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St. Agatha - St. James
Fall Outreach
Athletes Changing the Culture Mission After Graduation
A apostolic community fostering each person's call to live the Church's mission of transforming the world. fully alive
Dear Newman Friends & Supporters,
Many blessings to you all this fall! This is always such an exciting time as we welcome new and returning students, and have the joy of seeing our church and Newman Center fill up once again
We continue to encounter more and more students, and we’re blessed to have:
Over 700 coming to Mass each Sunday
Over 350 students active in weekly small groups
Over 35 young people in our OCIA program, with over 20 looking to become Catholic this Easter!
Thank you to all of you for helping to make this possible!
Young people desire to be fullyknownandloved. Here at Newman we believe that when young people discover the love of God, they can changetheworld.
Your prayers, support, and donations are helping more and more young people to discover the life-changing love of God
Our mission is to help students encounterGod, who can transform their lives as they growin a relationship with Him, so that they can serveothers and change the world
In this fall magazine we tell some of the stories of the many people whose lives are being transformed here at Newman
May God bless you all,
PATRICKTRAVERS,SCV
Newman Director
ptravers@saintsaj org
FR.REMIMORALES,SCV
Pastor & Newman Chaplain
rmorales@saintsaj org
debutingournewlook!
Throughout this issue, especially highlighted by the front and back cover, we are proud to debut our fresh new brand design! Over the last several months, we worked with a design consultant to transform our branding into an elegant and cohesive look that conveys our identity and character.
A Church That Goes Out: FALLOUTREACH
Fall Outreach
this year was an incredibly fruitful time for our ministry! Having a presence on Locust Walk with a vibrant community of missionaries and students is attractive Over 200 people actively engaged with our efforts, whether that was advertising our Chick-Fil-A night, making flower bouquets, entering our workout challenge, or taking First Day of School pictures with us These students then left their contact info with us in hopes of getting plugged into community, either through Sunday mass, Bible Study, or even OCIA. Praise the Lord!
TimBroderick,PennFOCUSTeamDirector
WhatisFallOutreach?
As students arrive on campus each Fall, our goal is to meet as many as possible! We host a wide range of events, from a freshmen retreat to a free Chick-Fil-A night FOCUS missionaries also get out on campus daily to spread the word about the Newman Community!
More Students Than Ever Seeking to Become Catholic!
OurOCIAgroup(OrderofChristianInitiation,formerlyRCIA)isup andrunningfortheschoolyear!Weareblessedthat37young peoplehavejoinedtheprogram,with25ofthemseekingto becomeCatholic!
“I decided to attend OCIA at St Agatha-St James because I hoped to learn alongside others closer to my demographic The St Agatha-St James parish has been very friendly and welcoming to me even though I am not a Christian The night of the second OCIA meeting, however, I cried to my boyfriend feeling like I did not belong. But as I continued to go, this year’s OCIA instructor, Brother Alan, embraced my questions and completely challenged what I thought I knew Christianity was Alan has continued to draw me in with his distinct philosophical and intellectual theological teachings In learning about God's presence I have felt confusion, awe, conflict, peace, and wonder--but most of all, in talking about faith with Alan, my boyfriend, and my closest friends, I think my understanding of God has grown more intimate. Through OCIA, I have felt more appreciative of my everyday life and more eager to learn.”
MihokoZhang,YoungAdult
ATHLETE MINISTRY: Changing the Culture
In the last few years,
I’ve seen our athlete ministry grow into a diverse, vibrant community of athletes across both Penn and Drexel As the number of team specific Bible studies has grown, we’ve also provided spaces where the larger athlete community can come together as one Now athletes are formed alongside their teammates, which changes team culture And as they connect with the broader Athlete Community, it brings change to the campus culture The night before a game, you can find a group of Penn men’s soccer players meeting with Fr Remi in the rectory for a team scripture reflection The next day, you’ll find Fr Remi at their field during warmups for a pre-game prayer What started as a Bible study with just a few guys has recently evolved into a team culture of prayer It’s beautiful to see the guys integrate their growing faith into the rhythm of game day - an awesome witness! Fr Remi is also working on starting a small group with coaches from Penn When I came to the Newman Center as a former college athlete and missionary in 2020, we had just a few athletes involved. We are blessed to have over 100 athletesinvolvedfrom26sportsacrossPennandDrexel. -MOLLY BENT
“God desires to encounter and transform us in and through our day-to-day life. That means that for athletes, God has chosen to encounter and transform them in a particular way through their sport.”
MollyBent,AthleteCampusMinister
“The athlete ministry at Newman has been an important catalyst for authentic relationships in the Penn Athletics community. Some of my closest friendships have come from years of weekly Bible studies, athlete barbeques, and Sunday evening Mass. The culture is changing here. This community is growing and touching more hearts every year; encouraging and enabling each person in the noble pursuit of Christ.”
