Catholics on the Hill Spring 2022

VOLUME 54

SPRING 2022

KUCATHOLIC.ORG

Catholics

on the

Hill

Mission: The Saint Lawrence Catholic Campus Center guides and forms those at the University of Kansas in the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Catholic intellectual, moral, liturgical, and spiritual tradition.

Her deepest desire is to send out full and free disciples of Jesus Christ capable of the greatest stories.

1

Letter FROM

THE DIRECTOR Dear Catholic Jayhawks Thank you for an incredible 2021-22 school year on the Hill. We certainly did not get everything right, nor did we reach every student entrusted to us, but I can say with certainty that we put everything we had into being the Catholic Church at KU, confident in the difference it makes in the capacity of this generation to write great stories with their lives. I am more convicted than ever that the best gift we can give to our current Jayhawks, is a courageous witness of the power and promise of our Catholic faith.

Nothing makes a bigger difference. Nothing matters more.

Thank you for your constant support that has allowed us to take risks to reach new students, and to act with CON-FIDENCE (with faith) in presenting the Catholic faith to the experiences, relationships, and learning at KU that means so much to all of us.

509 1356 5895 305

Students engaged in formation

As we say goodbye to some incredible graduates, and some key members of our team, including our 19-year partnership with the Apostles of the Interior Life, I am still so excited that the very best stories from St. Lawrence are ahead of us.

Students engaged by name for the 2021-2022 school year

I hope you enjoy this edition of Catholics on the Hill!

I count on each of you for the next chapters in our story to be our greatest!

Rock Chalk,

Students attended daily mass this year

Students in small groups

Fr. Mitchel Zimmerman Director & Chaplain St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center 2

Contents 2

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

4

AVI SISTERS

6

RUNNING CLUB

7

BIBLE STUDY

8 9

AD ASTRA

A Grateful Farewell

A Home For Evangelization

SEEK And You Will Find

10 SACRAMENT

11

CELEBRATIONS IN MEMORIAM

3

A Farewell

Grateful The decision to consolidate their community and leave KU was to be a better witness to the beauty of consecrated life, improve their community life, and allow greater flexibility in facing unexpected challenges.

“It’s been an experience of freedom because I can’t say enough how much I felt guided by the Lord,” Sr. Elena Morcelli said. “I did not want to come to the States in 2003, but then the Lord took me here. So I feel very guided by Him. When I stay with Him, He provides everything else.”

Thankful is the greatest word echoed by everyone who walks the halls at the St. Lawrence Center.

The peace and willingness to go where they are called is not only part of their vow of obedience but is also a testament to their faith in God and the conversations that they have in prayer.

Over the course of the last 19 years, the Apostles of the Interior Life have faithfully served the students and greater community at the University of Kansas. The AVI sisters are based out of Rome but also serve the Texas A&M community.

Their ability to pray and discern well is what they have been able to teach the people they encounter on a daily basis.

They have been the spiritual mothers that students needed as they stepped out on their own for the first time.

“So many of us are bad at prayer,” Fr. Mitchel Zimmerman, Director of the St. Lawrence Center said. “We don’t know how to pray and the sisters walk right into that problem. They teach us that we can have a conversation with God, we can be affected by Him and it can make all the difference in our lives.”

“I am very thankful for the experience with spiritual direction,” Cameron Rozean, a KU junior said. “I know they’re very aware of where they’re called to be and where they’re supposed to be. So I have to trust that the Lord spoke to them.”

4

Sr. Ruth Kuefler is a graduate of KU and has spent the last five years pouring into students the way she was poured into at the St. Lawrence Center.

Cat Simmons, a senior at KU, has worked directly with all of the sisters and knows that this is all part of God’s greater plan.

“I’m immensely grateful for every experience that I’ve had at St. Lawrence and that there will always be a part of my heart that is at home here,” Kuefler said. “I took my vows here as a sister and now to have served here on the staff as a sister feels full circle.”

“God has an amazing plan for the center as well as for the sisters,” Simmons said. “You just have to trust in that plan.”

As the school year comes to a close, the St. Lawrence Center plans to celebrate the great fruit the service of the sisters has borne.

Sr. Ruth isn’t the only sister who has been deeply impacted by her experiences at the St. Lawrence Center.

