Spring/Summer 2024 Newsletter by ramCatholic

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

FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR

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: MayalmightyGodblessandprotectyou,andinhisunsurpassedkindness,mayheoverwhelmyouwith seventimesseventyblessingsinreturnforyourgenerositytotheRamCatholicministry!

Sincerely,

Fr Joseph LaJoie y FJhLJi

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.

B Y M ADELEINE G ILLETT

The SEEK 2024 conference, put on by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, was the first SEEK conference I had attended. The five days of traveling, attending talks, and living in cramped hotel rooms was the most incredible experience. The effect the speakers had on me was incredibly impactful - it meant the world to hear words of affirmation in my relationship with God as a daughter of the King; my eyes were opened to the challenges of discipling and connecting with people on campus; and my heart was blessed with the 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

walked away from that confession having been encountered by the love of the Father.

SEEK 2024 was so beautiful, so impactful, and such a good experience. I was brought to tears, to laughter, and to deep parts of my heart to experience the love of the Father for me. I am so, so grateful for the opportunity I had to go to SEEK and for all the graces, encounters, and beautiful talks I received from SEEK.

Be t he Light Be the

By: Adrian Deputat

Throughout my time in Ram Catholic and at St. John XXIII, not only have I grown deeply in my faith, but have experienced the unique myriad of liturgical traditions that are present in the parish. The two traditions which I talk about are the traditional Latin Mass and the Ruthenian Byzantine Divine Liturgy.

Many students after a time at Ram Catholic will eventually go to the Latin Mass. After being a few times and learning how to serve the traditional mass, I have gained a deep appreciation for the reverence shown throughout and the purpose of each movement. Prayers in Latin to reﬂect the writing on the cross, the prayers toward the angels, and the blessed mother, and the longer scriptural passages were beautiful to witness atop the Gregorian chant at the high masses. They provided me with a lens to see the origin of many of the western traditions of the church, as well as some elements used in the candlelight mass.

LITURGICAL TRADITIONS

started at Saint John XXIII by Fr. Michael O’Loughlin and now presided over by Fr. Joel Barstad has been celebrated at St. John XXIII via the parish Holy Protection of Our Mother of God in Denver.* The form of the liturgy is quite different than the west, as there are usually no pews, almost the entire liturgy is sung, and some other things unique to the east like the iconostasis (icon wall) and the form of the Eucharist as a consecrated loaf (prosphora), immersed within the most precious blood. Other than the form of liturgy itself, the eastern tradition has an increased rule of fasting, including many otherwise ordinary days of the year and commemorations like presanctiﬁed liturgies during the Great Lent and devoted forms of liturgy every Saturday for the deceased.

The tradition that I am most familiar with, however, is the Byzantine one. I am Byzantine by my baptism, speciﬁcally, Ukrainian Greek Catholic. For several years, the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, originally

I have been honored and privileged to be raised both with a foot in the west, and a foot in the east, appreciating fully the beauty of each liturgical tradition, and its important and crucial contributions to the church; the Body of Christ.

*Beginning in 2024 the Byzantine Divine Liturgy was moved to a dedicated space at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and is still available to students there

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.

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-

Candlelight Mass

Feb 14th- Ash Wednesday

600 students attended Ash Wednesday Masses held at St John XXIII and on Campus!

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.

Feb 22nd-

Candlelight Mass

“Lent and more speciﬁcally, Holy Week was a great experience this year through getting to enter into the season with Ram Catholic. Suffering together and helping each other in hard times is what Jesus wants for us and Ram Catholic facilitated that which set the right perspective on Lent and Holy Week for me.”

Feb 27th- Ram Catholic Night Service and Community: Women’s Clothes swap which beneﬁted Catholic Charities.

The Men played kickball and built community.

“I think the biggest fruit [of lent] is just feeling more in tune with a scheduled prayer life.”

-Alex Depuat

- Ryker Martin

Feb 29th-

Candlelight Mass

Mar 7th-

Candlelight Mass

Mar 19th- Ram Catholic Night

Solemnity of St Joseph: Celebrated to emphasize living liturgically.

Mar 5th- Ram Catholic Night

Adore Night: Eucharistic Adoration, Music and Prayer.

Mar 21st-

Candlelight Mass

Holy Week Highlights

March

“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

STUDENT TESTIMONY Kyra McCone

CSU SENIOR

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.

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.”

RYKER MARTIN PEDRO GUARDADO

Doane University

“After going on mission with Totus Tuus last year, I had discerned a call to a mission with FOCUS after serving in youth ministry and noticing the pull to embody a life in Christ for others as I grow closer to 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 California 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.”

Colorado State University

“I’m Ryker Martin and I will be starting my ﬁrst year of mission with FOCUS. I’m excited to see what the Lord is going to do in my life and all the people I will encounter on this Journey!”

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!”

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.

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

*Someofthepriestssalarycomesfromtheoffertory

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

RAM CATHOLIC GIVING CLUB MEMBERS

Benefactors who give $1000 or more per year.

100 RAM CATHOLIC SOCIETY MEMBERS

Benefactors who make a gift every month.

597 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.