Dear St. Paul community,
In February, I had the privilege of baptizing the first child of our long-time FOCUS team director and IU alumnus, Gabe McHaffie. When Gabe left IU in 2022, we reached what we thought was an almost unreachable height of 250 students attending Bible studies. In 2012, St. Paul’s had a weekly gathering where about a dozen students showed up. To have 250 students in Bible studies ten years later was nigh miraculous. Imagine our collective glee when I told Gabe, “We are about to eclipse 400 students in Bible studies!” Something special is happening at St. Paul’s and on the campus of Indiana University. The Holy Spirit is setting the campus and parish ablaze with the light of faith and the fire of love.
In addition to Bible studies, we welcomed more than 24 students into the fullness of the Catholic faith this year, more than 200 students attend weekly Sunday Suppers, Mass attendance is up nearly 25%, and, to top it all off, more than 3,000 people attended Mass on Ash Wednesday.
Wonderful as all of these numbers are, we are committed to building meaningful relationships with everyone. As we have grown, we are able to reach students whom we would have never reached before.
A great example is of this is Jules.
Jules came to IU to get the most out of her college experience and to enjoy what a school and social scene like IU has to offer. Faith did not feature highly on her priorities. Over time, though, Jules began to feel an emptiness and confusion in her life. She couldn’t figure out what it was.
Many mornings during this time as Jules looked out of her dorm window, she saw Fr. Reginald going for his morning Rosary walk. God planted a seed in her heart that eventually bloomed when a friend invited Jules to a Sunday Supper.
Over time, Jules got more involved in our community. Sunday Mass and regular Confession became the norm. She began to pray more, even taking up a time for Eucharistic Adoration and daily Mass.
And here is the best part: Jules is but one of a growing number of students who are coming to Christ and bringing Christ’s love to campus (and beyond) because of St. Paul’s ministry.
Thank you for all of the ways you help to make this mission and ministry successful. Please continue to pray for our ministry and our team here at St. Paul’s. You are all in our daily prayers.
In St. Paul,
Fr. Patrick Hyde, O.P., VF | Pastor
Athlete Outreach
Sharing counter-cultural message of hope, love with athletes
As a culture, we love our athletes. We love to follow them, to cheer for them, and to watch them succeed, especially when they are on our teams. We also love to tear them down when they are performing poorly, talk to others about how they have let us down, are overrated, and maybe even go on social media to share these thoughts with the world. We have TV networks dedicated to analyzing their performance 24/7. In the world of athletics, it can be easy to deliver the message or believe the message that says, “Your worth is based on your performance.”
With this being what is consistently pushed, could there be a more perfect place to share the message of the Gospel? The message that our worth is not dependent on what we do but on who we are as beloved sons and daughters of the Father. That our worth does not change whether you succeed or fail is a transformative message, especially if it can be actually internalized.
message is one that brings freedom, helps us let go of anxiety, and roots
us in the truth that no matter the outcome or what is being said on social media, our worth does not change. We are still worth dying for.
In the last couple of years, doors began to open in the athletic department and athletes from different teams started coming to St. Paul’s to live out their faith or in search of more. Slowly, over these last few years, we have begun to build a ministry to our athletes with small group Bible studies and a few large group events to bring them together. We are able to continue to share the message of the Gospel, the message that you are worth dying for no matter how you perform. It has been really beautiful to see how the Lord has led us into this ministry. He is beginning to open doors in the department, on different teams, and is seeking the hearts of His children. We have been fortunate to walk alongside and to accompany many of our athletes as they, like all of our other students, strive to live holy virtue and holiness, let go of anxiety, and really believe the message that they are worth dying for, even if they don’t perform as well as they wanted. We have many different ideas for how to continue to grow this ministry and are just excited to see where the Lord leads and continues to bring about fruit.
Fr. Ben Keller, O.P.
On Mission in the World Students spend spring break on mission in the Cayman Islands
When we stepped foot onto the tarmac at the airport in Georgetown, Cayman Islands for FOCUS’ first mission trip to the island, we had a feeling this week would be full of surprises. The Cayman Islands are strikingly similar to the United States: the Sunday Masses were crowded, dozens of students were enrolled in Sunday School classes, and everyone greeted us with immense generosity and hospitality. On a typical FOCUS mission trip, we would spend our time encountering poverty, bringing truth and charity to more remote communities and detaching from the privileges that we take for granted in our day to day lives. On this trip, meeting deeper spiritual and emotional needs at St. Igantius Parish and School, our mission looked a little bit more like what we’d call ‘real-life’ mission. We spent our mornings visiting classrooms and sharing our stories, and our evenings going out to eat
with our host families. We also hosted parish events such as a Discipleship Workshop, a night of worship and Eucharistic Adoration, and even their weekly Lenten fish fry!
