BECOME A VOLUNTEER MISSIONARY
The Need The Newman Center is the Catholic Campus Ministry at Oregon State University lead by the priests of the Saint John Society and the sisters of the Society of Mary. We dedicate all our energies to the evangelization of students. College campuses are the new existential peripheries – those who are alienated from God – and the need for Christ is urgent. The numbers speak for themselves:
Nearly 80% of those who leave the Catholic faith do so by the age of 23. (Faith in Flux: changes in the religious landscape in the US)
Only 30% of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. (Sherry Weddel, “Forming Intentional Disciples”)
“Unaffiliated” is the fastestgrowing religious demographic in the US. (The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, Pew 2008)
To respond to this urgent need, we invite you to be part of this great mission as a Volunteer Missionary.
We envision a selfless group of missionaries to whom the Lord
The Vision
can speak His blessing anew:
“BLESSED ARE THE EYES We believe in the mission of the seventy-two. Jesus Christ chose seventy-two disciples to collaborate with Him in the great mission of evangelization. Our Volunteer Missionary Program is at the heart of the OSU Newman Center vision. These missionaries freely commit a year of their lives to serve the Lord and become the evangelizing wing of this center.
With Newman as our headquarters we go out to where college students are, meeting every person in the environment that is most natural to them and inviting them to a living friendship with Jesus Christ. We see the college campus as our mission territory, and we are willing to obey the Lord’s commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matt 28)
THAT SEE WHAT YOU SEE. FOR I SAY TO YOU, MANY PROPHETS AND KINGS DESIRED TO SEE WHAT YOU SEE, BUT DID NOT SEE IT, AND TO HEAR WHAT YOU HEAR, BUT DID NOT HEAR IT.” LUKE 10:23-2
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
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4 Pillars of Volunteer Missionary Formation The Volunteer Missionary Program is founded upon the spirituality of Luke 10. Our program is first and foremost a program of missionary formation, and secondly a missionary program. Formation is provided so that disciples would become disciple makers. This formation encompasses all aspects that make a disciple fully equipped for a life-long mission.
Our first commitment is to teach these apostles how to develop an interior life, and a progressive relationship with Jesus as Master, Friend, and Lord – to help them fulfill their call to holiness. We provide spiritual trainings and workshops on prayer to help develop a consistent prayer life, weekly and monthly personal retreats, and the guidance of a spiritual director. Consequently, VMs are able to irradiate Christ when they speak, when they are silent, when they explicitly share the Gospel, or in their leisure moments. VMs begin to say with St. Paul: “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
INTELLECTUAL FORMATION
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HUMAN FORMATION
3 Today more than ever, we need to engage in an “intelligent evangelization”. Volunteer Missionaries receive intellectual formation in the areas that pertain particularly to their apostolate – the work entrusted to them. We offer the opportunity to complete a Certificate of Catholic Theology by the University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute. This includes courses on fundamental theology, history of the Church, liturgy, and Sacred Scriptures. Through participation in these courses, VMs can articulate their faith in a clearer and more dynamic way.
APOSTOLIC FORMATION
4 As Jesus called a community of disciples and invested in them, this program also strives to form men and women in human virtue so that they may be able to develop their full potential in Christ. Training in virtue is offered throughout the year. Intentional community life and strategic leadership formation are some of the other ways in which the Great Master continues to shape hearts of service.
It is at the feet of the Master that we learn how to continue His mission of evangelization. At the beginning of the year, all the necessary materials and training are provided. However, we believe that the most important training happens on site, and by reflecting on our work afterwards. We embrace the vision of this center of evangelization as a team in its planning, execution, and evaluation. In this way we complement each other with the different talents and charisms the Lord has given to the team.
Common questions HOW LONG DO YOU SERVE?
WHAT IS FUNDRAISING LIKE?
Volunteer Missionaries commit to 10 months of service following the academic year September through June. The first three weeks are devoted to training and formation in all dimensions of the VM life: spiritual, intellectual, human, and apostolic. The year concludes with an international evangelization mission trip.
Each Volunteer Missionary is responsible for fundraising all of their expenses for the year. However, you are not on your own. After you are accepted into the program, you receive training on how to fundraise and are guided through the process by the Volunteer Missionary Program Director.
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Men and women live in separate homes and form intentional Christian communities. These communities are a major part of the VM year and the formation of human virtue. With the support of a House Mom or Dad, VMs grow in friendship and teamwork through group prayer, managing a household and budget, and intentional community events.
Newman Lecture Series
The baseline fundraising total for each missionary is $7,000. We help you determine if you personally need to raise more for other expenses such as travel or monthly payments (i.e. student loans).
HOW MANY VMS SERVE? The Volunteer Missionary team at OSU Newman hosts up to 12 missionaries. There are also opportunities to serve on other campuses in Portland and Washington D.C.
