buff catholic fall 2.. - St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center

Buffalo Catholic
Fall 2008
News from the Catholic Center at the University of Colorado
Volume 2 No. 1
Amazing Camp Wojtyla Experience
Made Possible by Supportive Catholic
Center Community
By Trieu Nguyen, Class of 2010
This summer, deep in the heart of the Rockies, a resounding
cry of “John Paul II!”, was met with an echoing reverence of
“Pray for us!”, time and time again. I was a counselor at the
inaugural Camp Wojtyla, named for our late and beloved
Pope John Paul II, which took place near the St. Malo Retreat Center area in Allenspark, Colorado.
Organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students
(FOCUS), Camp Wojtyla is a camp rooted in faith and outdoor adventures for Colorado high school students. The vision for the camp was conceived by Annie and Scott Powell.
In addition to being FOCUS missionaries and outdoor enthusiasts, their impressive qualifications also include Annie’s
Masters Degree in Adventure Education and Scott’s Masters
Degree in Sacred Scripture. With many prayers from countless people, the Lord fulfilled Annie and Scott’s vision when
the state granted the camp a childcare license, the final roadblock in starting camp, all but two days before the campers
arrived. Praise the Lord!
Thirty-three college students and FOCUS missionaries
(eight of us were affiliated with CU Boulder) came from
all over the nation to act as camp counselors to 60 campers.
Tom Zimmer, a long time outdoor educator, brought his expertise to the children in many powerful ways and the members of the Christian Life Movement brought many spiritual
insights to the staff as well. The camp was divided into three
weeks: the first was an intense week of safety, catechetical,
outdoor training and child psychology instruction for the
counselors; the second was dedicated to the young women
campers led by the female counselors; and the third was camp
for the young men campers, which was led by the male counselors. The campers were divided into teams led by two or
three counselors. Each team was named after a particular
saint who had a love for the outdoors. (continued on Pg.5)
My Internship in Washington:
How God Led Me to D.C.
By Brianne Johnson, Class of 2010
I recently heard a priest say that we can never be saints on our own. God
gives us the gift to follow Him more closely and then He continues to help us succeed.
I was able to experience a little bit of that this summer. I am in no way a saint. However, I could not have embarked on this adventure if God had not given me the gift to
say “yes” and then subsequently showed me how He had everything mapped out for
me.
On May 24th I landed in the Baltimore-Washington International airport,
totally overwhelmed. I am normally a quiet person. I like to stay close to home. What
was I doing in Washington DC? I left Colorado to work for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in their Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.
To be totally honest, I had no idea what the USCCB was or what it did before
I applied for the internship. I now have some insight: the Pro-Life office’s eight-person team, excluding interns, works on the front-lines and the supply-lines of the prolife movement every day. This office sends people to the Hill (continued on Pg.5)
Buffalo Catholic, Fall 2008
A Word From the Pastor
My Dear Friends in Christ,
D’Souza, Janet Smith, and Robert Louis Wilken, among
others, as speakers on campus as well as hundreds of
students involved in the Buffalo Awakening Retreats,
service and social justice ministries and new theological education programs including the Theology of the
Body and a course in Church History for credit at the
University.
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! We have been
extremely busy preparing for a new school year, our yearlong Centennial celebration and the rapid growth at the
Catholic Center. With the arrival of the students in
Boulder, the reason for the hard work is once again tan- As we look to the future, I am inspired by the enthusiasm that the students have for their Catholic faith. We
gible and enlivening.
seek to help them to be formed in the image and likeAs we begin the 100th year of Catholic campus ministry ness of Jesus Christ--mind, body, and soul--so that when
at the University of Colorado-Boulder, I have been re- they leave CU, they will embrace the world as Catholic
flecting on the decades of commitment to campus min- evangelists and leaders for the Church and the world.
istry made by the priests, staff, parishioners, alumni, par- You will see evidence of this in this issue of the Buffalo
ents and friends of St. Thomas Aquinas. The ministry Catholic. Our students are already making an impact
of the Catholic Center today is only possible because of through the evangelization of young people throughout
the years of dedication and commitment so many have Colorado, at the USCCB in Washington, D.C. and in
made in the past. As the saying goes, we stand on the Catholic summer camps in the Rocky Mountains. Furthermore, the Alumni Profile of Dan Caplis exemplifies
shoulders of giants.
the tremendous possibilities for our students’ impact on
The last year has seen tremendous progress. Thanks to our world.
the generosity and dedication of so many, the Catholic
ministry at Boulder was able to reach out to more students on campus, begin a very popular and visible lecture series on campus, on-going education in the Center,
numerous social events and add staff members for these
efforts. We also added hours for Eucharistic Adoration
and the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well as opportunities for service to the community.
