Spring/Summer 2024 Newsletter

News from Campus Ministry at Colorado State University Spring/Summer 2024 | Volume 14 - No. 1

FROM THE DESK O F T H E PA S T O R

2

Ram Catholic Campus Ministry // Spring & Summer 2024

Last year, I encountered the most profound challenges of my priesthood since ordination. This was a result of my unexpected assignment to Saint John XXIII in the summer of 2022, which was further compounded by a series of complex and demanding events that directly impacted me, the church, and our campus ministry throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

Contrasting the challenges of the last year, this year has been a beacon of joy and fulfillment, the most gratifying I have experienced as a priest. As I pen this newsletter, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless blessings we have received. While it’s a challenge to list them all, I am eager to share these moments of joy and fulfillment with you as they are a testament to the bright future of our church and campus ministry.

1. Our Campus Ministers and FOCUS Missionaries melded into a cohesive and effective team as they ministered to students and generated exciting avenues for them to encounter Christ.

The encounters occurred at on-campus Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, Eucharistic processions, and on-campus activities with the vibrant Sisters of Life. At the church, the campus ministers and missionaries engaged the students in Adore Nights, Bible Studies, Thursday Night Candlelight Mass, and Sunday Night “Dinners at Dad’s”. Beyond the church, the ministry team accompanied and ministered to students at the SEEK conference, Ram Awakening Retreats, and the Ram Catholic Senior Retreat.

2. From the student’s perspective, the fruits of campus ministry manifested in men discerning the priesthood, women discerning religious life, and men and women discerning a vocation as FOCUS Missionaries. Consistent with years past, several Ram Catholic couples connected through the Ram Catholic ministry, some of whom will wed and begin the next generation of Catholic families.

3. We will have a new Logo for Saint John XXIII Church when you read this letter. We are excited about the Logo because it boldly and beautifully reflects Ram Catholic and Saint John XXIII Church in Fort Collins.

4. Our financial journey this year has been a testament to the incredible support of our parishioners and donors. Your generosity has propelled the Ram Catholic ministry to new heights, and I am deeply humbled and grateful for your love and support of our students. I want to remind you that your contributions play a significant role in shaping every religious, spiritual, or marital vocation that blossoms from the Ram Catholic ministry.

If you are a current donor to Ram Catholic, thank you for your continued generosity as we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year.

If you are considering becoming a first-time donor, I urge you to contemplate the profound impact your gift could have on the spiritual growth of college students in a world that is increasingly turning away from Christianity. Your support could be the beacon of hope that guides these young minds toward a life of faith and service.

To all our donors, I remind you that with the blessing of Archbishop Aquila, 100% of every gift you provide to the Ram Catholic ministry remains at the church As your Pastor and Sheperd, I close this letter with a blessing: May almighty God bless and protect you, and in his unsurpassed kindness, may he overwhelm you with seven times seventy blessings in return for your generosity to the Ram Catholic ministry!

Sincerely, y

F J h LaJoie L J i Fr Joseph To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

3

BY MADELEINE GILLETT Nearly 24,000 attendees renewed their faith in the new year and sought a deep encounter with Christ, while gathered at SEEK 2024: Be the Light! Every year, FOCUS puts on one of the largest Catholic young adult conferences, SEEK. This year, SEEK had attendance

by FOCUS campus students coming from 441 college campuses, as well as parishioners from over 1,100 parishes, 700 priests, and 45 bishops. SEEK hosts renowned Catholic speakers to give talks that inspire attendees to live out their faith and be the light on their campus and in their communities.

4

Ram Catholic Campus Ministry // Spring & Summer 2024

The SEEK 2024 conference, put on by

walked away from that confession having

the

been encountered by the love of the

Fellowship

of

Catholic

University

Students, was the first SEEK conference I

Father.

had attended. The five days of traveling, attending talks, and living in cramped hotel

SEEK 2024 was so beautiful, so impactful,

rooms was the most incredible experience.

and such a good experience. I was brought

The effect the speakers had on me was

to tears, to laughter, and to deep parts

incredibly impactful - it meant the world to

of my heart to experience the love of the

hear words of affirmation in my relationship

Father for me. I am so, so grateful for the

with God as a daughter of the King; my

opportunity I had to go to SEEK and for all

eyes were opened to the challenges of

the graces, encounters, and beautiful talks

discipling and connecting with people on

I received from SEEK.