WHAT DOES A VM DO? The first priority of a VM is to their own holiness, secondly to the evangelization of students. These evangelizing efforts take many different forms: Campus outreach One-on-one mentoring of students Leading programs of the New Evangelization such as: Alpha: For those curious about the Christian faith 201: The next step after Alpha to dive deeper into the Catholic faith Venture: Formation of Catholic freshmen Fragua: To form the next generation of Catholic leaders Omega: Preparing seniors to be Christians for the world and inspire a year of service Specialized bible studies for college athletes, the Latino community, and those in Greek life. Summit: RCIA specialized for college students Coordinating the liturgy and serving in student masses Organizing retreats, pilgrimages, and events such as the Newman Lecture Series, Pilgrimage to the Grotto, Go Fish Conference, West Coast Walk for Life, Camp Verso L'alto, and the international evangelization mission trip.
Evangelization Training Weekend
What others say
Student mass at the Newman Chapel
“HE SAID TO THEM, “GO INTO THE WHOLE WORLD AND PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.” MARCH 16:15
Volunteer Missionary trip to Washington D.C.
Go Fish Conference
Fr. Iván Pertiné Saint John Society Director
Fr. Maximo Stöck OSU Newman Center Director
Joseph Conrow OSU Student
Through my years of ministry in the Saint John Society, I have seen how much young people grow from the experience of serving others, especially when it is done from the perspective of faith and working with others as a team. Noticing that students in campus ministry highly value these opportunities to lead in some capacity, but often lack the time to do it in depth, we decided in the early 2010s to create the Volunteer Missionary Program. It is meant for students that have been active leaders in campus ministry, and want to dedicate one year (often after graduation) to serve in the mission of evangelization. This program is now present in three college campuses in the US (Oregon State University, Portland State University, and American University in DC), and is in the process of spreading to other countries where we serve.
Our vision for the evangelization of college campuses is greater than each one of us individually. By empowering young leaders for the new evangelization we are able to reach more students where they are at during these important years of college life. In this way we are seeing young people discovering Jesus Christ afresh and becoming intentional disciples. I am a witness to the amazing transformation that occurs first and foremost in the Volunteer Missionaries themselves, and then in those whom they walk with. Partner with us in this great adventure!
Throughout high school I was just a passive catholic. This year however, meeting with and learning about the progression and testimony behind each of the Volunteer Missionaries was quite awakening and encouraging. They were able to speak about what they learned through college, and that the way you spend your days right now will either bring you closer or further from God. This time for me is the start of my identity, and having their support and knowledge is an amazing resource. It was also very inspiring and eye opening for me to see the generosity they had for us by giving up a year of their life solely for the benefit of others.
Walk for Life in San Francisco, CA
Summer mission to St. Lucia
Catherine Enger Volunteer Missionary Alumni
Easter Vigil
Being a Volunteer Missionary illuminated three relationships in my life: my relationship with God, myself, and the world. Throughout the year, I fell in love with Christ in prayer and formation. I learned the beauty of the interior life and encountered a real, living relationship with Christ in my life. I lived in a community with amazing Christ-centered women and received spiritual direction to push me to be a better Christian. I was placed in leadership positions that revealed my own strengths and weaknesses. The VM year helped me develop a foundation of trust in God’s providence and allowed me to discern God’s will for my life. God gave me the tools to live with the
Camp Verso L'alto
conviction that my life is a mission for His glory. Coming out of the VM year was like stepping into a world very much in need of light. What an adventure! I had developed in the VM year many skills that translated well into my professional life including how to cooperate with God’s grace, be docile to the Holy Spirit, guide prayer, plan events, lead teams, connect with others, communicate professionally, and entrust everything to the Lord. I now get to pursue my life mission as a Doctor of Physical Therapy and am incredibly grateful for the Volunteer Missionary year and how it got me to where I am now.
Pilgrimage to the Grotto
Spring break Works of Mercy Mission
Adam & Kara Sully Volunteer Missionary Parents
When we recall our daughter telling us she wanted to take the year after college to be a Volunteer Missionary, it brings back many emotions. I’d like to say we said all the right things and felt proud of her, trusting God will take care of everything – especially her rather large student debt. But no, we were against it, against using this important time and opportunity in her life to step out into the “real” world. We couldn’t imagine how she would raise that much money. We couldn’t believe how this could be beneficial. She said, “God will provide”, and we might have rolled our eyes. Was she just having a hard time adjusting out of college? Trying to hold on to
that “Holy Spirit high” we so cleverly named it. We would be truly and eternally grateful for the amazing campus ministry, but this year of service seemed too much to ask. Although I am less than proud of our behavior and emotions back at her announcement, the good news is that we came around! We were deaf but now hear, blind but now see, lame and now walk. Not only has our daughter been eternally blessed by her Volunteer Missionary experience, but truly her whole family, extended family, friends, and all those who supported her drew closer to Christ. She was right: God does provide.
“DO NOT BE AFRAID. DO NOT BE SATISFIED WITH MEDIOCRITY. PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP AND LET DOWN YOUR NETS FOR A CATCH.” ST. JOHN PAUL II
QUESTIONS? WANT TO APPLY? Email vmprogram@osunewman.org
OSUNEWMAN.ORG/VMPROGRAM