So many wonderful things have happened here in the
past two years, and I am full of hope, excitement and
big dreams for the future. The Lord is faithful and he
has showered us with many blessings. I thank God each
day for the opportunity to serve such a wonderful community and important mission. May He who has already
blessed us continue to bring to perfection the good gifts
He has given us so that we might give glory and honor
In this 100th anniversary year, we continually strive to to Him.
Sincerely in Christ,
reach more students with a dynamic ministry. Our cenFather Kevin R. Augustyn
tennial theme is “Christ’s Light Beckons You,” following Pope Benedict XVI’s challenge to young people to
“be guiding stars for others.” This year will host Dinesh
Campus Ministry Staff
Father Kevin Augustyn
Pastor, Director of Campus Ministry
[email protected]
Father Peter Mussett
Parochial Vicar, Asst. Director of Campus Ministry
[email protected]
Matthew Boettger, Director of Outreach and Evangelization
[email protected]
Kelsey Wicks, Associate Director of Outreach and Evangelization
[email protected]
Hilary Rowe, FOCUS Team Director
[email protected]
Margaret Stortz, Catholic Center Office Manager
[email protected]
Megan Dillon, Director of Development
[email protected]
Buffalo Catholic, Fall 2008
New Evangelization in CO: Teaching Totus Tuus
By Carrie Wagner, Class of 2010
The late Pope John Paul II called for a “New Evangelization” to rejuvenate the Church’s mission to share the
Truth of the Gospel. Recognizing the need for vibrant
catechesis to foster renewal, he invested particularly in
the formation of the youth. The Totus Tuus program
is a response to the Holy Father’s call to evangelize and
catechize the Church’s next generation. While the overt
mission of the program is to creatively, energetically, and
accessibly teach the fundamental truths of Jesus Christ
and the Catholic Church with the children, the formation
extends to the college students and seminarians called to
share their faith as teachers.
Totus Tuus is
Latin for “totally
yours”
and conveys
the spirit of
our mission.
As teachers,
we give our
summers entirely to Christ
in order to
share His love
Carrie with two Totus Tuus participants,
and the joy of
Hannah and Maggie
answering His
call to serve with kids and teenagers from the Archdiocese
of Denver and Diocese of Colorado Springs. Because Catholicism can often be reduced to a set of rules and rituals, Totus Tuus focuses catechesis in context of a personal
relationship with a loving God and provides a unique opportunity to encounter the person of Christ. Through
personal catechesis, daily prayer, devotion to the Eucharist in Adoration and Mass, and imitation of our Blessed
Mother’s faithful example of total commitment to God’s
will, teachers learn the joy of exhausting themselves for
the Lord in service of others.
I have had the privilege of teaching two summers of Totus
Tuus and have been profoundly affected by each experience. During my freshman year at CU, I took my first steps
in making my faith my own at the St. Thomas community
with the support of FOCUS. Despite some reluctance
and insecurity, I desired to share the joy and peace I had
found in pursuing Christ through Totus Tuus. Affirming
me in the joy and peace of following His will, the Lord
blessed me abundantly with consolation throughout that
first summer. I came back to CU with an enlivened zeal
and authentic love for the faith that I could share with
the community in Boulder. Because one of the strengths
of Totus Tuus is its effectiveness in engaging individuals
where they are and calling them forth to constant conversion, I taught again, confident that the second summer
would hold an entirely new experience in which the Lord
could challenge and change me. Indeed, the summer presented very different joys, struggles, and growth than the
one before. Rather than simply calling me to serve others
in joy, God challenged me to serve in joy, suffering, and
detachment. In retrospect, it has encouraged to not only
love the faith, but truly love Him and trust that He is constantly transforming me even when I don’t feel His love.
