Browsing Category

Service

Being “Christ in the City”

Written by Abby Kowitz, Catholic Studies Alumna, Class of 2012

As a recent college grad, most people nod their heads in approval when I tell them I have a degree in Accounting, but that same head nod quickly turns into a sort of confused neck spasm when I nonchalantly add that I also have a degree in Catholic Studies; and the great paradox is, that if given the ultimatum, I would drop the Accounting and cling to my Catholic Studies education in a heartbeat. Why? Because Catholic Studies has not only formed my perspective of my work, but has permeated every aspect of my life.

When it came time to decide what to do after graduation, one thought continued to ring loud and clear: “Our times need disciples for Christ who are willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel.” Okay…that sounds great, but how do we actually do it? How do we do the seemingly impossible placed on our hearts by a realistic yet demanding Father?

I started to answer this by recognizing that I am a daughter of God and a member of the Body of Christ. I have been given everything with which to do anything, just not the controller. I have been called to use my talents and gifts to serve the Lord under no conditions, and after pretending for many months that my plan was better than His, I admitted that He knew better and am now serving as a missionary with Christ in the City in Denver, Colorado for one year.

Something that I will forever hold onto from my Catholic Studies education is that true leadership has everything to do with our being and nothing to do with our title; it is who we are, and not what we do. It has taken four months of humble missionary work for me to really internalize that definition in a practical way. Being a missionary, you are on the bottom of the Totem Pole… and I mean the literal bottom.

Why can’t someone more qualified process payroll as the Accountant for Christ in the City? Why does it matter that it’s me and not a random social worker counseling the young women who walk into the crisis pregnancy center? Couldn’t I be doing something better with my time than washing dishes by hand for the fifth time that day for my fellow missionaries and community members?

The answer is that it does matter that this person is me. I need to be the one processing payroll, and sitting with that vulnerable woman, and washing what seems like hundreds of dishes, because by recognizing that it is not what I am doing, but that I have literally been called to be Christ in these moments, that those seemingly small things take on the capacity to permeate and radically change our culture.

“Our times need disciples for Christ who are willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel…”

Thank you, Catholic Studies, for inspiring this desire within me, and thank you Jesus and Mary, for giving me the courage and grace to respond to it through Christ in the City!

December 11, 2012 by Catholic Studies

Catholic Social Thought, Leadership Internships, Service

Rocky Mountain High

Written by Catherine Huss ’14, Catholic Studies and Fashion Design

This past June, I went on the Catholic Students Leadership Interns bi-annual trip to Denver, CO. I could probably write an entire 10-page essay on all the things we did, not to mention how it all impacted me, but for your sake I will try to give you the abbreviated version.

The year’s theme for the Interns was “charity,” and what better place to see that in practice than at one of the nation’s most active and thriving Catholic Charities location in Denver, CO.? On May 22nd, thirty college students, one priest, and I got on a plane for the Rocky Mountains, looking forward to a 10-day trip that ended up changing my life and my views on everything.

The common sentiment among the Interns in years past has been “not much of what we learn throughout the year will make sense until the Spring Institute at the end. Then it will all just click.” How true that is. Now don’t get me wrong, I learned plenty of things throughout the year, very informative and helpful things from how to run a Christ-centered business, to why marriage between a man and a woman matters, to what my temperament is and how that can play out while being a leader. Before this year I thought charity meant giving money to the poor and collecting canned goods. However, the overall theme and meaning of charity came alive for me because of our trip to Denver.

The ten days were anything but boring. Our schedules were jam-packed with visits to the happening places in the Archdiocese, monumental Churches, homeless shelters, informational sessions at Catholic Charities as well as a talent show, dinners out, and intense games of Mafia. We also spent most of our time with missionaries there who were part of a program called “Christ in the City.” They hosted us, showed us the town, taught us about their ministry and shared their world with us. In fact, their witness had such a great impact on our group that after the visit, three of the Interns decided to do a year of missionary work with them!

The most influential moment of the trip came when we were to live a day in the life of a missionary by participating in “Street Walking.” This is when you walk the main roads of downtown Denver and just spend time with those on the streets there. I. Was. Terrified. I seriously contemplated saying I was sick so that I wouldn’t have to go. I had never done anything like this before and I feared the worst. What if they ignore me, are rude to me or ridicule me for thinking I could make a difference? We were all worried at first, “what if we go up to someone and they’re not actually homeless?” That definitely happened a few times, and someone even asked an intern if she was homeless! Sometimes you would say hello to someone and they would take that invitation, run with it and talk unceasingly for hours. Others wouldn’t even look you in the eye or say a word. But what we learned was that the most valuable thing you can give someone experiencing homelessness is your time. To show that someone cares about them, that they are not forgotten, that they indeed still possess an inherent dignity just by stopping to say hello is huge. Most people ignore them and walk past like they don’t even exist.

We met people from all walks of life, with all types of personalities. Some people were very hopeful, positive, cheerful, and faithful. Others were very desperate, rude and angry. Some people had excellent grammar and manners, others were disabled and in wheel chairs. But this exercise taught me more than just to spend time with the downtrodden. It taught me that the dignity of the human person is most important and it needs to be cherished and upheld at all times—whether it is the person experiencing homelessness on the street, or the person walking by him in a Gucci suit on his way to a business meeting. Their soul is more important than their current state of life. I ought to do what I can with what I have to preserve that.

