Extension Magazine - Fall 2021

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36 INSPIRE Feature Story Campus ministry support is an investment in the Church’s future In the past 10 years alone, Catholic Extension has supported 130 college campus ministries in 68 dioceses. There is a reason for this. Catholic Extension and the dioceses we partner with have been adamantly committed to campus ministry as an investment in the future. In an era when we often decry the aging of church-going Catholics, and mourn the rise in young people leaving the Church, Catholic campus ministries are a refreshing source of hope. Most people associate college towns with images of enthusiastic crowds of young people in football or basketball stadiums, standing and cheering on their favorite team. However, thanks to the creativity of Catholic leaders on many college campuses, one can often find throngs of young people also congregating at Catholic Mass in large numbers in secular universities across the country. Such is the case at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where students pack the pews of Our Lady of Wisdom Church during weekend Masses—kneeling, praying, singing and rejoicing together in a popular and energetic campus parish. Students here are as devout and passionate as any team’s number one fan. Called the “Ragin’ Cajun Catholics,” they are a vibrant, IN Is thereFAITH COLLEGE friendly and deeply faithful presence on the UL Lafayette campus. At this southern Louisiana university, Catholic students do not have to look far in their dormitories, classrooms or clubs to find ABOVE Father Bryce Sibley leads a Mass packed with University of Louisiana at Lafayette students. LEFT During homecoming, Father Bryce Sibley welcomes back three Servidoras— Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará. someone who shares their faith. Catholic Extension’s support of this campus ministry occurred in the early-to-mid-1990s. During this time, Extension helped repair and restore Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center and provided funding to support the operations of the ministry to students on campus.
Extension | Fall 2021 37 to be found on CAMPUSES? A generation later, the investment has clearly paid off. The number of students engaged in Mass, mission trips and prayer groups has increased eight times as much compared to the ‘90s. The number of highly involved student leaders has shot up from about 15 to 250. The ministry, like so many others supported by Catholic Extension, has become an exceptionally strong Catholic campus community. A PLACE OF ENGAGEMENT New students find a welcoming, joyful and deeply faithful community on campus. “If a college student wants to maintain their faith, you need to have a good community,” said Father Bryce Sibley, who served as pastor of Our Lady of Wisdom for 11 years. They become involved in discipleship, retreats, Bible study and mission trips. Word-of-mouth endorsements from fellow students are key to the ministry’s success. Students welcome their friends and classmates to Mass or their many community events. Beyond the faith-filled social life, students are encouraged to pray, reflect on themselves and their relationship with God, and celebrate the sacraments. Father Sibley said he spent a great amount of time hearing confessions and is always finding students praying in the church. “It’s a place where they can find refuge, where they can find peace and quiet,” Father Sibley said. “They can embrace the love of the Lord.” In an age of constant notifications, social media and increased time spent online, it is easy for today’s students to become distracted from their relationship with God, and to feel stressed out and alone. The pandemic surely did not help this situation last year, as it temporarily shut down the church and student center. The center has thankfully reopened. “Being online creates a lot of isolation,” said Father Sibley. “There is a desire for real connectivity.” The church and student center provides these young people with a safe, intimate space to focus on their Catholic faith. They can join youth and Bible study groups and discuss among their peers their convictions, values and the important decisions they are making at this pivotal time in their lives. TODAY’S STUDENTS ARE TOMORROW’S CLERGY The campus ministry produces more than a new class of devoted Catholics each year. In the past 10 years, more than 80 young men and women have discerned their vocations while enveloped in the faith-filled, enthusiastically Catholic life at Our Lady of Wisdom. In the 2020-21 academic year, an astounding 29 seminarians are on
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Extension Magazine - Fall 2021

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