Catholics on the Hill Fall 2016

vol . 43

fa l l 2016 – k uc at hol ic.org

c at hol ic s

on the

hill

Welcome Home

The mission of the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center is to form the students, faculty and staff of the University of Kansas, and others who wish to join in this mission, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Catholic intellectual, moral, liturgical and spiritual traditions.

Letter from the Director

de a r f r i e n ds of s t. l aw r e nce, Exactly 20 years after graduating from KU, I’m back as the new Director of St. Lawrence. It’s hard to believe. In so many ways, I feel like that 18-year-old freshman from Hoxie, Kansas, who was captivated by the beauty of the St. Lawrence chapel, the exuberant welcome by Fr. Vince Krische, and the contagious passion for the Catholic faith that I found at KU. St. Lawrence changed my life more than any other place I’ve ever encountered, and I owe this ministry more than I could ever give back. I am so humbled, honored, and excited to have been asked to direct what has been, is, and will continue to be, the best campus ministry program in the country. I ask for your prayers. A hearty Catholic Rock Chalk Jayhawk to each and to all of you!

Msgr. Vince Krische, as you all know, gave his heart and soul to establish the foundation and vision of the St. Lawrence Center at KU. Fr. Steve Beseau for the last 10 years has further articulated the mission beautifully and has challenged us to form our Catholic students with the full riches of Catholicism. It is through the Church’s spiritual, liturgical, intellectual, and moral tradition he wants KU Catholics to encounter God’s truth, goodness, beauty, and unity.

This vision just needs to be realized! I feel sent by Archbishop Naumann to tirelessly and enthusiastically reach out on campus to those students and faculty who do not know what they are missing by not engaging the amazing riches that await minds and hearts at St. Lawrence.

Only Jesus and His Holy Church can unlock the mystery of man, the full depth of the meaning of his life, and the dignity and happiness for which he is made. I feel called to evangelize with the Gospel of truth and life to anyone who thinks they do not need God. I am so excited with the “team” that has been assembled at St. Lawrence to unapologetically share our Catholic faith.

We need your prayers and financial support to accomplish our mission with the passion and reckless abandon it will take to be successful. Please consider a gift at the start of this new year!

Sincerely,

Fr. Mitchel Zimmerman, Director of the Saint Lawrence Catholic Campus Center

Ministry Update

Staff New Additions Introducing the new friendly faces that will greet you when you make a visit to the St. Lawrence Center Why St. L awr e nce ?

Many of the future leaders in Kansas, especially Kansas City will come from KU. The St. Lawrence Center is the ultimate source of Christ’s light at the University of Kansas and I want to be a part of the organization that brings the future leaders of Kansas into relationship with Jesus Christ. As the Director of Development I get to raise money and form relationships for, what I believe, to be the two greatest organizations in the world: the University of Kansas and the Catholic Church.

Charlie Sloan, Director of Development

What is you r official title ?

Director of Development What is you r Favorite part of you r j ob?

Meeting with fantastic benefactors, especially golfing with them.

What is you r Favorite s p ot(s) in L awr e nce ?

The conference room, that where bi’nuss gets done.

Why St. L awr e nce ?

Father Steve made me an offer I couldn’t refuse…

What is you r official title ?

U nofficial title ?

Official: Facilities Manager; Unofficial: Replacement for Mr. Mean, Rotten, and Nasty (AKA: John Cramer)

Alex Gordzica, Facilities Manager

What is you r Favorite part of you r j ob?

The Angelus and Regina Coeli What is you r Favorite s p ot(s) in L awr e nce ?

Saint Lawrence Chapel and Allen Fieldhouse

Why St. L awr e nce ?

Prayer brought me to the end of my rainbow, my pot of gold, the St. Lawrence Center.

What is you r official title ?

U nofficial title ?

Official Title: Receptionist; Unofficial: Mom of the Students

Linda Hornik, Receptionist

What is you r Favorite part of you r j ob?

The students with their high energy and the joyousness of my coworkers.

What is you r Favorite s p ot(s) in L awr e nce ?

“There’s No Place Like Home.”

Stacy Cretors, Director of Marketing and Events Why St. L awr e nce ?

My involvement in the Center changed my life and I want to be a part of helping it change the lives of others.

What is you r official title ?

U nofficial title ?

Official Title: Director of Marketing and Events; Unofficial: Director of Making the Center Irresistible What is your Favorite Memory From the St. L awrence Center?

Masses in the chapel when I was a student, especially graduation Mass.

There are few places that feel as much like home to me as the St. Lawrence Center chapel does.

What is you r Favorite part of you r j ob?

