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Campus Ministry - Stories of Impact

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    The End

    Final Reflections from a Graduating Senior on Faith, SCU and how both influenced each other

    Eric Wu '15

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    What Rosh Hashanah Means to Me

    Akiba Lerner of SCU's Religious Studies faculty reflects on the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

    Akiba Lerner

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    Freshman Kate, Meet Senior Kate

    Senior Kate Flannery describes her growth while at SCU through the lens of her experience on Campus Ministry's Ignatian 5-Day Retreat.

    Kate Flannery

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    Chapter One

    First Year Reflections - Lessons learned from my first year at Santa Clara University

    Jamie Arce '18

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    What Are My Roots?

    A reflection on the challenges and graces of staying centered and motivated in a fast-paced college environment.

    Grace Lacayo '16

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    Who's Calling Me?

    Molly Walker, a sophomore and campus ministry eucharistic ministry intern, shares her answer to the question, "Who Is Calling Me?" from this week's Weekly Wednesday Worship.

    Molly Walker '16

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    Lay Your Burden

    As we struggle to find peace in the challenges we face in our daily lives at college, let us turn to One who is bigger than our circumstances.

    Jamie Arce '18

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    Day 2: The Parliament of The World's Religions

    A personal experience about a student's journey to Utah to experience an incredible and life changing event. An event in which 10,000 people from 50+ faiths come together as one, praying for peace and justice for all humanity.

    Reza Soltanzad '18

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    The Houses That Eight Bullets Built

    When it comes to commemorating the UCA martyrs, their legacy can have global implications. Gus Hardy reflects on how the murder of the Jesuits has affected his study abroad experience in the Philippines.

    Gus Hardy '16

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    Lenten Lessons

    Kendra Clark challenges popular views of Lent and invites us to consider other ways of acting during the Lenten season. What has your Lenten practice been? What do Kendra's words invite you to consider?

    Kendra Clark '16

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    We Wish You an Ironic Christmas

    Aidan's back with a reflection on the irony of Christmas. Perhaps ironically, he wrote it during Advent. We hope you enjoy reading this and will let us know your thoughts on Aidan's and other blog entries contained herein.

    Aidan O'Neill '17

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    Sin, Guilt and Forgiveness

    A personal reflection on how I’m a pharisee trying to live Christ's life: We're always making mistakes. What do we do with ourselves if we keep making the same ones? How do we forgive the hardest person to forgive?

    Eric Wu '15

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    Real Recognize Real

    Sophomore Aidan O'Neill digs into the deeper meaning of the passing "Hello, how are you?" and ensuing "Pretty good" response.

    Aidan O'Neill '17

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    The Value of Presence

    A few weeks ago, a group from the Communitas RLC visited a nursing home to deliver tulips for Valentine’s Day. While we intended to bring cheer to homebound seniors, we also faced the uncomfortable reality of not knowing what to do...Pope Francis reminds us to bring God’s mercy to the world through our daily lives. But what if mercy is not so much an action, but a way of being?

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    I am Thankful for My Faith

    A Gay Man’s Reflection on His Faith and Church

    A gay student reflects on his place in the Catholic Church after attending the Parliament of World Religions.

  • Admiring God's Creation

    It's a gift to be able to acknowledge the beauty of God's Creation surrounding us every single day.

  • Remembering JFK

    4 SCU Faculty and Staff reflect on what JFK's life meant to them.

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    On the Ignatian Retreat

    "We were sharing a meal in total silence when I began to feel full--whole. As if all my scattered pieces had been collected and put back together." Read Irene's poem on the next page.

  • Thanksgiving

    Historical and Religious musings on a holiday of Gratitude

    How can we be thankful in the world we live in? How can we think about Thanksgiving in its idealistic and realistic context? What does a Christian have to say about this?

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    The Drive

    Ambition and Faith

    What should the role of ambition be in our faith?

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    Threads of Life

    Senior Marissa Minnick explores what it's like to be a senior facing the last moments of each activity in her Reaching Within blog entry.

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    Where am I?

    In this week's blog entry, Niki Amundsen talks about her struggle to maintain her faith after things didn't go as expected as she began at SCU.

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    Nature and Water

    What role does water play in your life? Take a walk with Mallory Miller as she brings you on a walk through the rainforest.

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    Identity Crisis

    First year student Aidan O'Neill talks about redefining himself in college in one of this week's entries in the Reaching Within blog. Aidan and two other students will be blogging for us regularly throughout the year.

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    Opportunity

    Katherine Sanderson, one of our new bloggers for Campus Ministry, talks about opportunity in this week's installment of the Reaching Within Blog.