Through the Leadership Interns program, I have come to learn what charity really means. It is not only a big benefit one attends once a year, but rather a lifestyle. We are called to act charitably by making small sacrifices for those around us. To speak charitably to all those we interact with by being loving, kind and uplifting, and to honor, praise and glorify He who is charity Himself.

October 9, 2012 by Catholic Studies

Catholic at UST, Service

A Catholic VISION

Paige Patet, ‘13, English and COJO

I know how to ask three questions in Spanish: What is your name?, How old are you?, and Where’s the bathroom? So when I exited the Guatemalan airport alongside my fellow VISION participants with three weeks of sunshine, black beans, and cockroaches ahead of me, I was nervous. On a trip that is intended for students to explore their spiritualties, how could I continue my search if I couldn’t even understand the community I was living with or even the readings at mass?

I remember asking myself this question early on in the trip while sitting on the roof of our hotel. I looked out at Lake Atitlan and the mountains surrounding us. The wind blew empty bottles positioned on standing stakes rattling them like marimbas. The sun slowly dipped in a sky of pinks and oranges. In that moment I could perfectly understand God’s presence Continue Reading

February 10, 2012 by cath

Alumni, Service

Presence of Christ in the city (literally)

Irma Montes-Alumna Spotlight

Posted by Irma Montes, Catholic Studies Alumna ’11

During my four years at St. Thomas I never really knew exactly what the Lord was preparing me for, but I knew St. Thomas was where I needed to be. I was fortunate to have many professors who really wanted to emphasize the importance of intellectual formation from a Catholic perspective.

As a Catholic Studies student, I came to understand that we need to have well formed minds in order to make sound decisions. Personally, I realized quickly as graduation got closer that it is a privilege to have a well formed mind. I then realized that I didn’t want to jump into the work force right away; I needed to give myself time to mature and just let the privilege I have been given set in a bit more.

ccdenver Because of my experience with Catholic Studies, I knew that I needed to be doing something that involved formation of my mind and personal growth. In stepped Christ in the City. Continue Reading

October 12, 2011 by cath

Alumni, Faith and Career, Service

The Call to Love: An Alumna Shares Her Vision

Cap Corps Midwest 2010-2011 group, Laura is front-left

Ten months ago, I was a Senior at UST, majoring in Catholic Studies and English with no idea what the next step would be after graduation. If you would have asked me my plans, I probably would have shrugged and given a vague answer about looking for a teaching position in the Cities. I certainly didn’t intend to move to South Chicago for a year, but the Lord had other plans! So here I am, as a full-time volunteer with Cap Corps Midwest (with the Capuchin Franciscans), marveling every day at the mere fact that I am here.

November 9, 2010 by cath

Catholic Social Thought, Faith and Career, Service, Student Profiles

Structure and Love: How Social Work and Catholic Studies Compliment One-Another

Photo taken from TIME.com

As I am nearing my graduation date, I am asked frequently what my majors are and what I plan to do after I graduate. I respond by explaining that I will have a degree in Catholic Studies and in Social Work. After I mention these majors, I am given a confused look as to why I have paired them together. What does Catholic Studies have to do with social work? How do they relate?

November 2, 2010 by cath

Leadership Internships, Service

Serving Christ & Seeking A New World: Catholic Studies Leadership Interns go to Peru

Posted by Justin, recent Catholic Studies graduate
peru-crosses_june16

As a Catholic Studies Leadership Intern for the past year, I have given the opportunity to develop my leadership skills while expanding my vision of the world. The Catholic Studies internship program seeks to instill principles of leadership in all of its members (29 of us total this year). After a year of study and training on the topic of Hispanic Catholicism, we traveled on a ten day Spring Institute to Peru to see how the Ecclesial movement, Sodalitim Christianae Vitae, has formed a clear vision of seeking “a better, more just, fraternal and reconciled world, committing themselves to the integral development of the human being”. It was an adventure in which my companions and I understood a new culture, made new friends across the sea, and saw the fruits of what a committed group, faithful to Jesus Christ and his Mother, can do to transform a culture with their daily lives and actions.

Fr. Michael Keating and Dr. Jonathan Reyes led our trip to the cities of Lima and Arequipa where we visited the “Soladit” formation houses for men and women, learned about the Incan people at the pagan temple of Pachacamac, and visited the Church of St. Rose and her resting place. We also spent time with students at the secondary education centers of San Pedro (for boys) and Villa Caritas (for girls), as well as the Catholic University of San Pablo. Through these schools, the “Soladits” hope to properly educate the entire person to lead the next generation of bringing about a society of Love. We visited the many social projects lead by the movement including many elementary schools and day cares for poorer children of Lima and Arequipa as well as centers for the handicapped of all ages, who would otherwise be left to their own devices. Perhaps one of the greatest highlights of the trip was meeting the founder of the movement, Luis Fernando Figari, who explained his vision of a better world through a truly Christian culture.

There was so much more that we did and learned during our time with the Sodalitium in Peru which will not fit in such a small blog entry; but I would like to extend my gratitude to our friends, Jose, Andres, Barbara and Carolla, who shared their time and lives with us. They proudly guided us through the Ecclesial movement to which they have devoted themselves, with the hope that their lives and actions will bring about a truly Christian culture of Love in Peru and throughout the world.

June 16, 2009 by cath

Service

Serving the Community

Posted by Molly, UST Sophomore, Psychology and Catholic Studies
When I first heard about Caritas, I knew it was exactly what I needed to be doing. A friend within the Catholic Studies program decided to create an opportunity for other Catholic Studies majors to volunteer at a relatively new school, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School.

March 17, 2009 by cath