campus; and my heart was blessed with the

Be the Light

mercy of the Father in hearing how much my heart is desired and cared about by the Most Holy Trinity. I hope to impact other seekers by sharing my experience with those who do not yet know how good and loved they are. My time at SEEK was one of beautiful affirmation in my daughterhood, a beautiful immersion in the young and active Catholic church, and the most impactful time in getting to hear words of hope, comfort, and joy during the talks at SEEK. The most impactful experiences for me at SEEK were my experience in confession during

the

adoration

night

and

the

celebration of the Most Holy Mass every day with thousands of students and hundreds of priests. The confession I got to have at SEEK was the most emotionally honest confession I had ever had, and I

To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

5

LITURGICAL TRADITIONS By: Adrian Deputat Throughout my time in Ram Catholic and

started at Saint John XXIII by Fr. Michael

at St. John XXIII, not only have I grown

O’Loughlin and now presided over by Fr.

deeply in my faith, but have experienced

Joel Barstad has been celebrated at St.

the unique myriad of liturgical traditions

John XXIII via the parish Holy Protection

that are present in the parish. The two

of Our Mother of God in Denver.* The

traditions which I talk about are the

form of the liturgy is quite different than

traditional Latin Mass and the Ruthenian

the west, as there are usually no pews,

Byzantine Divine Liturgy.

almost the entire liturgy is sung, and some other things unique to the east like the

Many students after a time at Ram Catholic

iconostasis (icon wall) and the form of the

will eventually go to the Latin Mass. After

Eucharist as a consecrated loaf (prosphora),

being a few times and learning how to

immersed within the most precious blood.

serve the traditional mass, I have gained

Other than the form of liturgy itself, the

a deep appreciation for the reverence

eastern tradition has an increased rule of

shown throughout and the purpose of each

fasting, including many otherwise ordinary

movement. Prayers in Latin to reflect the

days of the year and commemorations like

writing on the cross, the prayers toward the

presanctified liturgies during the Great

angels, and the blessed mother, and the

Lent and devoted forms of liturgy every

longer scriptural passages were beautiful

Saturday for the deceased.

to witness atop the Gregorian chant at the high masses. They provided me with a lens

I have been honored and privileged to be

to see the origin of many of the western

raised both with a foot in the west, and a

traditions of the church, as well as some

foot in the east, appreciating fully the

elements used in the candlelight mass.

beauty of each liturgical tradition, and its important and crucial contributions to the

The tradition that I am most familiar

church; the Body of Christ.

with, however, is the Byzantine one. I am

6

Byzantine by my baptism, specifically,

*Beginning in 2024 the Byzantine Divine Liturgy was moved

Ukrainian Greek Catholic. For several years,

to a dedicated space at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and is still

the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, originally

available to students there

Ram Catholic Campus Ministry // Spring & Summer 2024

Student Testimony Ethan Fields CSU Junior Upon my arrival to CSU this semester and entering a totally new environment, I had lots of worries on my mind. Since I am a transfer student, I had given up all the people and places that I knew at my previous school. I was completely starting over and had to rebuild my friends and whole life it seemed like. The fear of not knowing who I’d meet or how my new friends would be, weighed heavy on me. It was a daunting challenge that had me doubting my decision many times, but I trusted God and hoped for the best. Upon my arrival to CSU, I attended Sunday mass at St. John XXIII. I was warmly greeted by Granger as well as the FOCUS missionaries.

This immediately made me feel welcomed and eased my nerves surrounding my worries. They quickly introduced me to the other students who were all extremely welcoming as well. They also helped me to connect and get involved in the community and continually reached out to me, inviting me to events. This was such a breath of fresh air to me and was the answer to what I was searching for. I have to say that the last few months here at CSU have been some of the best times and experiences that I’ve had. Additionally, the friendships that I have made have been so fulfilling and will God willingly last a lifetime. All in all, being a part of the Ram Catholic community at St. John the XXIII has had such a big impact on me during my time at CSU and it has truly been a big turning point in my life that I’m extremely thankful for.

To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

7

LENT 2024 Ram Catholic staff and students focused on living liturgically throughout Lent this year.

The staff intentionally spent less money on regular weekly events to help students focus on fasting, alms giving and prayer. Events such as the Ram Catholic clothes swap were added to help students live more modestly and left over clothes were donated to Catholic Charities. Instead of spending money on expensive socials Ram Catholic focused on simply spending time together as a community and praying more together. Music throughout Lent at Candlelight and adore nights was more solemn as a gentle reminder of the season. The overall focus and theme of this Lent was how to enter in and live liturgically.

