Pictured: Students packed the new church for Magnify on August 24, 2023.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
St. Mary’s Catholic Center exists to form apostles for the Church and the world. We do this with college-aged students who attend Texas A&M University, Blinn College, and RELLIS campus. The achievements outlined in this annual report would not be possible without your support!
Pictured: Fr. Will Straten ‘00 leads the Eucharistic Procession of over 600 Aggie Catholics through the campus of Texas A&M University on April 4, 2024.
Howdy From Aggieland!
As we reflect on the past year, my heart is filled with immense gratitude for the incredible generosity and unwavering support shown to the St. Mary’s Catholic Center community. In July 2023, we dedicated the new church and because of this blessing, we can accommodate even more students and parishioners!
Your contributions have been instrumental in advancing our mission to form apostles for the Church and the world. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to expand our outreach and serve our students in innovative and impactful ways.
One of the remarkable aspects of our ministry in Aggieland is the sheer scale of our outreach—the vast number of students and, in particular, the large community of faith-filled students. This extensive reach necessitates a talented and dedicated team to oversee the numerous groups, organizations, and opportunities we offer. Your kindness and generosity have allowed us to enhance our ministry, extending our reach beyond Catholic students to include many others seeking spiritual growth. This has helped create a more vibrant and welcoming environment for everyone in search of spiritual nourishment and community. The positive impact of your generosity is evident in the joyful faces of our Aggie Catholic students, the comfort experienced by those who visit us, and the strengthened connections within our community.
Looking forward, I am filled with hope and excitement for the year ahead. With your continued support, we aim to expand our ministries, deepen our community engagement, and further enrich the spiritual lives of all our members. Together, we can build on the strong foundation we have laid and reach new heights in our shared mission.
Thank you once again for your incredible support. Your faith, prayers, and generosity are the foundation of our Aggie Catholic community. May God bless you abundantly for your kindness, and may we continue to journey together in faith and service.
Sincerely,
Fr. Will Straten ‘00 – Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Center
Pictured: Fr. Jakob Hurlimann processes with the monstrance as students adore our Eucharistic Lord at Aggie Awakening 123. This year marks 40 years of Aggie Awakenings at St. Mary’s Catholic Center. We give thanks to our Almighty God for the thousands of students who have attended Aggie Awakening and encountered Christ and His Church over the past 40 years.
In the fall of my junior year at Texas A&M, I attended the Aggie Awakening retreat #120 at St. Mary’s Catholic Center. At that time, I was involved in liturgical ministries and had fallen in love with Jesus in the liturgy, but I struggled to find Him outside of it. As the retreat began, I felt apprehensive until Fr. Chris Smith spoke about being open to the workings of the Holy Spirit. His words set the tone for me to embrace everything the retreat had to offer. By the end of Friday night, I sensed that Jesus had something special in store for me.
Through the talks, activities, and especially through time in prayer and liturgies, the Lord began to remove the scales from my eyes and soften my heart. A profound moment occurred during Eucharistic Adoration on Saturday night when I saw Jesus Christ physically present among us. It was then that I started to truly understand the unity of Christ in each one of us, His Church. Though I had known this intellectually, Aggie Awakening 120 was where the Lord made it known in my heart.
As the retreat continued into Sunday, I realized that as members of the Body of Christ, we can be Christ to one another in small and significant ways. Whether through a simple letter or the profound act of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we have the power to lift each other up to God.
These intertwined truths—that we are united in the Body of Christ and can be Christ to one another—allowed me to see Christ in others more clearly. They taught me to love my brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ through prayer and action, especially in the Holy Mass, where the entire Church is united in His Body, the Eucharist, His very flesh, and precious blood offered to the Father.
This love that Jesus bestows on us through His Body, the Church, is the essence of Aggie Awakening and why it has such a profound impact. Ultimately, it is not just the message of Aggie Awakening but the message of Jesus, who calls us to new life. To be awakened to the light of the Resurrection is to understand that He is love, and to reside in His Body, the Church, is to be loved and to love.
– Doye Baker ‘24 Seminarian, Diocese of Austin – Propaedeutic Stage
FY 2023 – 2024
Thanks to the generosity of donors past and present, here are the highlights we accomplished together:
Our Hispanic Student Ministry, Pescadores, has experienced tremendous growth. Weekly meeting attendance has soared from 25 students to an average of 100.
207%
Increase in Hispanic Ministry attendance
Similarly, our fall and spring retreats saw a 112% increase in student retreatants and staffers, and small group accompaniment jumped by 247%, from 14 to 50 participants. These numbers illustrate the thriving community and support network we’ve built for Hispanic students.
111%
Increase in involvement of Cadets, Greeks, and Athletes
We have seen a 111% increase in the involvement of Cadets, Greeks, and Athletes in FOCUS Bible Studies, with participation rising from 308 to 652. This surge reflects our dedicated efforts to reach diverse student groups and integrate faith deeply into their lives.
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program continues to flourish in our community. This year we celebrated:
33 Baptisms
53 Professions of Faith
86 Confirmations
This marks a 32% increase in total participants from last year.
