Campus Ministry Corner
November 2011
Before my first day of teaching at O’Dea many years ago, we had an Archdiocesan training day at Seattle University that changed me as a teacher from thence forward. An engaging Catholic priest from New York spoke passionately about what it means to be “counter-cultural” and why Catholic schools must be counter-cultural. In a very positive and upbeat manner he spoke about how in the past, our culture was saturated with Christian values. The culture supported the values that families wished to give their children. This is no longer true. In fact, society stands, in too many ways, clearly against what the faith holds as sacred. Although the years have passed since that day, it is still relevant today: All Catholic schools must be counter-cultural. Why? The most important reason why is because the Gospel of Christ (that is highlighted in O’Dea’s Mission statement) is most profoundly a counter-cultural way of life. In an ancient Jewish world that ostracized lepers and tax collectors, Jesus welcomed them with his captivating compassion. In His world where some Pharisees were frozen on robotically following laws, Jesus challenged them to surrender to and serve the Living God who gave the laws. Christ is countercultural and for any Catholic school to be centered in Christ, it must consistently and lovingly challenge the whole school community to be counter-cultural. How mainstream culture thinks in many cases, cannot be how a Catholic school functions. Within O’Dea’s Campus Ministry, we enthusiastically offer our students opportunities to learn what it means to be countercultural. In our society that encourages self gratification, our Sophomore Retreats are focused on service to needy and our families as a way to put our faith into action. October is Respect for Life month and our student club has been infused with great new vigor. In today’s secular culture, Morning Intercom Prayer begins each school day with a call to be deeply aware of God’s loving presence. In our All Saints Day Liturgy (11/1), we will gather to highlight our holy heroes who give us a living example on how to be counter-cultural. So the message of the New York priest so long ago continues to be a life-giving vision for every Catholic school to take the counter-cultural Gospel of Christ and boldly bring it to life within all of aspects of the community.
- Tom Schutte
October 2011
This morning on my way to work I flipped through my favorite radio stations and came across Sacred Heart Radio AM 1050. An eloquent and down to earth speaker was explaining the beautiful Catholic concept of “The Communion of Saints” and she mentioned how everything we do in our daily lives is enthusiastically observed by the myriad of holy ones who have come before us in faith. Our struggles and joys of each day are played out in a kind of enormous spiritual stadium filled with countless heroes of Christianity who have all won medals for spiritual excellence. Each one is excitedly pulling for us and cheering us on to excel in our daily walk of faith with the Lord and to lovingly persevere in our challenges.
These first four weeks of the school year have been overshadowed by this Communion of Saints and God’s Grace. Each day is filled with individual and community growth that is celebrated by our ancestors in faith. In Campus Ministry, we had an uplifting Mass of the Holy Spirit and all of the Freshman Retreats were meaningful efforts in welcoming our incoming students into the spiritual community of our school. In terms of Christian Service, we had 45 students and parents participated in the AIDS Walk and contributed well over $2200. Each day we continue to develop our new model of Campus Ministry and pray for the Holy Spirit to light us all on fire with love for Christ alive in our midst.
September 2011
For many years now O’Dea High School has been producing amazing teams. One of the newest teams on campus this year is the Campus Ministry Team and I would like to communicate with you some very exciting developments. With the departure of beloved Mr. Aires Patulot this past spring, we began to examine what our vision was for the future of O’Dea Campus Ministry. Early in the summer we decided that the task of the spiritual development of the 500 people in our school community is far too much to expect one individual to do effectively. In light of this awareness, we felt the Holy Spirit was leading us to create a TEAM model for Campus Ministry where several faithful, generous, skilled, and studentfriendly adult leaders join forces to be a united ministerial presence for all of our students and faculty. During our summer meetings, we developed a new Campus Ministry Mission Statement, Philosophy, Goals, Vision, and Responsibilities. If you wish to learn more, check out our O’Dea Campus Ministry website. The Campus Ministry Team roster is as follows: Mr. Tom Schutte- Coordinator of Campus Ministry, Mr. Davin Reyes- Liturgy Coordinator, Mr. Paul Rittman- Encounter Retreat Coordinator, Mr. David Olinger- Service Coordinator, Br. Tom Le-Jeune- Service/Encounter, Mr. Tim Greenan- Freshman, Sophomore, Senior Day Retreats/Encounter, Br. John Dornbos- Pastoral Counseling, Surveys & Evaluations Coordinator. We look forward to developing a robust and vibrant program where all members in our school community are growing as disciples of Christ Jesus and feel God’s love throughout their O’Dea experience!