Lent Timeline Feb 15th-

Feb 20th- Ram Catholic Night Prayer and Evangelization: Men focused on life of mission and how to evangelize on campus. The women focused on deepening prayer life.

Candlelight Mass

Feb 14th- Ash Wednesday 600 students attended Ash Wednesday Masses

8

held at St John XXIII and

Feb 22nd-

on Campus!

Candlelight Mass

Ram Catholic Campus Ministry // Spring & Summer 2024

“Lent and more specifically, Holy Week was a great experience this year through getting to enter into

wants for us and Ram Catholic facilitated that which

Mar 19th- Ram Catholic Night Solemnity of St Joseph:

set the right perspective on Lent and Holy Week for

Celebrated to emphasize living

me.”

liturgically.

the season with Ram Catholic. Suffering together and helping each other in hard times is what Jesus

Feb 27th- Ram Catholic Night Service and Community:

- Ryker Martin

Feb 29thCandlelight Mass

Women’s Clothes swap which benefited Catholic Charities.

The Men played kickball and built community.

Mar 7thCandlelight Mass

is just feeling more in tune with a

Mar 5th- Ram Catholic Night Adore Night:

scheduled prayer life.”

Eucharistic Adoration,

Mar 21st-

-Alex Depuat

Music and Prayer.

Candlelight Mass

“I think the biggest fruit [of lent]

To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

9

Holy Week Highlights March 28th Students attended 6 am Tenebrae

20 20 Students attended Confession Mass of the Lord’s 80 Students attended Last Supper attended Chapel of 30 Students Repose Church Hopping March 29th attended 6 am 20 StudentsTenebrae attended Stations of the Cross Hike to 25 Students Horsetooth attended Liturgy 80 Students of the Lord’s Passion

20

Students attended The Passion movie viewing

March 30th

50 Students attended Easter Vigil Service 6 Students brought into the church Students attended the Resurrection 50 Party after the Easter Vigil 40 10

Ram Catholic Campus Ministry // Spring & Summer 2024

March 31st Students attended Easter Sunday Brunch

STUDENT TESTIMONY Kyra McCone CSU SENIOR

“Lent was a beautiful yet difficult time for me this year.

My Bible study went over the stations of the cross and each session brought me to tears and heavily impacted my heart and outlook on the Lord’s love for me.”

-Sarah McMahon

I am an English major in my final semester at CSU. While I transferred in with an associates degree and have only spent two years here, Ram Catholic has been an immense blessing for me.

This community’s impact on me can be described in one word: oasis. In my degree path, I have to contend with the worst the broader culture has to offer on a daily basis and have to witness those things being celebrated as “good”. This quickly became very emotionally exhausting. I am grateful a friend of mine from my home parish arrived here before me and told me about Ram Catholic so I was able to get involved in my first week of classes here. The socials, formational nights, Thursday night candlelight Masses, semesterly retreats, and developing friendships with the other Catholic students has served as an oasis from the worst aspects of the campus culture. The missionaries are wonderful, and one of them has personally walked with me and assisted when I needed, which I am very grateful for. With a community of faith to walk with me, I have not only maintained my faith during my college experience but actually grew in it, and I feel spiritually prepared to enter the next chapter of my life.

To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

11

Ram Catholic is so proud to have four students joining the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) this year as missionaries. These missionaries serve on college campuses across the nation, bringing the Catholic faith to hundreds of thousands of students. Ram Catholic also has two missionaries joining the Colorado State University FOCUS staff.

LIZZIE BRISNEHAN Fort Hays State

“I’m Lizzie Brisnehan and I recently graduated from CSU this past December with a B.S. in Zoology. Ever since I was a Freshman at Ram Catholic, I looked up to the FOCUS missionaries as some of the happiest people who truly radiated Christ. One of our missionaries, Maria, showed me what it is to have a personal relationship with Jesus through daily prayer, and this has forever shaped every aspect of my life. I can’t wait to follow in her footsteps and share this with more students as I become a FOCUS missionary this year.”