“I want them to know that we’ll always pray for them and for the fruitfulness of their apostolate, for the holiness of each one of their vocations, for the good of their community,” Zimmerman said. “We love them very, very much. They’ll be greatly missed here at St. Lawrence.”

Sr. Raffaella Cavallin says that one of her biggest blessings has been walking with students.

“Every journey is so different and a lot of these blessings are private and in my heart,” Cavallin said.

“But I honestly wouldn’t be who I am today had it not been for all the questions that I received from people in spiritual direction.”

5

RUNNING

Club:

A HOME FOR EVANGELIZATION

Every day, outside of the Ambler Student Recreation Center, students gather to run with the running club. While they know they are signing up for a physical challenge, they are sometimes most impacted by the spiritual challenge that the running club offers.

While Gillig is now a member of the Catholic faith, there are still many students who are skeptical of what the Church has to offer. Landon Knaup has been running with the group for two years and has said that being around Christians has opened his eyes, but still doesn’t know what to believe.

Over the past couple of years, the running club has been known to be a home for evangelization at KU. The club is made up of students from every walk of life, but Jesus seems to make it into the conversation more days than not.

“The type of person that would change their worldview that drastically and accept something that requires so many different sacrifices, it is a sign that there is something going on with Christianity in my opinion,” Knaup said. “It is at the very least worth looking into, and there is something to it.”

Fallon Russell a junior studying Accounting has said, “It has really just been this home for people to be shown who Christ is and the power He has in our lives. It has been a segway for runners coming to Christ.”

No matter where they are at with their running or faith journeys, they know that they have the love and support of their teammates in the running club.

“It’s honestly been really great to walk with them on their journey in faith and see where they began to where they are now,” Russell said.

The students in the running club use the same practices that are taught in the monthly mission formation meetings that are offered at the St. Lawrence Center. They build a foundation built on community and grow from there.

As the older students head toward graduation, there isn’t a worry that their faith will be dropped from the running club. Gillig is very confident in the younger runners and their ability to keep Jesus in the group.

Ben Gillig is a recent graduate of KU credits the running club to his conversion to Catholicism. He was able to connect with like-minded individuals and started to attend events at the St. Lawrence Center with friends.

“Seeing those new guys take the lead from us is encouraging,” Gillig said.

For any students who are looking to get involved, they can join the group every day at 4:30 pm outside of the rec.

“One of them ended up converting to the Catholic faith, and from there I kind of became more curious as well and ended up converting as well,” Gillig said.

6

Bible

STUDY An easy way to get involved at the St. Lawrence Center is by joining a bible study. While these groups were initially started by FOCUS, many of the students that they invested in have started to lead their own groups. This school year, the St. Lawrence Center has seen 29 bible studies take place with 19 of the groups being led by students.

While the group was centered around learning more about Jesus and the bible, the fellowship proved to be one of the greatest gifts this group offered.

Kyleigh Lewis a freshman majoring in elementary education was nervous about coming to college and wanted to continue to grow in her faith once she got here.

Mikala Liley, a junior in architecture said that she wanted to invest in others because of the way FOCUS invested in her.

“I was quiet and didn’t say very much [when the bible study started],” Lewis said. “But now, I am more confident in what I am saying. Once you find connections with the right people, they genuinely care about you and want you to be there.”

“I love being invested in,” Liley said. “I want to reciprocate that to others girls and so they know that I care about them.”

While the girls that Liley has led have grown over the year. She has grown from this experience as well.

Her desire to invest in others didn’t stop at investing in young Catholic women. She invited one of her roommates who is Lutheran to join the bible study.

Joining the religions in fellowship proved to be an enlightening experience for the group over the course of the year.

“It made me realize how similar my beliefs are,” Abby Frank said. “It was nice to understand them a little bit deeper and realize that even though we have differences, there’s a lot of similarities that we share too.”

“THIS IS ABOUT JESUS, IT ISN’T ABOUT ME.” “It is definitely not about me,” Liley said. “It has been the biggest blessing to know other women’s hearts. This is about Jesus, it isn’t about me. I could show up with nothing and these women would still be there because it is centered around him.”

