USD Magazine, Spring 1996

Amid all the activity, however, university ministry is perhaps best described by the program's director, Father John D. Keller, O.S.A. Father Keller, who came to USD last August, calls uni– versity ministry "a focal point for realizing USD's deep

Finding ways to build relationships has long been a part of USD ministry. The tradition of off-campus retreats dates to 1969, when students initiated The Big Old Sharing Session, or BOSS Weekend, a loosely organized weekend of activities meant to foster self-awareness and promote better relationships. Pitard recalls attending BOSS Weekends as a student. "BOSS Weekend meant branching out in new directions and realizing that beyond providing Masses and reconciliation, there was a need to tap into the students' spiritual growth in other ways," she says. These days, university ministry plans retreats that are more contemplative and tailored to specific groups, such as women's and athletes' retreats. They also are developing a two-day City of God Retreat, which will be an effort to see the beauty and wonders of San Diego as well as the hardships. "It's a little like helping fish recognize water. The students aren't going to say, 'Wow, the Price Club,'" says Keller. "The only way we can contrast that is to go simpler: Go to St. Vincent de Paul with those hardships, then bring them to the Missionaries of Charity who live the simple life of Mother Teresa. Then talk about poverty and hardship and explain that when it's imposed, it makes a difference. One ennobles and the other diminishes, and yet it's the same thing in a way." The retreats are always popular with students. Rich Youska '87, a marketing executive who now lives in Wichita, Kan., fondly remembers taking part in outreach weekends and cam– pus food drives, and says those experiences still affect his life. "I have very strong feelings about the retreats,'' says Youska, who continued his volunteer work when he traveled to Croatia three years ago as part of an international relief team. "Getting together with a group of people from different backgrounds and religions, and building a community around that, was one of my best experiences." Reaching Out to Other Faith Traditions A Roman Catholic university in mission and tradition, USD expects students to take classes to learn about other religions and gain understanding and respect for their traditions. The annual All-Faith Service held at the lmmaculata draws partici– pants of different faiths and different communities. In addition to the All-Faith Service, which came about after a similar ser– vice was held in San Diego during the 1987 Soviet Arts Festival, university ministry offers Hispanic and Latin Masses. "My dream is for students to leave USD with a tolerance for other religions and other cultures, so we don't replicate Israel, Ireland or Bosnia,'' Monsignor Eagen says. "There has to be a way of instilling in young people a respect for other religions. When you end up fighting, it's too late." To further that mission, a number of activities supporting cultural diversity and spiritual enrichment are part of universi– ty ministry. Monsignor Eagen and Sister Betsy Walsh arrange for faculty to hear speakers discuss theological and spiritual topics at monthly colloquiums. Sister Cullen organizes a prayer

Catholic heritage, in old ways and new." The Liturgical Ministry

In years past, when the campus ministry department was quite small, students were required to attend certain religious func– tions, including First Friday Mass (caps and gowns required) and the annual spiritual retreat. But outreach was limited to the resources at hand. "When I was teaching here, there was one priest in campus ministry for about a thousand students," says Monsignor Eagen, who was a professor at San Diego University's College for Men from 1960 to 1965. "As priests, we helped hear con– fessions and celebrated Mass, but primarily we were teaching." Today, even with the addition of numerous volunteer activi– ties, university ministry continues to focus on the liturgy, with 500 to 600 students gathering for Mass in Founders Chapel each Sunday. "The liturgy is the biggest regular gathering of students on campus, and there is a great deal of participation in the prepara– tion and follow-up for special liturgical events," says Father Keller. "The students are very active and generous with their time." In addition to offering Mass, university ministry staff respond to members of the university community who choose to deepen a commitment to the Catholic Church through the sacraments of baptism or confirmation. Every year, Sister Irene Cullen '61, who has spent the past 30 years in ministry, guides students who wish to be baptized through a program of religious instruc– tion and prayer. The classes last two to three hours every Sunday night and run from September through April. "Some start with nothing, no religious background at all," she says. "Our focus is to help them find out if they're praying, if they see Jesus Christ as important in their lives. It's not how we might have been at their age, but God is working." Ministering to Generation X USD's educators have always strived to give students perspec– tive about moral, ethical and social issues. But each generation is unique in its concerns and approach. Father Keller, along with representatives from the other two major universities in San Diego, UCSD and SDSU, is planning a joint presentation on Generation X for residence directors and counseling depart– ments. Aimed at the special needs of this generation of students, the presentation is also a way to build community among the universities.

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