12

Ram Catholic Campus Ministry // Spring & Summer 2024

PEDRO GUARDADO

RYKER MARTIN

Doane University

Colorado State University

“After going on mission with Totus

“I’m Ryker Martin and I will be starting

Tuus last year, I had discerned a call to a

my first year of mission with FOCUS. I’m

mission with FOCUS after serving in youth

excited to see what the Lord is going to do

ministry and noticing the pull to embody a

in my life and all the people I will encounter

life in Christ for others as I grow closer to

on this Journey!”

him. I look forward to my future at the Bosco House and as a FOCUS missionary as I learn to unite the cultural Catholicism I was raised in to the deeper theological realities and love of Christ evident within the faith and passing that onto others to deepen their love for Christ!”

JARED AMSBERRY University of Califor nia Las Angelas

“I’m Jared Amsberry and I have been a RamCatholic regular ever since my first year and have gravitated more and more towards friendship with the missionaries each year. They have shown me such love and companionship and I’m happy to be going on mission myself at UCLA this fall.

God bless.”

To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

13

DISCERNING A VOCATION

in religious life

Three Ram Catholic students will be pursuing their vocational discernment of their call to religious life at different communities. Read more about each of their paths below.

MARIO CAVAZOS “I am Mario Cavazos, I came to CSU with plans to purse a career in medicine but after discerning with the Institute of Christ the King for the last year I decided to join the religious life and hope to start this coming September.”

JAMES BERG “My name is James Berg, and after being at CSU for four years pursuing dual degrees in biomedical and mechanical engineering, I have decided to pursue the priesthood at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver! Throughout my time at Ram Catholic, the relationships I have fostered, and the life-giving formation received over the years, it has been made evident that my next step to grow and share holiness is pursuing spiritual fatherhood. This discernment is a lot to take in, but with Christ’s help, I am ready to embrace God’s call as a seminarian!”

ANNA HUBER “Hi! My name is Anna Huber and I’m finishing out my freshman year here at CSU! It’s safe to say that the discernment process has been a journey filled with nothing but joy! I am planning on discerning religious life, more specifically sisterhood, with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia who are based out of Nashville. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me!”

14 14

Ram Ram Catholic Catholic Campus Campus Ministry Ministry // // Spring Spring & & Summer Summer 2024 2022

CHURCH REVENUE

• • • •

Development (Ram Catholic): $773,697 Offertory: $526,024 Ministries Fees/ Fundraising: $20,280 Other Income: $228,345 Total: $1,548,346

RAM CATHOLIC SPENDING

• • • • •

Campus Ministry- Worship, Service, Education, Fellowship: $64,338 Development- Fundraising for Campus Ministry: $46,540 FOCUS Support- Missionary Support: $108,993 Ministry Team (Campus Ministers and Priests*) -Salaries and Benefits: $338,277 Development Team- Salaries and Benefits: $233,680 Total: $791,828 *Some of the priests salary comes from the offertory

Ram Catholic Endowment at the Catholic Foundation of Northern Colorado Total: $446,793

To Our Benefactors:

THANK YOU A day does not go by that we do not thank Almighty God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon our community. We would not be able to serve the students without your generous support. May the Lord coninually bless and keep you close to His heart.

62 100 597

RAM CATHOLIC GIVING CLUB MEMBERS Benefactors who give $1000 or more per year.

RAM CATHOLIC SOCIETY MEMBERS Benefactors who make a gift every month.

MINISTRY PARTNER MEMBERS Benefactors who make a gift of $1-$999 per year.

Your gift to Ram Catholic makes a difference in thousands of students’ lives by giving them an opportunity to encounter Christ. Through these encounters students discern God’s plan for their life and enter into their vocations radically alive for Christ. Please consider a gift to Ram Catholic today and together we can bring souls to Christ.

To learn more visit www.saintjohn.church

15

Saint John XXIII Catholic Church Ram Catholic 1220 University Ave Fort Collins, CO 80521

MASS SCHEDULE

RECONCILIATION

TUESDAY // 8am, 5:30pm

TUESDAY // 8:30am, 4pm

WEDNESDAY // 8am, 5:30pm

WEDNESDAY // 8:30am, 4pm

THURSDAY // 8am, 8pm (Candlelight)

THURSDAY // 8:30am, 7-7:50pm

FRIDAY // 8am

FRIDAY // 8:30am

SATURDAY // 9am Vigil: 4pm

SATURDAY // 8-8:50am, 2:30-3:30pm

SUNDAY // 8am, 10am, 11:30am (Latin), 5pm

What’s Inside?

SEEK 24

Fellowship

Financials

Lent

Senior Vocations

Much More...