WHY WE GIVE

Chad & Leslie Wright, Parents

Our first stop in Bloomington when we brought Olivia to IU was St. Paul’s Catholic Center. We knew it was imperative for her to stay committed to the faith that has been a fixture in her upbringing. We were immediately welcomed by Fr. Patrick and his amazing staff. They extended invitations to Olivia to attend Mass and Sunday Supper and gave us a tour of the newly remodeled center.

Most new college students, including me at IU in the mid-90’s, wax and wane on the importance of our faith. Having an immediate and welcoming community on 17th Street was exactly the open door that I needed then, and that Olivia needed more recently. Starting in the second semester of her freshman year, we observed immense growth and dedication to the Catholic faith as a center piece of her college experience.

Mass times are customized to the obscure hours college kids keep. She attended a Hoosier Catholic retreat that showed her that there are healthy ways to experience IU. She began meeting with one of the FOCUS missionaries regularly. The personal interactions offered at St. Paul’s are imperative to college students staying connected to the Catholic faith.

Lesley and I have developed a deep love and respect for the mission of St. Paul’s to fight the battle for the young souls in college. This is truly where so many of our kids are lost to the secular world. Doing this work requires an immense amount of human capital. This can only be funded by personal capital. We met with the Mission Advancement team at St. Paul’s to offer our financial support. We encourage all of you, who share our concern for the souls of our college students, to offer your financial and prayer support to the mission of St. Paul’s.