Each summer was vastly different in the way the Lord
worked in and through me. In the beginning, my question was, “How am I going to do this?” and “What in
the world is God doing?” Now, it’s “How is God working in and through me?” and “How did I not see Him
working all along?” In the demand to constantly give of
yourself, even when you have nothing left to give, Totus
Tuus taught me to trust that His grace really is enough.
It is very humbling, but often it is only in humility that
you can encounter Christ. Its mission challenged my selfconfidence in my ability to succeed. In reality, Totus Tuus
far exceeded my own potential for success, not because I
am worthless but precisely because my worth rests in light
of his love, grace, and mercy. As Mother Teresa said, “We
are not called to be successful, but to be faithful.” As I
learned to make daily acts of faith and trust that He was
working through me, I came to see my profound dignity
even amidst my weaknesses. I have realized that regardless of circumstances, emotion, and success, the Lord is
ultimately calling me to one thing – sainthood. It is in
that universal call to holiness that we all strive for greatness. It is in the recognition of
my brokenness that I can accept
his grace, receive his love, and be
sanctified by the Holy Spirit. It
is through his wisdom that I can
understand that I am unique and
unrepeatable. It is in my freedom to respond to the new life
within me that I can unceasingly
exhaust myself for love of Christ.
As I come back to CU to participate in the “New Evangelization”, I pray that through total
surrender, my perpetual choice
to love, and an authentic gift of
self that I can persevere in being
“totus tuus.”
Profile
AlumniAlumni
Profile
D
an Caplis is a founding partner of Caplis & Deasy, LLC. Dan
graduated with honors from the University of Colorado, where
he also served as student body President, and was named The National
Evans Scholar of the Year. Dan was then awarded a Juris Doctor degree
from the University of Colorado School of Law.
Dan has been litigating catastrophic injury cases since he began practicing law in 1983. Dan is frequently called on to handle cases which
are the subject of extensive local and/or national interest. Dan is also
a respected legal analyst, and he has been a regular guest on national
interview shows such as Larry King Live and The O’Reilly Factor.
“Campus ministry is vital because it reaches kids at a defining
moment in their lives.It gives them shelter from the storm of
emotions and temptations that are part of college life. It reinforces what they know to be true from their upbringing and
conscience. And its a source of comfort and support when
they stumble. I serve on the leadership council because I know
how much St. Tom’s did for me when I arrived in Boulder as a
naive 18 year old kid, and throughout my College career.”
Dan’s work on behalf of the disadvantaged has been recognized by numerous organizations, and recent honors include The Humanitarian
of The Year Award from the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Pro
Vitae Award from the Archdiocese of Denver. In connection with his
media work, 5280 Magazine named Dan among the “25 Most Powerful” in Denver, and a Rocky Mountain News columnist labeled Dan “A
Colorado Treasure”.
Dan is married to Aimee Sporer Caplis. They are the proud parents of
two wonderful children, 11 year old Joe and 8 year old Caroline.
Student
Profile
Student
Profile
The St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center is a spiritual fiesta for the Catholic Heart! When I think of freshman year, without a doubt in my mind it was because of the community at the Catholic Center that my way
of life completely changed.
From the age of 12-18 years old I was a full blown atheist due to the mourning of my Grandmother’s death.
Still angry at the age of 18, I started to question many things: Who am I? What is my purpose? How do I
become happy? How do I love others and receive love in return?
My roommate, Timothy Barstad, (an active student at the Catholic Center) kept inviting me to St. Tom’s
but I repeatedly said “no” in as many ways as I could. Then one day he said that he was going on a mission
trip to Peru and that I should come. I didn’t even have to think about it this time, because deep down inside
I knew that there was something waiting there for me. I went to Peru and by the 14th day there, I had seen so many miraculous things that
my heart opened up to Christ and all of my questions have been answered.