Summer 2011 - Crossroads
Every year at this time I tend to reflect on the year that has passed and the future that is unfolding before me. Seniors, full of energy and excitement, are ready to end this chapter of their high school life and move on to new challenges. Freshmen have become accustomed to the “O’Dea Way” and are coming into their own. As a faculty and staff, this is the time of year we prepare to say goodbye to wonderful colleagues and enjoy the summer. The end of the school year makes me think of the letters of John in the Scriptures. Here is John, now an old man, nearing the crossroads of life. What is his final message to his community? It is simply this: Love. He is like a song stuck on repeat, over and over again pleading his people to love. When you love one another, God is there. God is love. You are loved. As we close this year we need to hear John’s message one more time. Love. May we all be filled with love this summer and live out our love through heroic acts of faith, hope and most importantly, love.
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
May 2011
The Esperanza team has returned from New Orleans, where they spent a week helping to rebuild the lives and homes of those affected by Hurricane Katrina six years ago. I would like to share a reflection from last year’s trip.
Br. LeJeune took me into the church at St. Raymonds. It was damaged in the hurricane and is now used as the homebase for all the projects of Operation Helping Hands. In place of pews, candles, and statues are now stacks of paint buckets, lumber, and materials that are used for the rebuilding efforts. In the place of the old altar was a neatly piled stack of wood. It looked more like a Home Depot than it did a church. But as I stood there I realized something. This was a place where people would come to find hope, receive Christ, and go out from in service to the world. Now everything that is stored here goes out to rebuild people’s lives. These materials are answered prayers, concrete reminders of God’s unconditional love to all. God has not abandoned His people. I can see God in the wood, in the paint, and in the tools. God is in the people who work to rebuild. God is everywhere. This church is still a visible sign of God’s love to the world, and a place where we are becoming a Eucharistic People.
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
April 2011 - April Fools
April is a busy month. The last Encounter of the year is about to take place, we will pray together during Holy Week, the Esperanza mission trip will be heading to New Orleans, and Easter (and Easter break) will finally arrive, bringing resurrection and new life. All of this busyness begins with the 1st of April, known as April Fools Day. It is interesting to think about foolishness, because St. Paul himself talks about the “foolishness of the cross” in his first letter to the Corinthians. To some, the cross may seem foolish; a symbol of defeat and death. For the Christian, there is wisdom in the cross of Christ. Conventional wisdom is overturned when Jesus, God incarnate, chooses the path of the cross for our salvation. In the weakness of the cross we find one who is with us in all of our weakest moments. His resurrection at Easter gives us hope for a new way of life. This month of April, let us reflect on the foolishness of the cross and the wisdom that lies within it. May all of us experience the possibility of new life as we journey through Lent into Easter.
- O'Dea Campus Ministry
March 2011 - March Madness
It is the time of year when the brackets are filled out, college colors are worn, and the nation gets crazed for college hoops. It is time for March Madness. The tournament often takes on spiritual motifs as the Davids take on the Goliaths and games end on half court prayers. It may come as no surprise that Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball, was a Christian who created the game as a means of evangelization, of bringing young men to Christ. We share his vision here at O’Dea. In everything we do, academics, athletics, and cocurricular clubs, our goal is to witness to Jesus. So here is the question: Can we take the energy and excitement that we put into the madness of March hoops, and give equal or more energy into our faith? Lent is the perfect time to be like those players seeking a championship. Needless to say, there are many prayers, sacrifices, and additional practices taken on to make the Final Four. As we Christians journey to Easter, our prayers, sacrifices, and acts of service and charity prepare us to experience the power of Jesus’ Resurrection. This year, let us not just have March Madness, let us have Holy Mass Madness! Let us give our whole hearts to seeking out God, especially in the Mass. Let us strive toward Easter by giving our best today!
