Feed The Passion Of Your Faith
As a cradle Catholic who was blessed enough to attend Catholic schools for 12 years, I thought I was a pretty good at being a Catholic. After choosing to attend the University of Evansville, I thought to myself, “This may not be a Catholic university, but you have trained 12 years for this. You go to Mass every Sunday and enjoy it. You’ve been to some retreats and pray the occasional rosary. You’re Catholic without being crazy Catholic, right?” I didn’t think that I could find more zeal for my faith than what I grew up knowing.
At college, I knew I wanted to find somewhere on campus where I could continue practicing my Catholic faith while meeting others who did the same, so I joined the Newman Club my freshman year and immediately fell in love. It was through the Newman Club that I began to feel a yearning to learn more about Catholicism. I joined a small group, volunteered on a committee, joined the ministry team, and then began leading a small group. In an indescribable way, the more time I spent in that community of faith, fellowship, and service, the more Catholic I wanted to become. That’s when I began searching for more opportunities to deepen my faith and love in God while having an amazing community around me.
This past fall, I began attending Monday night Adoration and Mass at Sacred Heart Church. Having rarely gone to Adoration, I thought that this would be an excellent way for me to spend more time with the Lord, and let me tell you, I have been looking forward to Monday nights ever since. Aside from going to a weekly Holy Hour, I have met so many awesome people who on fire for their faith in a way that pushes me to want to grow deeper in my own. The funny thing is, after meeting a lot of people, I began to realize that several of our paths have crossed before. Whether it was recognizing someone from a retreat I attended 3 years ago or exchanging the sign of peace with them at Mass last week, these people have become more than friends; they have become brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s such an amazing thing to meet people that I know have shared in the same faith-forming experiences that I have.
That’s the great thing about being Catholic: it’s universal! Attending the SEEK2019 conference with 17,000 others opened my eyes to the vastness of Catholic young adults who are actively diving deeper into their faith. Because of the universal community of Catholicism, someone will always be there to pick you up if you stumble and encourage you to take another step, especially the people on your campus. So, don’t be afraid to jump in and meet people! Go to a Newman meeting one night. Join a bible study or start one of your own. Sign up for a small group. Carpool with others to Mass. You may never know what God has in store for you and who He wants you to meet to help you grow closer to Him.
Kunkler, of Evansville, is a Visual Communications Design Major at UE.
