

The presence of God’s grace through adversity is a defining trait of Christianity. The mystery of the Cross and Resurrection form the heart of our Easter faith, and our campus ministry has lived this mystery throughout this year. Our principal arm of student leadership, the Servant Leadership Council, has effectively represented the Catholic faith through their initiatives to women in our women’s book study, to men through our men’s group, to the larger student body in our community activities, and to their individual ongoing formation in the

intellectual,

spiritual,

personal,

and

pastoral

initiatives of the Catholic Church.

Our mission as a campus ministry is to help college students at SMU encounter the life-giving mystery of Christ and His Church. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to carry out this mission through pandemics,

elections,

cultural

challenges,

“Freezemageddons,” and whatever else comes our way. I now know that we haven’t seen it all, but I am confident that whatever happens to us will be navigated as a community of faith united in Christ and His Church, held together by the Holy Spirit, as we journey to the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.

May God bless all of you!

Fr. Wade Bass Director & Chaplain

As the committee chair for Women’s Outreach this year, I was able to experience a leadership role in a new and challenging time in all of our lives. This semester, due to Covid, we focused on smaller social events in which we could participate with proper social distancing and/or be outdoors. We had a weekly book club and read My Sisters the Saints the which gave us insight into how to lead saintly lives in the everyday. We truly learned that even sinners are called to be saints!

Another event of the semester was a photo scavenger hunt which was a resounding success both from a community and outreach standpoint (with 30% of participants being new to the Catholic Center). The scavenger hunt brought people together for fun and fellowship with trivia questions focused on our experience at SMU, the Catholic Center, and our spiritual education. Who said learning can't be fun?

PG 03

As Father Wade discussed in his letter, it has been a trying semester, and while that has been the case, we continue to see the Lord perform great works for us. As you may know, we

changed

our

"Sunday

Supper"

into

"Sunday Social" due to Covid restrictions. We have continued to see students stop after 5PM Mass and join us in fellowship. Then, they use their gift cards to have a meal together. After daylight savings time went into effect, we gained even more time after Mass with one another. Our students dearly look forward to the days when we can have Sunday Supper at the Catholic Center. We will once again need your support to make this happen; In the past families and friends of the ministry stepped up and provided the weekly meal for students after the 5PM Mass.

If you would like to be a

sponsor for

Sunday Supper in the fall, please reach out to Beverly Mendoza, Director of Development, at beverlym@smu.edu.

Carlos Valbuena '22, one of our graduating seniors, led a Men’s Group called "The Art of Masculine Virtue". I was lucky enough to be invited to give a talk one evening. I spoke to the guys about the lives of St. Ignatius of Loyola

and

St.

Francis

Xavier

and

drew

connections on their friendship and how we can imitate them in their virtuous friendship.

For our Women's

Outreach, it was great to

see how reading My Sisters The Saints started.

It sparked a conversation about deeper prayer lives

while

also

creating

new

friendships

among women who didn’t know each other very well beforehand. I’m proud to be a part of the Ministry team and am looking forward to the upcoming fall semester and the ways that we hope to get back to normal! Keep praying leaders!

for

us

as

we

help

form

servant

LENTEN RETREAT Jesus' last words on earth are a powerful directive: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19). No matter our upbringing, skill set, or personality, we are all called to make disciples. But to do that, we must fully enter into being disciples ourselves.

The "Way of the Disciple" retreat was a weekend meditation exploring the heart

The Lenten Retreat allowed me to reinvigorate

of what it means to live as a disciple and

my relationship with Christ through prayer and

how to invite others along with you on

fellowship. The retreat also allowed me to spiritually

that journey. We walked through four

grow alongside my friends. My spiritual life has

main

changed for the better after being able to encounter

themes:

desire,

conversion, and mission.

discipleship,

God during Adoration and Reconciliation. The part of the retreat that I enjoyed the most was learning and growing in Christ alongside my closest friends!

- Kyle Easley '24

The retreat was made fun with Covid safety protocols: social distancing with masks within the Catholic Center, outdoor small groups, and on-your-own meals. This year has convinced us that Jesus works through simplicity! The retreat was impactful for students to lay down a solid foundation for a life of discipleship, develop habits

of

daily

prayer,

and

receive

practicals for evangelization in their lives.