7

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, the St. Lawrence Center decided to start a new learning series to replace the formal Institute for Faith and Culture classes that had been offered to students in previous years. The new learning series focused on creating short mini-series offerings for students in an effort to figure out what works best for their intellectual formation and spiritual formation going forward.

The changed format has allowed the center to reach more students than ever before. Through the first three series, 232 students were in attendance. Lucas Grand, a sophomore studying information systems has praised the center for the changes that have been made this school year.

“I mean, it’s really an invaluable resource for students because a lot of what we have thrown at us every day in classes is just a professor talking to us,” Grand said. “This actually gives us the opportunity to ask questions, have a deeper conversation, and grow in our faith in the way that you can’t really experience anywhere else in the center.”

Mark Wertin, a staff member at the St. Lawrence Center said that the new format has been a great direction to move into because it allows students to come to the truth.

“We realized that when they can discuss it and come to the conclusion, it’s going to stick,” Wertin said. “Whereas if we just stand out there and talk it’s probably not going to have the same impact.

Hopefully, it will be transformative enough for the students so that it will basically springboard them into a fuller life and guide their story.”

“THIS ACTUALLY GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, HAVE A DEEPER CONVERSATION, AND GROW IN OUR FAITH IN THE WAY THAT YOU CAN’T REALLY EXPERIENCE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CENTER.”

While the setting has changed, the information being presented has remained the same. For some students like Caroline Kenagy, a senior in Marketing, the new casual environment has taken away the pressure of a traditional classroom setting.

“I think St. Lawrence has grown a lot from Ad Astra,” Kenagy said. “I think just the environment where it’s casual and set up like a living room is nice. You also don’t have to come to one session to understand the last session. People can come and they can go and there’s no pressure and you feel welcome if you don’t come to all of them, which I think is a huge step.”

8

As the school year begins to wrap up, the zeal for the faith hasn’t changed around the center. Ad Astra will continue next school year as the St. Lawrence Center continues to educate students on the Catholic faith.

Seek AND YOU WILL Find “I wasn’t expecting to have a powerful encounter with Jesus but I did,” Ramage said. “I felt so loved by the girls in the group I led and felt the Lord through them. Your first ‘yes’ to Jesus is just the start. The transformation really does not end there. During Adoration, I was able to look back and see how much Jesus has changed my heart.”

These conferences are only held once a year but they are not the stopping point for students at KU. They are the leaping point for many. Kyler McGlachlin, a junior in mechanical engineering has experienced this in his own life.

Students from the St. Lawrence Center participated in the annual SEEK conference put on by FOCUS in Kansas City. FOCUS has been serving at St. Lawrence since 2010 and they have worked to build up their SEEK attendee numbers over the last few years.

“It can be a life-changing experience,” McGlachlin said. “I know it was for me. It was so many people who were trying to live the same lifestyle I was and it was really incredible. Jesus is really present and the Holy Spirit is working because so many people are gathered in His name.”

“We were able to bring 150 KU students this year,” FOCUS Team Director, John Michael Lucido said. “It was by far the most students that we have ever had at a conference. It was a great weekend and we had great talks from Catholic speakers, great entertainment, and just fun for the college students. The crescendo on Saturday night was Adoration and Confession because we want students to experience Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.”

Following the SEEK conference, many would agree that there is a vibrant energy at the center. Students and staff have a desire to reach new students and help them find a diverse community at KU. “There is a place for every student at St. Lawrence and there is an opportunity to find a group of likeminded people,” Lucido said. “Our community is diverse and is a great example of the Catholic Church being universal and we get a great taste of that at St. Lawrence.”

While there were many new faces in the crowd, there were some students who were returning for the conference. Anna Ramage, a senior in human biology was returning for her third conference to take on a leadership role this time around.

9

Next year’s SEEK conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri from January 2-6, 2023.