The seed was planted through God and my brother in Christ, Tim. When I returned to Boulder, St. Thomas took that seed and
showered me with some good old fashioned Catholic goodness. Christ took all my mourning and turned it into a deep and genuine Love
for others and most importantly for Him. The community at St. Thomas has allowed me to feel the love that my Grandmother gave to
me and this is the gift that I share among all at the Catholic Center. It’s simply that place where one can love and be loved, through prayer,
friendship, and community. Praise God for all of brothers and sisters of St. Thomas that are willing to share with those who are thirsty for
the Truth. -Eduardo Rojo, Class of 2010
Buffalo Catholic, Fall 2008
Brianne’s Article (continued from Page 1)-- to help defeat the Culture of Death in our country’s laws. They also supply information to parishes all over the country. My job was to be a support-worker for all of this. It was amazing! No, I wasn’t off getting coffee for
anyone but I did search for files, give feedback on the new USCCB youth pro-life website and helped edit the main website to make it
more user-friendly. All of my jobs involved researching more about different aspects of the movement. I learned so much and really began
to understand that little acts, like finding a file, are the backbone to great feats.
I learned about this internship during the St. Thomas trip to the March for Life in DC. And it was
truly amazing that God gave me the courage to apply for this internship, as I am not a shy person. St.
Thomas staff helped me with my application and in mid-April I was offered the internship.
God didn’t leave me on my own after that, though, He made sure I got out there! One of the CU FOCUS missionaries, Annie Powell, gave me her sister’s phone number because she lives in the DC area.
Teresa, Annie’s sister, said that she had no room for me in her apartment but that she may have found
another place for me. Earlier that week she had stopped at the scene of a car accident to help out. The
man from the accident was OK and they started to talk. He’s Catholic and has a family; his wife works
for National Right to Life and they usually house an intern every summer. Teresa told me she would
talk to this man for me. Meanwhile, I continued to look for places on my own. Then one day, Megan
Dillon, the Development Director at St. Thomas called and said “I have a place for you! It’s with a great
Catholic Family. The wife is a good friend of mine, she works for National Right to Life and they house
an intern every year.” I started asking her some questions and it turns out that Megan’s friend, Holly is married to the man from the accident, Loren. Megan and Teresa do not even know each other. This was just one of the ways that God showed me that He wanted me in
DC.
As it turned out, living with Loren and Holly Smith was a tremendous blessing beyond words, and reminded me of the many
amazing people in my life, many of which are from the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center. One of the truly amazing aspects of St.
Thomas is the network of support there. I had so many people praying for me and cheering me on! Thank you all. Without this community I could not have grown to a point in my faith where I could recognize God’s hand in shaping this adventure or the way He carried
me through it. And without that, I may never have gone. And it was so important that I was there! My personal faith life deepened, my
motivation to work towards a Culture of Life was strengthened, and my knowledge of how our government works expanded. Plus, I got
to see a lot of really cool monuments. I do not yet know what all the fruits of this adventure will be, but God does, and I am excited to see
the results.
Camp Wojtyla (continued from Page 1)-- I was lucky enough to be paired with my Bible study leader, Tim, so we worked very
well together. Tim let me take charge of many of the team activities, which helped me develop leadership skills, as well as grow more confident in sharing my knowledge of the Catholic faith with others. During that one week, I grew close to my team, and I saw the campers
grow both physically and spiritually right before my eyes. They were a great group of kids that taught me how much fun it can be to live
out the faith.
The high school campers’ goal during camp, and ultimately throughout their lives, is to reconnect to the four harmonies that
were severed by the fall of man (Genesis 3:1-24): harmony between themselves and God, harmony with nature, harmony with others, and
harmony with themselves. By combining faith and adventure activities, the campers were given a unique experience. For example, after an
archery activity, students were asked by the counselors how archery relates to their lives. One answer
was: when we miss the target, it represents our human vulnerability to sin; sin literally means “to be off
the mark”, so only through practice and reconciliation can we become more accurate in avoiding sin.
Similar metaphors were applied to rock climbing, hiking, scavenger hunts, candle-making, among
many other activities.