Average Sunday Mass attendance has risen significantly, with a 42% increase, from 2,633 to 3,749. We are truly grateful to have the space in the new church to welcome so many new students!
3,749 Students attend Mass at least weekly
Our Marriage Preparation program guided 61 couples this year, up by 11% from last year. These sessions are vital in helping young couples build strong, faith-centered marriages.
Our John 15 program serves as outreach to freshmen at Texas A&M, Blinn, & RELLIS. Retention improved this year, with 62% of freshmen attending more than half of the meetings, up from 56%.
565
1,467 Students involved in John 15 Students involved in weekly small groups
Home Groups, our weekly small group ministry, saw a 42% increase in participants, growing from 175 to 250, and a 50% increase in leaders, rising from 20 to 30. This expansion demonstrates the growing desire for deeper community and spiritual growth among our students.
Connect, our retreat for new students, had 486 attendees this year. Our focus on retention paid off significantly, with 72% of participants getting involved at St. Mary’s after the retreat, compared to 50% last year.
None of this would be possible without your support! Together, we are forming apostles for the Church and the world.
How the Ministry is funded:
We could not do this without you.
The Living Faith Society (LFS) is an essential part of St. Mary’s Catholic Center, directly supporting our annual fund and enabling us to carry out our mission with college students at Texas A&M University, Blinn College, and RELLIS campus. Your recurring gifts play a crucial role in covering operational expenses, supporting various programs, and maintaining our facilities. We are profoundly grateful for your consistent support, which enables us to focus on forming apostles for the Church and the world. We are humbled by the generosity of our Living Faith Society members, whose recurring donations provide a stable and reliable revenue stream for St. Mary’s. Your ongoing contributions not only sustain our daily operations but also empower us to dream bigger and plan more effectively for the future. Your commitment and its significant impact on our community are truly appreciated. Thank you for being an essential part of our mission.
1204 524 $87
37% 30%
Living Faith Society (LFS)
5% 6% 2%
Endowment Distribution
Parking Revenue Diocesan Subsidy
Major Gifts & Other Donations
20%
Sunday Collection
Thank you for supporting St. Mary’s!
We exist to provide campus minsitry to over 17,000 Catholic students at Texas A&M University, Blinn College, and RELLIS. Without the financial resources of a typical parish, St. Mary’s relies on the gifts of thousands of generous benefactors – parents, students, former students, friends, charitable foundations, and YOU!
Your support through the Living Faith Society is more than just a financial contribution; it is a testament to your belief in our mission and your desire to make a lasting impact. We are deeply thankful for each and every member of the LFS, whose generosity and faithfulness make it possible for St. Mary’s to continue to form apostles for the Church and the world.
Please note: To keep your donation information secure, we are choosing not to publish the names of our generous benefactors. St. Mary’s financial position for FY-’24 including the closeout of the New Church Campaign will be shared in the ‘Annual Community Report,’ which will be made public before the end of the year.
Pictured: The New Church Dedication Mass with Bishop Joe Vasquez held on July 29, 2023.
The Holy Spirit is at Work in Aggieland!
In my role as RCIA Director, I’m always fascinated to learn how God works to bring students back to the Catholic Church. For some, it’s through Fr. Mike Schmitz; for others, a Catholic friend; and for some, a mystical experience in prayer. But this past semester (Spring 2024), God was showing off.
I was talking to one of the students in my RCIA class, and I learned that she had been baptized Catholic and received her First Communion, but then her family stopped going to church. Sadly, this is a common refrain. However, as she was entering her senior year at A&M, she decided to be confirmed. Naturally, I was curious about what led her back to the faith. She told me this story:
“I hadn’t gone to Mass since I was a little girl, and I hadn’t been to Mass since I had been at A&M. But in the fall of 2023, my roommate’s boyfriend was taking a religion class on campus. One of his assignments was to attend a new religious service and write about his experience. He had been raised Hindu, but he had heard about St. Mary’s and wanted to see the new church. My roommate wasn’t Catholic, but I volunteered to take him since I had been raised Catholic. When I took him that Sunday, it was my first time seeing the new church, and I was moved to tears by its beauty. I encountered God that day for the first time in a long time, and I wanted more. I signed up for RCIA this past semester, and it has been so life-giving to make space for God again in my life. My friend didn’t become Catholic, but I know that God used him to bring me back home.”
Furthermore, we have our biggest November initiation class ever and are expecting more than 25 Baptisms! My jokes haven’t gotten any better, so I chalk it up to our new church drawing in those who are curious and the Holy Spirit taking it from there.
– Kevin Pesek ‘10 Director of RCIA & Marriage Preparation
April 4, 2024.
Pictured: 600+ Aggie Catholics gathered for Benediction at the end of the Eucharistic Procession through the campus of Texas A&M University on
Together, We are forming apostles for the Church and the world.
Your generosity enables us to foster a nurturing environment where students encounter Jesus, live daily out of that encounter, and live in authentic friendship with each other. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.