Very few things on this trip went as planned, so we had a beautiful opportunity to surrender our plans to the Lord over and over! This mission trip led each of our participants to say an even bigger ‘yes’ to the Lord in a way upon their return home, whether that was getting involved in the St. Paul’s community, or renewing their commitment to prayer, or even being inspired to go out on mission to those who don’t frequent our Catholic center.
Most of our students on this trip are involved in Greek life, which is often associated with the ‘party culture.’ Removing these students from the fast pace and conflicting voices they hear in their sororities and fraternities allowed them to taste, for a short time, the joy of life with Christ
and life on mission. Sitting before the Blessed Sacrament each day, they were inevitably challenged to reflect on what God has done in their lives up to this point. This meditation inadvertently posed the big question of mission trips: “How will my life look different after this week?”
Our time in Georgetown proved how mission itself is a two-sided coin: discovering our own journey to the Lord and our relationship with Him, and being naturally invited to bring others into that ever-deepening love story! By God’s grace, we have 11 students who are now on fire to reach their friends in Greek life for the Gospel, fueled by the hope and delight they experienced in the Cayman Islands. All of this can be encompassed in this simple phrase: “We go on mission to transform the hearts of others and in turn, our own hearts are transformed.”
Sophie Zell FOCUS Missionary
Vocations ministry gives students space to discern
Providing a space for students to discern God’s call in their lives is a vital part of campus ministry. College is a time of big questions and bold decisions—and when students are given the space and encouragement, many begin to invite God into their plans for the future.
Over the past school year, twelve young men and twelve young women have said “yes” to joining intentional discernment groups focused on exploring the priesthood, religious life, and God’s unique call for each of them. That’s 24 students on this campus who are actively striving to be open to God’s will and
learning how to hear His voice.
At St. Paul’s, we are honored to walk alongside them. Our ministry offers practical resources for discernment and hosts visits from diocesan priests and religious communities—giving students the chance to witness the beauty of lives lived in joyful response to a Vocation.
Thank you for making this life-changing work possible. Your support helps foster vocations among IU students, makes it possible for thousands to encounter God in worship, and helps build a faith-filled community that supports and uplifts one another.
TWO YEARS LATER: Pastoral
The growing trend of mental health challenges among college students—and their increasing willingness to seek help—has been evident for many years. In response to this pressing need, St. Paul’s launched the Pastoral Counseling Program in March 2023 under the direction of Dr. Nina Castronova (pictured, right). Our students often turn to the pastoral team for support with issues like loneliness, anxiety, and depression. With the appointment of a Director of Pastoral Counseling, St. Paul’s has made it easier for students to access a licensed mental health professional who brings both clinical expertise and a CatholicChristian viewpoint.
Counseling Program
Over the past two years, demand has grown. This academic year, the program has expanded to meet rising demand—most notably through the introduction of support groups and a new internship program.
Support groups are among the most effective tools for healing and personal growth. They offer students a safe space to share their stories, learn from others,
and build community. The weekly women’s and men’s groups are already fostering deep connection and meaningful progress.
The launch of our Internship Program has been another exciting milestone. This year, we welcomed a graduate intern from IU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. He has provided individual counseling and co-facilitated groups. In turn, our program offers him the opportunity to develop professionally within a community shaped by Catholic values. It’s been a mutually enriching partnership—and a promising step toward forming the next generation of Catholic counselors.
Outreach after Ash Wednesday Mass
Unlocking the Call
Helping students understand, live out their baptismal call on campus
How can we reach the whole campus? This is the question the FOCUS team at St. Paul’s is constantly asking. The method Jesus gave us of investing in a few people around them, and then teaching them to do the same is simple, but not easy. The team spends a lot of effort trying to meet new people on campus, and engage those who aren’t deeply involved in our faith community, but we spend even more time trying to teach our student leaders how to engage their friends who are far from the Church. This is the secret that makes Jesus’ method of reaching the whole world tick: that it is not just few religious elites reaching the masses. It is the Baptismal call of every Christian, and unlocking this call in our students is the key to reaching more souls for Christ.