I feel very privileged to have been selected to be a counselor for Camp Wojtyla. The counselors I met exemplified what it truly means to be a Catholic, both on the college campus and in the
world. These individuals taught me that in a world that is influenced by secular views, we as Catholics have to rely on one another as one Mystical Body to get through the struggles of life in order to
proclaim God’s grace. As counselors, our main responsibility was to be a positive Catholic role model
for the campers through the way we acted, led, and spoke. Among other tasks, we facilitated group
discussions (which included talks about the Eucharist, Mass, and what it means to be a real Christian),
served the opposite gender during their week (the male counselors prepared meals and activities for
the women during their camp week, and the female counselors did the same for the men), and most
important of all, we prayed for one another.
I truly believe that the great experience that I had with Camp Wojtyla could not have been
possible without the prayers and support of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center community. I
began my freshman year of college as a lost soul, but I was quickly welcomed at St. Thomas. I began
attending student Mass, joined a Bible study group, and went on the Buffalo Awakening retreat. The Lord has blessed me with countless
opportunities since I have joined this great Catholic community, the most recent being able to serve Him at camp. I hope to bring the joy
and energy I experienced at Camp Wojtyla back to CU.
Why Fall Outreach is Critically Important
By Matt Boetteger--Director of Outreach & Evangelization
A few months after becoming involved with the Newman
Center as an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska, , I heard
a startling statistic. Apparently a study had been done in the late
1990’s about incoming Catholic students to the university. The poll
discovered that nearly three out of four Catholic students abandoned
their faith before the end of their freshman year! Thankfully, due to
a large increase in financial, physical, and spiritual support (not to
mention a wonderful priest) Lincoln’s Newman Center now has over
2,000 registered students at the Newman Center! I can confidently
claim that I am who I am today largely because of the apostolic work
faithfully implemented through Lincoln’s Newman Center.
While last year at St. Thomas was a successful year, we have
significantly increased our outreach efforts for this fall. We know
that the first two to three weeks of the academic year are the most
critical for campus ministry because it only takes that long to become
consumed with spiritually, psychologically, and physically damaging
lifestyles. Therefore, our hope is to meet each one of them in the
first couple of weeks of school. We do this by going door-to-door of
each registered new Catholic student, bringing with us homemade
cookies, information on the Catholic Center and a Mass schedule.
Matt Boetteger greets hundreds of students individually as they wait
in line during the Welcome Back BBQ at the Catholic Center.
The goal is to saturate the campus with a Catholic presence, and to
have daily activities to invite them to. We know that it is not in
apologetic debate that we will win them over, but rather through
a community of hospitality that actively and genuinely expresses
itself in respect, love, and selflessness. May God be Praised!
Campus Ministry Spending 2007-2008
$293,782
$29,413
$80,268
Human
Apostolic Formation
& Spiritual Formation
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center Wish List
Are you interested in sponsoring one of these items?
Buffalo Awakening: $25,000
Aquinas Institute for Catholic Thought Lecture Series: $20,000
FOCUS Missionaries: $22,500
Mission Trips: $5,000
Student Social Events: $5,000
Office Furniture: $3,000
New Chalice for Centennial Year: $3,500
$162,466
Sources of Support
For Campus Ministry
$104,212
How To Put the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center
in Your Will
$59,981
Ar
ch
di
oc
ng
iv i
ry
er
G
r to
ffe
O
va
es
nc
an
em
G
ra
en
t
nt
$28,466
Ad
After providing for your families and loved ones, please consider putting the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center in your will, thus helping
to assure the long-term future of this important ministry. Bequests are
free of estate tax, and can substantially reduce the amount of our assets claimed by the government. You can give needed support for the
Catholic Center by simply including the following words in your will:
I give, devise, and bequeath to the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center,
904 14th Street, Boulder, CO 80302 (inset amount being given here) to
be used to support the ministry of St. Thomas Aquinas. A bequest can be
a specific dollar amount, a specific piece of property, a percentage of an
estate, or all or part of the residue of an estate. You can also name the
Catholic Center as a contingency beneficiary in the event of someone
named in your will is no longer living. It is recommended that a lawyer
help in drafting or amending a will.