PG 05

daily

My involvement at the

We always look forward to

Catholic Center has deepened

gathering as a community each

my relationship with Christ. By

year. This year, of course, social

taking

daily

distancing challenged our ability

Adoration opportunities at the

to fellowship. As Catholics, we

Catholic Center this school year,

uphold

I’ve been able to stay centered

common good. Thus, we carried

on Christ through the day, build

the responsibility to keep our

a deeper prayer life, and gain a

campus safe while also pursuing

greater

appreciation

God’s call to live in community.

beauty

and

peace

prayer.

One

of

advantage

of

for of

silent

This

year,

principle

I

served

of

in

the

Men’s

favorite

Outreach to engage with new

things from this semester was

students looking to get involved

Jericho Jegric,

of

in our men’s ministry. Now more

Eucharistic

than ever, we understand the

a

my

the

the

monthly

worship

and

night

Adoration.

desire for community and how the Church needs more from its

Since coming to college, I have

become

much

more

involved in my relationship with God. Being a cradle Catholic, I grew up only really knowing the basics

of

the

Catholic

While

in

college

faith.

though,

I

realized how much beauty is in the Catholic Church. From the sacraments to the community, I have Christ

grown than

much I

closer

could

to

have

imagined. My favorite part of this semester was fostering my relationships with everyone at "The years.

C",

especially

the

first

men.

Our

men’s

ministry

launched "The Art of Masculine Virtue" to invite brothers to grow in virtue and brotherhood.

At these meetings, we had 15

guys

discussed

in

attendance.

topics

like

We

sonship,

masculine friendships, and even asking a girl on a date. Despite Covid restrictions, we found ways to meet outdoors to build better men in the image and likeness of God.

These

unique

challenges

allowed us to equip our men with the tools to live their faith and lead others to do the same.

IMPACT I came into college fully prepared to continue my relationship with Christ, but I never knew how much more I would grow in that relationship. The ministry has given me a community of virtue and love and has formed me into the best person I can be. They encouraged me to learn so much about theology and how to spread the love of God to the SMU campus and beyond. I hope to apply these graces I received in my previous positions as community outreach chair and community service chair after graduation for the greater good.

This ministry has blessed me with so many friends that truly want to know me and push me to be my very best. I wouldn’t have half the faith I have now if I didn’t have the opportunities this ministry provided and the people who truly invested in me. I will take everything I have learned here and help everyone else I encounter in my life to grow and have a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. I will be graduating with an MS in Operations Research and will be a Jr Business Analyst with Standard Motor Products after graduation.

The Catholic ministry has helped me reform my faith and form bonds that I know will last a lifetime. When I was brought into a new and unfamiliar place, the ministry became my home at SMU. I found myself surrounded by genuine people who thirsted for righteousness, and they helped me become the follower of Christ I always aspired to be. As I go forward, I will keep these bonds and strive to build communities like this elsewhere. In the next few years, I will complete my Master’s degree at SMU and then be heading east for law school. I hope to become a patent lawyer.

This May I'll graduate with two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights. Post-graduation I'll be a FOCUS missionary! The Catholic Campus Ministry has impacted my college life in many ways. "The C" is my home away from home, and it has provided me with easy access to the sacraments, friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime.

All the students, staff, and outreach will be in my prayers for the years to come!

Finishing my senior year during the pandemic has been frustrating, but it's been a blessing to see how the Catholic Campus Ministry has continued to work towards keeping traditions alive. My favorite memories are going to the 5PM Mass with friends and then having Sunday Supper afterward. Since the pandemic, there have been a few changes, but the ministry is doing everything to foster a safe environment while keeping traditions alive!

PG 07

Since September 2020, I have spent many Sundays walking with five SMU students through God’s saving plan for humanity through Christ and His Church.

These sessions, known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), prepared these students for Baptism, reception into full communion with the Church, Confirmation, and Holy Communion. Though the sessions began in September, and though they received the sacraments at the Easter Vigil, their journey with Christ in the Catholic Church will continue for the rest of their lives!

