Fall 2022 Semester In Review

"The Newman Center has helped me to grow in my faith in many ways this semester. I loved having the opportunity to go to adoration and mass after classes, as well as just being in a community of people who want to love, serve, and grow in their faith as much as I do!" Evan M, Computer Science, 2026

"I have enjoyed being with everybody. I can't pick my favorite event--the Coffeehouse, the Christmas party; I got to lead by being Emcee. My time at Newman has helped me by offering me great friends who want to see me deepen my faith."  Gabriella T, Economics, 2026
 

The Fall 2022 semester has been full of opportunities to encounter truth, goodness, and beauty, in the people, places, and activities of Towson University’s Catholic Campus Ministry.

We began the semester with our Welcome Week activities, where we see so much joy and promise in faces new and returning. 70 students attended the Back to School BBQ on September 1, and it was evident that people want to become involved and grow deeper in faith and community, from a hunger that seems to have grown in recent years. We’ve had 45 freshmen students register to be part of Catholic Campus Ministry; several have joined Bible Studies, and a few already want to become student leaders!

This ministry is blessed by the support of so many wonderful people. Bishops Parker and Lewandowski, and Archbishop Lori himself, all celebrated Sunday Mass for our community this semester. They gave such inspiring and challenging homilies: on the remarkable and even reckless love of Jesus, seeking out the lost sheep; on the amazing power of prayer that unites us to Christ and to all who pray; and on the God of life, who calls us to eternal salvation. They even broke bread and shared brunch with the students afterwards. We have also been blessed by those who volunteer to serve our community. Several parish groups, Knights of Columbus and Ladies' Auxiliary, and even parent volunteers, have provided incredible meals during our weekly Newman Nights, which bring together the whole community for food, fellowship, and formation.

We have heard from so many inspiring people and stories. Father Steven Roth, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, has been a mainstay in our community. He continues to support our students as they engage in the discernment of a holy vocation, in the many ways in which God calls us to fullness of life. At our Thursday Night Talks, or “TNTs,” we learned more about the nature of, the need for, and how to recognize in our lives the transcendental attributes of God Himself: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Deacon Fritz Bauerschmidt reflected on Beauty drawing our senses, especially sight and sound, into the life of God. Father Francis Ouma reminded us that real Truth is not just going with the crowd, but in seeing the power of God at work in our world. Finally, Sister Lucero Romero inspired us to remember the best things we have experienced, and to strive for letting the best be our goal.

The call to Beauty was seen in action when over 50 seminarians of the Archdiocese of Baltimore came to give the Newman Center an extreme makeover. They painted, removed junk, cleaned up the garden, and even tore up stinky old carpeting! Their hard work certainly inspired the students to care for our spiritual home here in the Newman Center.

Goodness has been revealed in the desire to increase our presence in the wider community. We have partnered with the missionaries of Source of All Hope to offer evangelization and friendship to those living on the streets of Baltimore City. We are even coordinating a sock collection to help our friends stay warm in the months ahead--so far, over 300 pairs of socks collected! We have also enjoyed sharing in activities and fellowship with students from UMBC, Loyola, and Johns Hopkins, going on hikes, and hosting Catholic campus ministry get-togethers. We hope to continue these collaborative and fun events, especially when we travel together to meet and pray with college students from around the country at FOCUS’ national conference, SEEK23 in St. Louis, Missouri in January.

We are called to live and witness to Truth, especially in our interactions on campus. We hear about how John the Baptist is “a voice crying out in the desert;” in many ways, the college landscape in this secular age can be a spiritual desert, as so many wander through life, thirsting for meaning. Through the impact of campus ministry, the students come to receive life in abundance, as Jesus calls us to refreshment, light, peace, and purpose. Thank you for supporting us in this journey.

To support Catholic ministry at Towson University, visit our giving page here!