$49,875
Aquinas Institute
th
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
$85,414
Student Center
O
$120,812
Advancement
Our Benefactors 2007- 2008 •
•
The Ministry of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center is made possible through the generous financial gifts of alumni, parents and friends. On behalf of the students whom we serve, thank you from the bottom of our hearts .
Allan & Diana Heinle
Neil & Maureen McCaffrey
Edward & Ann McCue
Bishop R. Walker Nickless
Steven & Regina Barrell
Edward & Embree Burvant
James & Lynne Collins
Peter & Colleen De Keratry
Rickey & Lynda Fitzsimmons
Jeff & Margy Frank
Larry & Joan Grimaldi
Thomas & Lisa Heffron
Philip & Deborah McNulty
Michael & LoLinda Quigley
Chris & Robin Scurto
Helen Clare Sillstrop
Francis & Betty Boselli
Bob & Lisa Gross
Dan & Misti Hawkins
Jerry & Donna Lee
Mike & Terry Polakovic
Steve & Anne Wagner
Director’s
Fund
Living Faith
Society
Cardinal
Newman Fund
The Director’s Fund is an integral part
of maintaining the excellence of the
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center.
Members of the Director’s Fund pledge
an annual gift of $2500 or more which
sustains current ministry programs and
enables us to enhance the ministry. Annual gifts made through the Director’s
Fund help ensure that the Catholic faith
is shared by future generations on CU’s
campus. Membership in the Director’s
Fund includes special recognition in the
annual report.
One of the most significant ways
you can support the Catholic Center
is through the Living Faith Society.
Gifts made through the Living Faith
Society are drafted electronically
each month directly from your checking account or credit card, making
giving simple. Membership provides
a stable support base that directly
assists with on-going operational expenses, while reducing fund raising
overhead. Members will receive the
Quarterly Faith devotional booklet. You can increase, decrease, hold
or discontinue your contribution at
any time simply by contacting the St.
Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center.
Members of the Cardinal Newman
Fund are benefactors who make an
extraordinary gift of $10,000 or more
annually. Gifts received through the
Cardinal Newman Fund allow Fathers Kevin and Peter and the campus ministry staff to teach more students more effectively. Following in
the footsteps of Cardinal Newman,
members help bring the St. Thomas
Aquinas Catholic Center one step
closer to achieving his vision of a
strong Catholic presence on campus.
Membership includes special recognition in the annual report and an
annual subscription to the monthly
devotional, Magnificat.
For more information on how you can contribute to the ministry at the
Catholic Center, please contact Megan Dillon at (303)443-8383 or
[email protected]
904 14th Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Return Service Requested
MASS SCHEDULE
RECONCILIATION
Saturday Vigil: 5pm Sundays: 7:30am, 9am, 11am and 6pm
Mon - Fri: 5:10pm Wed - Fri: 12:10pm Tues: 9pm
Tuesday 8 pm, Saturday 4 pm, Sunday 5 pm
Also Scheduled by Appointment
Fall 2008 Calendar of Events
SEPTEMBER 12th
Dr. R.R. Reno “Restoring a Culture or Truth”
CU - Hale 270 7:00 pm
SEPTEMBER 27th
Women’s Vocation Event
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center 7:00 pm
OCTOBER 10-12th
Buffalo Awakening #14
OCTOBER 19th
Family Weekend Reception
at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Center following 11:00 am Mass at Church
OCTOBER 20th
Dr. Edward Sri “The New Sexual Revolution:
Men, Women and the Mystery of Love”
CU Humanities 1B50 7:00 pm
NOVEMBER 1st
Men’s Vocation Event
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center 9:00 am
NOVEMBER 14th
Prof. James Gaston
“The Great Tradition of the Liberal Arts Education”
CU Humanities 1B50 7:00 pm
CAMPUS MINISTRY STAFF
DECEMBER 11th
Dr. Jay Richards “Is God Green?:
A Christian View of Environmental Stewardship”
CU Humanities 1B50 7:00 pm
Archbishop Chaput, Bishop Conley, Paulist Fathers
and Fathers Kevin and Peter celebrate Mass on CU’s
Norlin Quadrangle to mark 100 years of Catholic
campus ministry at CU. More about
the Centennial celebration will be in
the next issue of Buffalo Catholic.