cabrinicollege,radnor,pa~19087
friday,dee. 7,·1984
vol. xxxi, no. 12
Religionon campus:
Studentsvoice disappointment by B.J. Petracci A majority of Cabrini students are dissatisfied with campus masses. The major problem lies with the 6 p.m. Sunday mass. The mass is being well attended, but many feel the mass is lacking. In a survey of 250 Catholics on campus, 68 percent said they feel something is missing from Cabrini masses . According to a few students who attend the 10:30 a.m. mass regularly and who have also attended the 6 p.m. mass, there is a warmer feeling in the 10:30 a.m. mass. However,the majority of the students who do attend campus mass do go to the 6 p.m. mass. Claire Swann, sophomore, a regular attender ofl0 :30 a.m . mass, said, "On any average Sunday, there are around 15 to 20 Cabrini students who attend." Rev. Mark Falcone, O.Praem, campus chaplain and celebrant of both masses, also believes that there is a problem with the 6 p.m. mass. Most of the students, when they attend mass , sit in the back of the church. Falcone said , "I have addressed the problem a number of times. I have asked the students to sit up closer to the altar, but I can not make the students sit where they do not want to sit . One time Sr. Bernadette and I even carried the altar down into the aisle . I thought if the students don't want to come to me, I'll go to them ."
Falcone attributes the problem in the 6 p.m. mass to many things . According to Falcone, people between the ages of roughly 18 to 24 go through a time of change, leading to growth and independence. During this time, there is in some students a time of rebellion against authority. Because of this fact , young adults sometimes rebel against their religion and religious upbringing consciously and sometimes unconsciously. Falcone believes that this could be part of the reason students are not extremely involved in the masses. However,this lack of participation in the mass does not seem to be a problem at other colleges. Beverly Reilly, resident manager of Woodcrest, a current graduate student at Villanova University, was quite surprised when she attended mass at Cabrini. Reilly said, •~t Villanova, students are involved in any way that they can be. The priests accept and want this. Students do .everything from planning the meditations to baking the bread for communion. " According to Reilly, Villanova students try to get as close to the altar as they can. She said , ''I would expect Cabrin i masses to be even closer, because the campus is much smaller . Everyone knows each other and this would help to generate a closeness during the mass."
growth at different speeds. He said, "Some people are shy, they may not want to become involved in the mass."
Lisa Nolan, sophomore, president of campus ministry association, feels that the problem with the 6 p.m. mass is that it is not an inviting mass. Nolan said, "I really see good people on this campus and isn't it a shame that this is not reflected in our masses?" A number of students are dissatisfied with the masses here. Of the 250 Catholics polled in an unscientifically designed survey, 70 percent feel there is a need for change and 12 percent are going to mass elsewhere. One junior male student said, 'Mter a tough week at school I don't like to go to church and come out feeling more negative then when I went in." ·Jean Boyle, senior, resident assistant of Woodcrest has had a few of the girls on her hall talk to her about campus masses. These students felt that the masses were directed towards the community rather than to the students. This upsets a lot of students, because they feel the community people have a choice of where they want to attend mass, those students who do not have a car do not have the same advantage . Boyle attends mass at Villanova and feels more a part of the mass there . She said, "Our mass here, should be an extention of the closeness of this campus , but it isn't." Falcone feels that maybe the closeness is missing because students are undergoing
In response to students feeling that mass is directed towards the community rather then to the students, Falcone said, "In my homily I must take into account the readings of the day and then try to relate it to everyone." "When students come out of mass with negative feelings, I wonder if that person has a lack of understanding of themselves. They might have a misconception of what mass is," Falcone said. . Many students do not like the fact that Falcone is in charge of music ministry. One student who is activily envolved in music ministry said, ''The biggest problem that the campus ministry association had last year was that of the music ministry. Many students are upset because anything they ever want to do must be cleared by Fr. Mark and he usually never approves what the students want." Falcone wonders if students know that everything that is done in mass must be approved by the archdiocese . He said , "If things go wrong I am the one who will hear it ." Falcone wants anyone who is interested in trying to improve the masses at Cabrini to come and talk to him.
Giving, the true gift of Christmas
· Seventeen girls from the Divine Providence Village, Springfield, Pa., attended a tradition that is more than 20 years old at Cabrini . On Dec. 4, they were able to enjoy a true Christmas celebration with a family, which included dinner, a picture taken with Santa Claus and a Christmas · play. The event, sponsored by CEC and PSEA through the "Adopt-a-littlesister" program , was held in the mansion. photo by Cara Graham)
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·Foundress reflects on Cabrini
Scheduling the second Superthon
The foundress of our college, Mother Ursula Infante, MSC, is living on Cabrini's campus. She tells of exciting stories of the early years of the college. For an article and picture see page 6. (photo by Mark Magner)
For more information and a schedule of events for the second annual Superthon to benefit Alzheimer's disease and Lupus, can be found on page 15. (photo by John Doyle)