A beautiful Sunday marked a cause for celebration for 18 Marquette students who received sacraments at Gesu Church.
Each student was involved in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a confirmation process offered by Campus Ministry.
The RCIA process usually runs the academic school year and is designed for students with an interest in becoming Catholic or exploring the Catholic faith, according to Marquette’s website.
Steve Blaha, assistant director of campus ministry, said students can get involved with the process by coming into Campus Ministry and asking about Catholicism. He said it does not necessarily need to be confined to an academic school year, and if a student needs to take more time in their walk with God, they can.
Blaha said the RCIA process drives to serve three student populations. First, students who are interested just in being confirmed in the Catholic Church. The second serves students who were baptized but had not received communion. Lastly, students who are looking to be baptized, receive communion and are confirmed.
“The process is really focused on the needs of the student, looking at how God is calling them and honoring where they are in their walk with God,” he said.
The RCIA is a program you can find in all Catholic churches. Blaha said Campus Ministry’s program specifically serves students, but the Faber Center can work with faculty to find a local parish for them to get involved with the process.
Blaha stressed that Campus Ministry will meet with students who are inquiring about any faith.
“We are 120 percent willing to walk with them so they feel supported by the Marquette community, wherever their faith may take them,” he said.
Michael Ploetz, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, was one of the students confirmed Sunday.
Ploetz said he inquired about getting confirmed at the end of last year. Blaha emailed him periodically throughout the summer to see how he was doing and kept him informed about when the meetings would start.
Students meet Thursday nights for 1 1/2 hours to discuss Bible passages, reflect on issues that affect college students in Christianity and go on retreats, he said.
Ploetz feels this is a good opportunity for those on campus because it is geared toward college students.
“It is really nice because everyone is the same age and we can all relate to one another,” he said. “Most of the people I met, I would have never met on campus, and we all became really great friends.”
Abbey Valentine, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist on Sunday.
“I always knew I wanted to get involved in the church somehow, but did not know where to start since I had not grown up going to church,” she said in an e-mail.
She said her experience was amazing, and she enjoyed being a part of the process at Marquette because she had constant support from all of her friends and roommates. On Sunday, she felt very prepared for her baptism.
“Even though my faith journey has just begun, I have progressed tremendously since our first RCIA class in September,” she said.
She feels it is important to offer RCIA to people who want to join the church but do not know where to start.
“It is an amazing program offered at Marquette that allows students to join the church, even when they were baptized in a different faith,” she said. “I have learned so much and wouldn’t trade this journey for anything.”