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    Just What I Needed

    Alex Nauman ('15) reflects on the experience of God's love he had on the Search retreat

    Alex Nauman '15

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    Notice and Choose

    What prevents you from experiencing the fullness of life? Julia Claire Landry, Director of Retreats, reflects on the readings for Sunday, September 30, imploring us to notice and choose.

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    A man wearing clerical clothing and a pin, facing forward. image link to story

    We remember Fr. Jim Reites, SJ

    Santa Clara University President Michael Engh, S.J. sent the linked e-mail to the Santa Clara University campus community the evening of April 16, 2016, following the unexpected death of a Jesuit priest who has impacted the lives of so many people through education, faith, compassion and more.

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    A Merciful Response from Queer Catholics to “The Joy of Love”

    When "The Joy of Love" was released by the Vatican in June, now alumnus Glen Bradley '16 decided to write a response to the piece. We share this with the Pope's recent statement in mind that LGBTQ+ individuals "must not be discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally."

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    Lent and Passover 2017

    An alignment of traditions

    This year there is an alignment between the Roman and Orthodox calendars, which means that Lent, Holy Week, and Easter coincide for all traditions following those calendars. Additionally, Jewish Passover and Christian Holy Week happen at the same time. This gives us a special opportunity to have experiences across religious traditions. See the list of events below for details on a Passover Seder and Holy Week services.

  • Dennis Jacobs paints in response to Laudato Si image link to story
    Dennis Jacobs paints in response to Laudato Si image link to story

    A Drive to Create

    Provost Dennis Jacobs and the Spirituality of Painting

    You may have heard that SCU's Provost, Dr. Dennis Jacobs, is an avid painter. We were curious if he considered painting a spiritual practice and decided to sit down with him. What we learned was insightful and interesting.

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    Rethinking Mercy

    Lulu Santana, Director of Campus Ministry, briefly reflects on what the topic of mercy means for us during some challenging times at SCU. This past July, a group of colleagues across campus offered an adapted form of Examen, an Ignatian approach to review one’s day and discern the invitations for future response and action, to reflect on the ongoing violence in our country and world. We will again offer this adapted Examen to the campus community on October 26, 4-5:30 p.m. in the California Mission Room. Our intention is to create a space to review and reflect on events of violence near and far, and to consider the invitations for personal and communal engagement. We look forward to the shared participation of students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

  • Spirituality Spotlight image link to story

    Laura Brekke

    Director of Religious Diversity at Campus Ministry

  • Alex Arnold

    The Spirituality Spotlight of the week is Liturgy Intern, Alex Arnold. When asked what she has learned from practicing her spirituality, Alex said, "Everyone has an infinitely complex life and being aware of mine helps me be open to others."

  • Meghan Daly

    The Spirituality Spotlight of the week is CLC Leadership Formation Coordinator, Meghan Daly! In response to what she has learned through practicing her spirituality, Meghan says: "Sometimes you really do have to 'Let go and Let God.'"

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    Fr. Jack Treacy, SJ

    This week's spotlight is on Alumni Relations Chaplain, Fr. Jack Treacy, S.J. Through practicing his spirituality, Fr. Jack recognizes a greater connection when he says, "I'm enriched by stories of faith of others, and am fortunate to be invited into those conversations frequently. Our SCU community offers so many witnesses of faith in action!" If you would like to suggest someone to be highlighted, please contact us at campusministry@scu.edu.

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    A Positive Spin On Belief

    Unity RLC's Imagine Interbelief Floor's Project for Good

    In one corner of campus, the Unity RLC's Imagine Interbelief floor, a collaboration between Campus Ministry and the Office of Housing & Residence Life, along with the linked RSOC 9 class is trying to shift the conversation on religion by highlighting positive stories of people of belief.

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    Illuminate

    Christian Worship Night

    This week we're switching to a program highlight because of the upcoming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. "Illuminate is a gathering of the entire Christian community at Santa Clara. We are celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by worshiping together as one united group. Students of all denominations and Christian backgrounds will come together to praise God."

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    Check your privilege, y'all

    Marissa recently had an impassioned interaction with friends on Facebook about privilege. Her blog entry here is a response she posted to the thread on hr profile, which was prompted by the following article: http://groupthink.jezebel.com/to-the-princeton-privileged-kid-1570383740/+Jessica

  • Victor Lemus, Campus Minister for Community Justice Formation image link to story

    Chocolate Syrup

    A Prayer of Yes

    Campus Ministry's retreats director, Victor Lemus, wrote a prayer of yes that he shared as the prayer in the Campus Ministry team meeting.