Telling the stories of the St. Lawrence Center What is you r Favorite sp ot(s) in L awr e nce ?

The Fieldhouse or the patio at The Replay

Ministry Update

Summer with KU Catholics

A aron Waldeck “I stayed in the area and took an accelerated Latin course at KU as well as chaperoned a week of Prayer and Action in Arch KCK. I also worked with Holy Trinity parish in Lenexa on their youth ministry summer core team.”

“This is my first summer away from Camp Tekakwitha so I wanted to find something that would allow me to serve and build up the kingdom in a different way than I’d experienced before.”

Molly Sch m idt “I was one of the 6 staff members for Prayer and Action in the Salina Diocese.

My biggest role was to bring Christ to the kids, to set an example of a woman living out her faith, who is relatable and approachable.”

“I chose to spend my summer as a staff member on Prayer and Action for the sole reason of loving Jesus and desiring to help others know the goodness, joy, and peace that comes from loving and knowing God, as well as leading myself closer to our Lord.”

S r . De b b ie – AVI “I spent my summer with my brother in New York, my parents in Singapore, and my community in Rome and in the Dolomite mountains in Italy.”

“Summer is a tremendous season of grace for me. I get to rest from the intense apostolate of the year with the Lord and the people I love.”

Unite in Our Mission Ask the majority of students or alumni what word they would use to describe the St. Lawrence Center and nine out of ten times one of the first two words they’ll use is “home.” For the last 40 years the Center has provided a space for students to grow in the intellectual, moral, liturgical, and spiritual traditions of the Catholic faith, and we are proud to refer to this space as a “home on the hill” for KU Catholics.

We have 1,000 students regularly attending Mass at the St. Lawrence Center and 350 that actively participate in the programs offered. While there are many that currently call the St. Lawrence Center “home,” there are three times as many that don’t—and we want to change that. There is always more room at the table and we are on a mission to invite as many students to join us at home.

Saint John Paul II characterized the New Evangelization as being new in methods, ardor, and expression, and we intend to follow his lead by reaching out to students in ways that connect and draw them into the life of the Church. To do this, the St. Lawrence Staff and student leaders have made a commitment to personally reach out to new students and invite them into the St. Lawrence family. We have big dreams for what this year holds in regards to student involvement and connectedness. Additionally, we are hoping to re-vamp our channels of communication through our website, social media presence, and efforts in campus-wide marketing projects.

None of what the St. Lawrence Center does is possible without the generosity from those who have gone before and believe in the power of a solid Catholic community where faith and life are fostered during this pivotal time in life. If you desire to be a part of this mission, consider joining us in prayer, volunteering your time, or making a gift of your treasure.

Ministry Update

B eth McMille n – totus tu us “I was on team for the Totus Tuus KCK Archdiocese. There are a total of 16 college students who go out in teams of four to parishes all over Kansas, teaching young children about our faith. We also meet with middle and high school students during the evening to talk about life and share our witness stories.”

“I fell in love with parish mission work this past spring but didn’t think I would have another chance to do something like that. God had something in store for me because it has been a summer of huge growth in trusting God’s will and letting him have complete control.”

Roy Sch m e idle r “I went on a spiritual and intellectual pilgrimage to Italy with the Humanitas program at the St. Lawrence Center. We traveled to Rome, Assisi, and Florence, all three of which were overwhelmingly beautiful and divinely influenced. After that trip, I went back to my hometown, Hays, Kansas, and worked at a newly opened Christian-themed coffee house called Breathe. It gave me a great opportunity to share my faith with many different individuals, and I was also able to play music with my summer band, which was a blast.”

Anthony M e rsman n “My seminarian assignment this summer was to spend a month in Avila, Spain taking part in a Spanish immersion.

I took a Spanish course every morning and led tours of the monastery in the afternoons.”

“This Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has a great need for Spanishspeaking priests. I fell in love with the Spanish language and culture in high school, and I have been doing everything I can to continue learning them so that I can successfully minister to the great number of Hispanics in our Archdiocese.”

This Year so Far There is always more room at the table and we are on a mission to invite as many students to join us at “home.”

Students Registered

12 7

570

Students on the Colorado Trip

Hawk Week Events

Classes Offered

9

Alumni Update

Student Profile

Aly Lange Ye ar /Ma j or at KU ?

Senior, Global and International Studies What ar e you involve d in at St. L awr e nce ?