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
February 2011 - God’s Own Timing
My wife woke me up at two thirty in the morning telling me the contractions were three minutes apart. “They can’t be,” I said, “baby isn’t due for four weeks.” Though we thought we were on a schedule and a plan, the unexpected managed to have its way. Seventeen hours later my second son was born and the world had changed. Again. We like to think that we can create schedules, make appointments, and control all the time that is allotted to us, but in reality we cannot., God has His own timing for the events of our lives. We could be delayed and become angry but have been saved from an accident waiting to happen. We could arrive surprisingly early to an appointment and discover something new. The fact is, grace and blessing is flowing all around us in every moment but many times we are too busy to notice. As I put my son down to sleep tonight, I realize that he wasn’t early; he was just on God’s time. Let us take a moment to be thankful for every moment God has given us, and realize that God is the one holding us in God’s perfect time.
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
January 2011
It is interesting to think about gifts when the business of Christmas is over. We take time and resources during the holidays to give gifts to the people we love and care about. As we wind our way through the end of the Christmas season through the Epiphany, it is still a time to think about the most wonderful gift we could ever receive, the gift of Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that we have hope, faith, and love. In Christ we have true freedom. Yet God chose another gift to give to the world, and that is the gift of us. Our lives are a gift to offer to the world through our love and service. The more we are faithful to the gospel, the more loving and self sacrificing we become. As God gave us our lives as a gift, let us strive to be a gift to everyone we meet. As we think about vocations this month, reflecting on how we give our lives as a gift to the world seems so appropriate. May God bless us in this new year as we strive to love God and love others.
- O'Dea Campus Ministry
December 2010
Making Space For God. Our lives are very crowded. With school, and jobs, homework, sports, friends, games, and parties, our lives are so full and our time is so limited. Sometimes, unintentionally, our lives and hearts are crowded with so much stuff that we can crowd God out of the center of our lives and hearts. We may not even notice that God has slipped from being the center of who we are to just being one of those things that demands our time and attention, and then can be ignored. But this is the season of Advent, a time to prepare ourselves to receive God again as a gift. It is in this special season that we can focus on putting God back in the center of our lives and remember how truly blessed we are that the God who made the universe cares for each of us individually. As we pray for those in need, and push ourselves to be more generous, let us remember that it is our relationship with God that helps us be the people we were made to be. Let us pray for Encounter 78 and all those who are a part of that great experience. Our Christmas prayer service is on December 17th. God bless you and have a Merry Christmas!
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
November 2010
Heroic Service. When we hear about heroic service, our minds drift to the saints of old, to those who died as martyrs defending their faith. We think of Martin Luther King, Jr. in his Drum Major Instinct sermon, passionately preaching about living a life full of meaning and service. In the shadows of these great men and women we can forget that our lives too, are meant for this type of heroism. It is not often grand or headline grabbing, but the simple gestures of doing our chores, volunteering time in an already busy schedule to help tutor or feed the homeless enter us into the greatness of giving. We live lives of heroic service every day when we choose to move beyond ourselves and care for another. Thanksgiving is one of those special times in the year when we can give recognition to the service we do for others. We know we can live this life of service because Jesus has shown us the way. He lived his life in the service of humanity and calls us to do the same. May God bless us as we grow into the saints of today.
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
October 2010
We can usually tell the coming of the seasons by the change in the climate. Leaves change color, the air gets colder, and we must be entering into autumn. For campus ministry, this change in early fall means many things, among them is that retreat season has come to O’Dea. Every year we bring our students for class retreats to help build community and to reinforce important values such as valuing spirituality and being servant leaders. Our freshmen took their retreat on September 28th and 29th at Discovery Park in Magnolia. Their focus was on learning about the profile of the O’Dea Gentleman. Our sophomores will be on retreat November 2nd and 3rd, focusing on the greatest commandment, loving God and loving our neighbors. We will also begin our Encounter retreat preparation for our juniors and seniors. Retreats are a great way for our young men to grow in ways that aren’t often seen, but are the most important aspects of growth. Please join us in prayer for this important time in the life of our school community.
- O’Dea Campus Ministry
September 2010
Throughout Christian history, the ringing of bells signified something important was happening. Whether it was a call to prayer or the signaling of transubstantiation, the bells would remind the people to focus on what is truly important. As the school bells are ringing from their summer layoff, signaling the beginning of another school year, Campus Ministry hopes that you too will pause and remember that something wonderful is happening in the spiritual life of your student. Pause, pray, and give to God the hopes and dreams of a successful and inspiring year. We hope to support you through campus ministry all year long. Have a great year! Stay blessed.
- O’Dea Campus Ministry