JudeSwisher,PennWrestling
SEEING OBSTACLES IN A NEW LIGHT
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been struggling with an injury that has kept me from playing the game I love. Through the grace of Jesus and strong support from our Football team’s Bible study group with Father Remi, I have reframed this struggle into a positive light. Recently, I’ve been using this time away from Football as a lesson to never take anything for granted God has blessed all of us in unique ways, and my ability as a Football player is one of myblessings WhenIreturntoplaythisweek,Iwilldosobetterthanever ThanksbetoGod
The Freshman Impact: Saying “Yes” to Adventure DisciplesGrowingTogether
“God has definitely been by my side during this transition from Seattle to Philly as a freshman On my way to move-in to my dorm, my parents and I saw a rainbow. We felt that it was God's promise to us that He'll take care of me while I'm 2,800 miles away from home I truly feel that the way he is taking care of me is through the amazing support system I've received life through the brothers, missionaries, and friends I've made here at the Newman Center. My time at the Newman Center has taught me to say "YES!!" with a double exclamation point to act on my faith Coordinate a rosary making session? Yes, and I've learned it makes a great gift Being asked by my missionary to become a part of her discipleship? Of course, I said yes, and now I'm officially a disciple! These invitations have given me an opportunity to take the initiative to grow my own faith while engaging with others Through Newman, I've realized that being a Christian doesn't just mean praying on my own or attending Sunday Mass It's acting through God's love to impact others, like how my missionaries lovingly treat us to smoothies, or how the brothers excitedly play volleyball with us “
IsabellaChu,PennFreshman
“When I think of my time at Newman, I think of an overflowing cup. After being a part of the community for almost four years, Jesus has allowed my cup to be filled here, and that has overflowed to others.”
VictoriaMiller,DrexelSenior
Above:Isabella(right)onthesubwayheaded todohomelessministrydowntown
Missionary Disciples in Action
Our mission at Newman doesn't stop here, as we truly believe our young people are called to go out and transform the world We've seen how important it is to prepare our students for life as a Catholic in the real world Our ESTEEM program for seniors seeks to do so through monthly speaker sessions, mentorship with an alumnus in a related field of study, and a year-end Capstone Conference in Washington, D C
This year over 50 students have been paired with mentors, which is a record number for us! We've heard from Catholic leaders in society, such as university faculty and business professionals, and we have upcoming talks on connecting with young adult ministry, married life, and more. If you're interested in helping out as a mentor, please reach out to Patrick Travers at ptravers@saintsaj.org.
VictoriaMiller,Drexel
Senior Spotlight: From Follower to Leader
“After being poured into by this community for four years, my cup has overflowed to others. Although I was facing some doubts and didn’t feel fully ‘ready’ or worthy to take the next step to be a leader in the faith, I reminded myself that God doesn’t call the equipped, but equips the called. I certainly felt called, maybe not equipped, but I trusted that God would provide me with what I needed to serve His people, and he certainly has! It has been such an incredible experience leading a Bible study! This fall term marks my first time leading a Bible study by myself, with a group of mostly 2nd-year girls As a Bible Study leader, I am reminded of the importance of investing in myself while investing in others This keeps me accountable to maintain a consistent prayer life and pushes me to truly ‘practice what I preach ’”
Alumni on Mission: Fueled by Gratitude
“PennNewmanwasanansweredprayerbeyondwhatIcouldhavedreamedofwhenIprayed foraCatholicCommunity.It was an immense channel of God’s grace! I could write a book with chapters of the lessons I’ve learned from Penn Newman From quiet nights with Jesus in the chapel, to the fraternal ministry of the brothers, to engaging with the homeless and learning so much from them through Christ in the City, to living in and leading the Catholic Women’s Household, to being stretched, formed, and humbled as a leader and President, to the gift of lifelong friends there is not enough space to adequately capture the goodness of God I experienced at Penn Newman.
I currently live in New Jersey with my husband, Brendan, and our beautiful son, Francisco James. I’m a pediatric oncology nurse and am pursuing my MSN to be a pediatric nurse practitioner. I remain connected to Newman as an ESTEEM mentor and helping to lead in a recent alumni pilgrimage to Mexico With my husband, we’ve also engaged in parish life and started a ministry for married and engaged couples I’malsoveryhappytogivebacktoNewmannowasan alumnus,asitwassofundamentaltomyownfaithlife!”
GabbieAvila,PennAlum(‘20)&NewmanDonor
TheDonorImpact: Fueling Our Mission
“It is our joy to support the ministry at Penn Newman! We are grateful that our daughter has found her faith home there, participating in the athlete faith group, mass, adoration and a life-changing mission experience with Fr. Remi in Peru last summer. Thank you, Penn Newman, for this amazing opportunity.”
—AllenandMaryCarter
Allen and Mary Carter reside in Chicago, Illinois Their daughter Emma (Penn 2025) is a student athlete (Squash) and also one of our current interns at the Newman Center.
SupportNewmanWithaRecurringGift
Don’t wait until you’ve achieved your dream salary. Consider becoming a recurring monthly donor at any level and be a part of the loaves and fishes that add up to something significant! From Newman Dinners to our retreats & small groups, everything that we offer to the young people who walk through our doors is fueled by the prayers and financial support of missionpartnerslikeyou!
ConsideraLegacyGifttoNewman
Have you considered a Legacy Gift to Newman through estate planning? Please consider leaving ‘Penn Newman’ or ‘Drexel Newman’ in your will There are multiple ways in which you or a loved one can be remembered in our worship and community spaces. Contact our Chief Development Officer, Raul Espericueta, to learn more: raul@saintsaj org
