By Zachary Keefer
Correspondent
A slide deck of images comes to mind when thinking about the “modern” college experience. All-night bouts of studying. Battles with procrastination. The overwhelming pressure to secure a job that pays well enough to relieve student debt in a reasonable amount of time.
Add to that, newfound freedoms, lures of the world and temptations, and all can contribute to isolation and disunity.
“In an age where everyone is connected, it’s alarming how lonely young people are,” said Kari Janisse, Catholic campus minister at Rowan University, Glassboro. “We need to be just as much, if not more, present.”
Estimates say that anywhere from 60% to 80% of young adults leave their faith behind when they head off to college. Similar figures find that most college students are unaware there are Catholic campus ministries at their schools. That’s where faithful men and women step in, offering to oversee campus ministries such as the Catholic Campus Ministry Club at Rutgers University-Camden, and the Newman Ministry at Rowan and Stockton University, Galloway.
“It’s important to build up faith-based friendships,” said Christeen Perera, president of the ministry club at Rutgers. “College can be full of upheaval, and faith can be a steady presence in the midst of chaos.”
Likewise, Newman Ministry aims to “connect students with a Catholic community on campus, so their faith thrives in college and beyond,” states its website. More than 800 college campuses host Newman Ministry in the form of Newman Houses.
Newman Ministry, “is to be a home base, or reference point, for students to find their way in a constantly changing world with opposing value systems. We provide opportunities for worship, building friendship, learning more about the faith and serving others to help them grow as persons,” said Father John Rossi, pastor of Saint Bridget University Parish, Glassboro.
The Rowan Catholic students play an integral role in the parish community, serving as ushers, altar servers, lectors and more.
“Rowan students bring a special vibrancy to our parish life when they are around,” Father Rossi said. “We definitely notice a difference from September to May. They give hope to me as a priest and remind me of a very favorite quote from the late Pope Benedict XVI, ‘The Church is alive; the Church is young!’”
The Rowan University Newman House used to be a residential home. It is now, “a home away from home,” said Janisse, a 2004 alumna who was president of the campus ministry in her senior year. The house has couches, a full kitchen and a chapel.
Stockton’s Newman House is located off campus, and also offers students a home away from home. Referred to as the Newman Club, students meet bi-weekly on campus on Wednesday evenings. “Newman Club is a great means of connecting back to the Church and learning what it means to be apostles,” said Britany Shields, Stockton’s Catholic campus minister.
Aside from meetings, the Newman Club offers opportunities for student Masses, retreats and various social events. Students are also involved with charity work in the area.
All three leaders agree that campus ministry offers students unique leadership opportunities, as they are student-led under the guidance of the Catholic campus minister.
Gabriele Depaor, a junior at Stockton studying health science, is the secretary and historian of the Newman Club. His duties include running its social media pages and public relations. He sits on what is called the E-board, “the main drivers of the club” who constantly think about “what [we] can do to bring people closer to their faith and keep the club’s culture alive.”
Depaor said he has always been a proud Catholic and joined the club knowing he wanted to continue his faith. For those who don’t know much about faith or religion, “You can really find friends and grow together. Most of the time, it [Newman Club] brings you closer to people you would not expect,” he said.
The unexpected is something in which Perera can relate. Last year was her first at Rutgers as a master’s degree student. Being new to the campus, she said she was happy being a member of the ministry but had no intention of leading. “But then God pushed me to help. That was a real challenge because I had to go outside my comfort zone. [In hindsight], I shouldn’t have doubted myself. I’m glad God showed me the way.”
Perera is working to rebuild the ministry on campus, as the group saw a decline in participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Janisse continues to get the word out about Rowan Catholic, too. In the spring, she and ministry members visited the five diocesan high schools to inform students of their organization. During the visits, Janisse would highlight the benefits of Newman House, focusing on letting “seniors know that faith doesn’t have to end once they leave for college.” Current members also shared reflections from their experiences with Rowan Catholic.
Janisse said that to connect the youth to faith, “We have to concentrate our efforts on offering more. We must go to them and let them know we are right there.”
Jennifer Mauro, managing editor, contributed to this report.
Learn More About College Catholic Campus Ministry
The Catholic campus ministries in the Diocese of Camden have numerous events planned for their college students in the upcoming months. For information, or to join, contact:
Kari Janisse at Rowan University, Glassboro: youthministerkari@gmail.com. The Rowan Newman House is located at 1 Redmond Ave. Rowan Catholic meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday nights for dinner, followed by a 7 p.m. meeting
Britany Shields at Stockton University, Galloway: Britany.Shields@camdendiocese.org. The Catholic Campus Ministry Center is located at 235 Pomona Road. During the semester, the Newman Club holds on-campus, bi-weekly meetings at 8 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of every month, and Newman nights at 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.
Christeen Perera at Rutgers University-Camden: mcp244@scarletmail.rutgers.edu.
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