Until yesterday I had never been inside.

I am a practicing Catholic at home but attending mass in college was never something I considered worthwhile.,”

I walk past Gesu Church every day and admire the Gothic architecture that blesses Wisconsin Avenue.

Until yesterday I had never been inside.

I am a practicing Catholic at home, but attending Mass in college was never something I considered worthwhile.

As busy college students, we can find ways to justify skipping church on Sunday to work on projects and papers. Clubs, organizations and jobs also take up our precious time, especially on the weekends.

Yet many of my peers set these activities aside for one hour each week for worship.

According to University Ministry Director the Rev. Edward Mathie, Marquette students actually go to church more than most universities.

Other campuses only have one Mass, but at Marquette there are multiple Masses on Sunday and through the week at different locations, he said.

"Mass attendance has been going up for the last three years," he said. "We have a couple of people who pay great attention to Mass and really get other students involved."

According to the Rev. Andy Thon, vice president of university affairs and minister of the 10 p.m. mass at Chapel of the Holy Family, the 10 p.m. Mass is a good time for students because they can take a break from studying.

John Kotwick, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, goes to the 10 p.m. Mass because it is a good time for him.

"It wraps up the week and begins the new one for me," he said.

Beyond personal spirituality, students at Marquette tend to go to church more during holidays and stressful periods, according to Mathie.

"We get a huge crowd for Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday," he said. "Finals week and midterms are very busy too."

Marquette is not alone in religious expression – spirituality in colleges and universities across the nation is on the rise, according to the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles.

The study, "Spirituality and the Professoriate: A National Study of Faculty Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values," examined levels of spirituality among both faculty and students.

The fall 2004 survey of 112,000 college students entering 236 colleges and universities found that 48 percent think it is "essential" that colleges encourage their personal expression of spirituality.

Furthermore, 69 percent consider it "essential" that their college experience enhance their self-understanding and 67 percent think it is very important that their college play a role in developing their personal values.

Students are finding that their beliefs are not always considered in class discussion, according to the study.

The study found that college students are disappointed with the lack of support for students in finding their beliefs and values. About 62 percent say professors never encourage discussion of spiritual or religious matters.

This is not reflective of life at Marquette, Mathie said.

Mathie said University Ministry is there to help students figure out what University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild calls the "God Question" that students sometimes struggle with in college.

What part faith plays in students' lives "is part of a growing experience," Mathie said.

Yesterday's experience proved to me that it might not be enough to just walk by Gesu every day but it may be worth it to step inside.

“