Intercollegiate Mass is the first step

By Susan Bailey | CFP correspondent

PAXTON – An intercollegiate Mass celebrated by Bishop McManus, and a discussion about campus ministry opportunities, were held Saturday at Anna Maria College, an initial step in helping students feel less alone and preparing them for leadership.
The gathering was the result of meetings initiated by Father Donato Infante III, director of the diocesan Office for Vocations.
“Several months ago, Bishop McManus named me vocations director and mentioned that he wanted me to reach out to our colleges, where he is sure men and women are being called to priesthood and religious life,” said Father Infante.
He discovered that students felt isolated, with little or no support structure, even though priests celebrated weekly Masses on their campuses. Several of the 13 colleges in the diocese had no formal Newman club or campus minister.
“Something was not working,” said Father Infante. He consulted a friend outside the diocese who had experience in campus ministry.
“She suggested trying to connect students who are in the smaller Newman clubs together,” he said. “They could have fellowship, be trained in evangelization, and then, once their groups grew or had critical mass, they could be independent.”
Father Infante met with Father David Engo, Catholic chaplain at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
“It became apparent that we needed to invite the campus ministers to a lunch meeting to see if we had a sense of what was going on for campus ministry across the diocese and form a cohesive vision,” said Father Infante.
The meeting was arranged in coordination with the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Timothy Messenger. Meeting with them were Melissa LaNeve from Anna Maria and Monsignor Francis J. Scollen and Deacon Peter Nguyen, who serve Clark University from St. Peter Parish.
“We realized a lot of campuses no longer had Newman clubs or up-to-date contact information,” said Ms. LaNeve. “We discussed how to help the students form clubs, not feel so alone, and have the tools to be leaders in their communities.”
It was decided that an Intercollegiate Mass was the way to begin.
Bishop McManus celebrated the Mass, with Fathers Infante and Engo concelebrating and Deacon John A. Franchi, who ministers at Anna Maria, assisting.
Participants included seminarians Derek Mobilio and Jakob Pohlman and about 20 students from WPI, some of whom led the music, and Anna Maria, two of whom were lectors. All the colleges in the diocese were invited, Ms. LaNeve said. Others did not have representatives there; transportation is a problem.
“The greatest act of mercy was the cross of Christ,” Bishop McManus said in his homily. “When the blood and water flowed from the pierced heart of Christ, a flood of mercy went from the cross and spread throughout all of creation, and has swept you and me up in this huge ocean of divine mercy and love.”
After Mass, over pizza and ice cream, the students talked about what they would like to see in campus ministry.
Their suggestions for ways to get together and support one another included a weekend retreat for all those attending college in the diocese, a localized version of the Steubenville East youth conferences, and a weekly Mass to which students could invite friends. The “Ask a Priest” series done at WPI was also considered a good program, especially for students who have questions but may not consider themselves “religious.”
Father Engo encouraged the students to be persistent when inviting friends: “Begin with the personal invite; sometimes the repetitive invite and then more repetitive invites!”
He also outlined the challenges Catholic students face.
“At a lot of our schools you have a parish close to the school, and it’s the kids making the effort to get to the parish and the priest having the time to be able to get to the school, and then coordinating with the kids who come regularly and form them into a group,” he said. “If they are actually forming a college ministry, they need an academic advisor who can help them form the club. It’s a challenge because you have to work through the administrators of the school.”
Students were also informed about gatherings they can attend.
Mr. Messenger told about two activities in Worcester that his office sponsors: Theology on Tap talks with socializing, held the third Tuesday of each month at the Compass Tavern, and Adoration with Praise and Worship, held on first Fridays at Our Lady of Providence Parish.
Father Infante told about a national conference held in December/January, during the winter break. Known as the Student Leader Summit, it offers classes and workshops given by renowned Catholic speakers, along with Mass, confessions, adoration, concerts and Catholic comedian performances.
Father Infante offered to arrange for a group from the diocese to attend the conference, which takes place in Phoenix, Arizona.

See related photo album
https://www.catholicfreepress.org/photoalbums/campus-ministry