This is not just a nice theory. It works! We ended last school year with about 345 students involved in a Bible study. This year, we surpassed that number back in November, and are already at about 400 students in Bible study and still growing! The vast majority of those students are involved in one of our 35+ student led Bible studies (up from about 25 student led studies last year). The reason for this growth is that we are beginning to see generational growth in our student leaders. This means that not only are more students leading Bible studies, but they
are learning how to lead Bible study from other students, not missionaries. For example, I mentor only 3 men directly. But each of those 3 men mentor 3 men of their own that they’ve also taught to lead Bible studies. And beneath those 9 men, there are 17 more men being mentored in the third generation! It’s students on fire for evangelization driving our growth, not just missionaries. Additionally, we have expanded our ability to reach students in Greek life and athletic teams thanks to the addition of a third Greek missionary and a chaplain who is a former FOCUS missionary and baseball player. We have Bible studies for the men’s wrestling team, men’s baseball team, men’s swimming team, and a mixed sport study for women. We have three missionary led Greek studies, our two first ever student led Greek studies, and a few more Greek students we hope will start studies in their houses this Lent!
Our Lord is pouring out incredible graces in the lives of our students. It is our privilege as missionaries to witness their transformation and stoke the flame in their hearts. We are so grateful for all your support and pray that you will continue to join us in our effort to reach every soul on campus!
Daniel Sahyouni FOCUS Team Leader
Planned Giving Opportunities
Cash gifts certainly help St. Paul’s meet funding needs, but there are other opportunities to increase your giving and impact the spiritual lives of our students and parishioners through Planned Giving. These gift vehicles can have tax advantages for donors.
Appreciated Stock
A gift of stock held more than one year is a taxwise way to help our ministry. With a stock gift you pay no capital gains tax on the stock’s appreciated value. If you itemize your tax return, the gift qualifies for a deduction equal to the stock’s current value, even though no tax has been paid on the appreciation.
Qualified Charitable Distribution from Your IRA
If aged 70 ½ or older, a gift of your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your retirement account through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is an option. A QCD allows you to direct your RMD tax-free to St. Paul’s, whether you itemize or not. Your retirement plan custodian directly sends all or a portion of your RMD to St. Paul’s. You can’t transfer the RMD to you, and then forward it to the parish; it must be sent directly to us from the plan custodian.
A QCD is not counted towards a donor’s gross taxable income. For some, it could lower their Social Security benefits tax, and/or Medicare premium rate (discuss this with your tax advisor).
A Gift in Your Will
A will is a road map for distributing your assets in a thoughtful and charitable way. You can:
• Make a gift of a specific asset or amount of money (cash, stock, property, etc.),
• Leave a percentage of your estate, and/or
• Provide a residual gift from your estate.
Planned Giving helps support the mission and vision of St. Paul’s. To discuss these in detail, contact Tom Recker, Director of Mission Advancement at 812.668.2249, or trecker@hoosiercatholic.org.
WHY WE GIVE
Jim & Lisa Riggins
When we moved to Bloomington in the winter of 1986, St. Paul Catholic Center’s energy and liveliness drew us in. We had never been to a Catholic church like St. Paul’s.
For nearly four decades this church community has blessed us in many ways. We have watched the beautiful sacraments bestowed on our family - baptism, reconciliation, healing, confirmation and even, yes, a funeral mass for our daughter. We cannot even put into words the support we have felt over the years from this loving community.
We often hear about the idea of giving our time, talent and treasure. At St. Paul’s, it is not an idea, it is a way of life. We have had so many priests, resident parishioners and college students show us that when we give of our time, talent and treasure, we are living out our mission.
Because of those spiritual mentors over the years, modeling how to give of themselves, our faith life has been enriched and deepened. We have realized that, through giving, we have the opportunity to thankfully respond to our Heavenly Father who abundantly pours out gifts to all of us. In other words, giving of our time, talent and treasure is our chance to write a thank you note back to God.
That’s why we give!
SCAN ME
Will you support the mission of St. Paul’s with a gift today?
LENTEN OUTREACH St. Paul students spend time on campus talking with their peers about Lent.