Students, please contact me at wbass@smu.edu if you are interested in receiving the sacraments next year!

My initial conversion to the Catholic Church was an intellectual one, and while I knew in my mind that I needed to be Catholic, I didn’t know in my heart what it meant to be Catholic. The ministry showed me that first and foremost, what it means to be Catholic is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship was cultivated through Bible Studies, daily Mass, RCIA, Adoration and so much more. While I am still working on this relationship every day, without the ministry here at SMU, I would have never known where to begin.

- Ryan Madlener '22, RCIA Candidate

I grew up Catholic but decided to go deeper into the faith in college. Creating relationships with others at "The C" and witnessing what the love of faith has done to others, helped my faith grow immensely. Prior to coming to college, I did not see how important the relationship aspect of faith is.

- Melissa Bradford '21, RCIA Candidate

AT SMU Fr. Wade Bass

Danna Knight

Buddy Anslinger

Chaplain and Director

Team Director

Win Bell

wbass@smu.edu

danna.knight@focus.org

Patrick Carew, Chair Karen Carney '82

Beverly Mendoza

Russell Pier

Director of Development

FOCUS Missionary

beverlym@smu.edu

russell.pier@focus.org

Dave Crawford, Jr. Franklin Diaz '13 Joy Godvin Susan Godvin Garrett Hanrahan '93

Christina Roncal Associate Director for Ministry cbax@smu.edu

Nolan Hill

Janet Horton

FOCUS Missionary

April Jordan

nolan.hill@focus.org

Sissi Jorge '03 Wyatt Maxwell

Daniel Porting

Madison Lucas

Campus Minister

FOCUS Missionary

dporting@smu.edu

madison.lucas@focus.org

swynne@smu.edu

Olivia Arratia '22 Director of Communications catholiccommunications@smu.edu

Tammy Grady Spiritual Direction tgrady@cathdal.org

Ricardo Mier '14 Mark Miller '97 Susan Piot '91 Mary Smith

Susan Wynne Office Manager

Mary Blake Meadows '74

Alec Stewart Ken Swinson

Smokey Swenson '71

9AM Mass

Carolyn Thompson '85

Dave & Lauren Moore

Brian Tusa

5PM Mass

Gonzalo Venegas

Leanne Dang '22

Kristen Whisenant '99

Anna Musich '22

Mike Willick

& Patrick O'Brien '22

Honorary Advisors:

5PM Mass

Kathy and Tony Herring

Emmeline Miles '16, '21

Brenda and Joe McHugh

8PM Mass

Judy and Tommy Neuhoff

The ministry provides a welcoming environment for fellowship; sacraments; intellectual stimulation; moral and ethical discovery; community service and social justice opportunities; spiritual enrichment; and leadership development. We strive to develop lifelong, active believers who have the roots of faith needed to know, love, serve and proclaim the name of Jesus through the Catholic Church.

PG 09

WHY SUPPORT CATHOLIC MINISTRY @ SMU? We are a long-standing Catholic faith community at SMU that serves students, faculty, staff, alumni, and their families, as well as extended community members.

The Catholic Church has a rich, ethical, intellectual,

and

spiritual

life

that

complements well with SMU's mission of "Shaping World Changers".

The Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU has a strong presence on campus with a building,

staff,

full-time

priest,

and

extensive programming. Our ministry is 100% self-funded, so our team and the students truly rely on the generosity of donors to keep the Wi-Fi connected, the coffee flowing, and the priest and staff available to support the students.

Questions? Contact Beverly Mendoza, Director of Development, at 214-987-0044 or beverlym@smu.edu.

Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU hosted its first virtual giving day on March 25, 2021!

We

had

students,

more

than

families,

50

donations

community

from

members

alumni, and staff and raised over $5,000!

Please consider a gift to help us continue serving our community of ponies who need to know God loves them and has a purpose for their lives.

SMUCATHOLIC.ORG | 214-987-0044 3057 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD DALLAS, TX 75205-1944