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Campus Ministry

The Department of Campus Ministry encourages students, faculty, and staff of JCU to integrate personal faith into the academic and social environment of the University. We value the University’s commitment to academic pursuits and welcome the opportunities we have to bring a Catholic and Ignatian faith perspective to bear on issues and trends that may surface in various disciplines and in a variety of social milieus. We have identified the following statements as our purpose.

  • We embrace the Jesuit, Catholic intellectual tradition as an indispensable partner in the search for truth and wisdom.

  • We promote the service of faith and the promotion of justice through education, advocacy, service, and reflection.

  • We foster the development of whole persons who become servant leaders in their local and global faith communities.

  • We provide an open, caring, hospitable, and collaborative atmosphere that supports the mission of the University.

  • We establish a sense of community through vibrant worship, retreats, small faith communities, and immersion experiences.

  • We celebrate a diversity of faith and spiritual perspectives that seeks both wisdom and a fuller spiritual life.

  • We recognize Eucharist as our primary liturgical experience, while at the same time making it our mission to walk with students of all faiths and no faith.  We hope that students who come to JCU as Muslims will graduate more fully committed to Islam; and Jewish students will graduate more in love with Judaism, etc..

Faith and justice are at the heart of the programs, liturgies, retreats, immersions, small faith communities, interfaith activities, and social justice opportunities that Campus Ministry promotes. Students are encouraged to explore, deepen, and celebrate their faith, be they Catholic, non-Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Jew, or unaffiliated.

Campus Ministry organizes immersion experiences for the University community. These experiences offer students the opportunity to travel with faculty and staff to rural, urban, domestic, and international destinations, where we serve others, experience their cultures, and build lasting friendships. Recent locations include Mexico, Ecuador, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, the U.S./Mexico border, Cleveland, Appalachia, and Louisville.

Our retreat programs offer students the opportunity to pray, recreate, and reflect in an environment away from the busyness of campus culture. Many of the retreat programs are rooted in Ignatian spirituality, including the First-Year Retreat, Manresa Retreat, Leadership Retreat, and the Eight-Day Silent Retreat, which is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

While retreats offer a focused time for prayer and reflection off-campus, our Carroll Faith Communities (small faith-sharing groups) offer students an ongoing way to integrate faith into their college experience. Groups are student-led and consist of six to ten students who meet weekly in the residence halls.

Campus Ministry also serves the community by celebrating our faith through liturgies and prayer services, including the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Parent and Family Weekend Mass, Christmas Carroll Eve, and the Baccalaureate Mass. In addition to interfaith and other seasonal prayer services, eight Eucharistic liturgies are offered each week of the academic year. Hundreds of students provide liturgical leadership by serving as liturgy committee members, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, hospitality ministers, Mass coordinators (sacristans), cantors, choir members, and musicians.

Currently, part-time members of the Campus Ministry staff live in the residence halls, where they serve as Resident Ministers and Graduate Assistants.