Koinonia, Bible Studies, and FOCUS

Ben and Emily Beier Ben and Emily Davis Beier met through the Young Catholic Scholars program in the fall of 2000 as Ben was an incoming freshman and Emily a junior. They were both active at the St. Lawrence Center and developed a friendship that eventually led to dating after Ben discerned the priesthood at Mundelein Seminary and Emily studied for her Master’s degree at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies in Rome. After a few years of dating they were married at Christ the King Parish in Topeka on March 29, 2008 by Fr. Steve Beseau, with Monsignor Vince as a witness.

Ben and Emily have moved a few different times since they’ve been married, the first move taking them to Irving, Texas where Ben earned his Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Dallas. From there they went North to Madison, Wisconsin where they were for five years while Ben worked on his PhD. During their time in Wisconsin, Emily served as the NFP Coordinator for the Diocese of Madison. After completing his doctorate, Ben accepted a job at Washburn University in Topeka which is where they have lived up until this past June when Ben accepted a position in the Education Department at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.

Ben and Emily have three kids with them; Moira, Henry, and Genevieve, and one in heaven, Patrick. They credit the St. Lawrence Center as having profoundly impacting their lives and marriage. “Much of our personal formation in the faith happened during those college years—we were catechized, we experienced and participated in beautiful liturgy, and we were shown the importance of personal prayer and community service.” Most importantly, Emily said, “the Center’s courses on Theology of the Body and the lived example of married staff and their families have shaped our sensibilities about how to try to live our the sacrament of marriage. Our marriage and our lives would look very different if not for the Center, and we are deeply grateful.”

Lauren Marquess Lauren was a student at KU from 2011–2014 and is currently pursuing her Masters Degree from Wichita State University. She will graduate as a Physician Assistant in May 2017 and hopes to work in a trauma or ER unit.

“Every time I was struggling in my prayer life, I was able to go to the center and surround myself with people that made Jesus a priority. Just the act of simply talking and asking genuinely raw faith questions helped to pull me back into my faith. After graduating a year later, I am able to surround myself with people that reignite my passion for the church and bring out the true me in all circumstances.”

How was you r su mm e r?

I spent my summer as an intern with Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore. I helped teach and market a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system to better incorporate accountability and feedback into their development projects abroad!

How did you share you r faith?

I feel the best way I can share my faith is trying to live authentically and pursue my God-given passions. Right now, that means working as hard as I can in organizations I’m involved in like MEDLIFE and Camp Kesem, and studying hard to better understand International Development. I end up walking with people who are passionate about the same things I am, and talking about faith naturally comes up in those genuine friendships.

What was you r favorite part of you r su mm e r vacation?

The week I spent at Camp Kesem. We welcomed 28 kiddos affected by parental cancer into our Kesem Family and it was an absolute blast! So many of those kids are my heroes at 6–16 years old.

How did you g row in faith?

I’ve grown in my faith by asking questions. It’s wonderful to know that God loves and respects us so much so that He doesn’t just call us to blind acceptance of all teachings, but that He invites us into a journey to question then discover Truth.

Can you De scrib e th e ce nte r in th r e e wor ds?

Family, discovery, and growth.

Sacraments

Congratulations Bap tisms + Anne Therese Sloan, daughter of Charlie and Betsy Sloan, 2-6-16

McMahon Loney Wedding

+ Josephine Grace Ford, daughter of Mary and Kevin Ford, 2-7-16 + Gianna Marie-Elise Haring, daughter of Benjamin and Hannah Haring, 8-14-16 Mar riag e s + Andrew Schoneweis and Elise Loney, 4-16-16 + Dennis Eck and Anna Johnson, 4-30-16 + Lee McMahon and Adelle Loney, 5-20-16

Wernel Weninger Wedding

+ Jake Wernel and Margo Weninger, 6-25-16 + Jacob Engles and Alexandra Prather, 7-23-16 We lcom e to th e Ch u rch + Allison Sue Lloyd, 3-26-16 + L acie Rae Clarkson, 3-26-16 + Sara Ann Margaret Muench, 3-26-16 +X ingu Neil Shu, 3-26-16

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STAFF

Fr. Mitchel Zimmerman Fr. Curtis Carlson, OFM Cap. Sr. Elena Morcelli, AVI Sr. Debbie Li, AVI Patrick Callahan John Cramer Stacy Cretors Alex Gordzica Linda Hornik Anthony Mersmann Brian Nelson Deacon Mark Ostrowski Steve Putthoff Charlie Sloan Stephanie Giltner, Focus Terence Huffines, Focus JohnMarc Skoch, Focus Sarah Stratman, Focus Troy Hinkel, School of Faith Chad Pirotte, School of Faith Mike Scherschligt, School of Faith Dave Staples, School of Faith

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