Sacrament Celebrations ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD Tim Skoch­—ordained to the Transitional Diaconate on May 21, 2022 —First Mass at St. Lawrence May 22, 2022

WEDDINGS Matthew and Jessica (Little) Flaherty—10/2/2021 Tom and Victoria (Godfrey) Sorentino—10/16/21 Jacob and Kirsten (Ellard) Williams—10/23/21 Sean and Keely (Stenseng) Tokic—10/23/21 Collin and Maggie (Tarantino) Neises—10/30/21 Brock and Taylor (Reynolds) Wolf —1/13/21

BAPTISMS Brooklyn Grace Rapper to Tony and Sarah (Stuhlsatz) Rapper—Baptized 1/8/22 Hugh Michael Minnis to Morgan and Heidi (Hedges) Minnis—Baptized 2/20/22 Rosemary Loreto Crane to Joey Crane and Elizabeth (Gaffney) Crane—born 12/16/21 Joseph Allan Seckfort to Nick and Dani (Stuhlsatz) Seckfort—Baptized 10/3/2021 Diego Joseph Munoz to Carlos and Tara (Elpers) Munoz—baptized 12/12/21 Ellis Sharbel Wertin to Mark and Anne Marie (Martin) Wertin—baptized 12/11/21 Elliot Morrison to Sarah (Scherschligt) and Nicholas Morrison—baptized 1/15/22 Lawrence Thomas Topefer to Owen and Josie (Tarbell) Topefer—born 11/24/21 Jacob Paul Conrad to Keith and Jen (Meitl) Conrad—baptized 10/9/21 Kate Felicity Schiedermayer to Daniel and Erin (Hastings) Schiedermayer—born 3/24/22 June Evangeline Labrie to Nick and Parter (wait) Labrie—baptized 11/27/2021 Kacey Rose Meler to Rachel and Josh Meler—born 1/22/22 Isabelle Claire Thelen to Katie (Huslig) and Bryan Thelen—born 10/14/21 Cecilia Rosemary Hurd of Kristin (Kennalley) and Nathaniel Hurd—12/18/21 Magnus Chesterton Kemnitz to Matt and Olivia () Kemnitz—Born 1/10/22 Peter George Hauser to Adam and Kim (Krenek) Hauser on—1/11/22 Liam Arends to Mitch and Sarah (Regan) Arends—born 1/22/22

10

In Memoriam Wertin Baptism

Seckfort Baptism

Sr. Marcella Schrant, 95, an Ursuline

Sister of Mount Sait Joseph passed away on September 25, 2021. She practiced her vocation for 76 years as a religious sister. Sr. Marcella served as the grandmother figure at the Center for many years. Her warm welcome and smile were the first things that greeted students as they entered the doors.

Sr. Marcella loved getting to be around college students and teach them how to play bridge. Her love for Jesus was evident and she found a way to see Jesus in everyone that she encountered. We are thankful that we were able to be a part of her story and know that she helped change the lives of many who walked through the doors at the St. Lawrence Center.

Labrie Baptism

Munoz Baptism

Tarantino Wedding

Sorentino Wedding

Frank Sabatini, 89, passed away on

Williams Wedding

Wolf Wedding 11

October 24, 2021. Frank was a firstgeneration Italian immigrant and came to KU on a football scholarship. He graduated with a BS in Industrial Management and a Juris Doctorate. Frank has been known as the Godfather of the St. Lawrence Center over the years as he partnered with Msgr.

Krische to fundraise and build the Center that is here today. We are thankful for his zeal, leadership, and generosity to help establish the mission of the Catholic Church at the University of Kansas.

Address Change? Receiving multiple copies?

Want to unsuscribe? If so, contact us: 1631 Crescent Rd. Lawrence, KS 66044 (785) 843-0357 kucatholic.org | mhackett@kucatholic.org

Staff Fr. Mitchel Zimmerman Fr. Dan Morris Sr. Elena Morcelli, AVI Sr. Ruth Kuefler, AVI Sr. Raffaella Cavallin, AVI Stacy Cretors Ellen Flood Nick Labrie Molly Hackett Misty Stephenson Mark Wertin Brenna Dillon Madison Abbott John Michael Lucido, FOCUS Sarah Wessel, FOCUS Sean Clennan, FOCUS Erin Kasprowicz, FOCUS Kellie Flemming, FOCUS

UPCOMING EVENTS For More Information, Check Out KuCatholic.org

May 15, 2022 8:30am

Nov 19, 2022 5:30pm

Graduation Mass & Champagne Celebration

Divine Winefest

Fiorella’s in Overland Park

St. Lawrence Center

@KUCATHOLIC

@KUCATHOLICS

Follow us on social media and help us spread awareness by using #KUCATHOLIC 12