Sebastián La Rosa and his friends struggled to find a Mass near campus to attend on Saturday mornings, so they resorted to driving to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Newman Center for Mass on Saturdays.
La Rosa and his friends approached Nathaniel Romano, an assistant director for liturgical programs, and presented their concern, and Campus Ministry took initiative to help these students create a Saturday morning mass.
“This all stems from my interest in the mass itself,” La Rosa, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, said. “I’m one to think that the more time you spend with God, the more you become like him.”
La Rosa tries to attend church every day, but Saturday was the only day he struggled to find a Mass. He thought a 10 a.m. 30-minute mass would be the perfect solution.
Romano told the students they would do a pilot mass and see how many people decided to attend. If there was a significant turnout, they would make it an official weekly mass.
“There’s a lot of people who would really like to worship at a space like Joan of Arc, but they don’t have time during the week,” La Rosa said.
La Rosa said he knew that other students on campus would be interested in attending this Mass, and he was right. Although La Rosa is studying abroad in Ireland this semester, last Saturday, 16 people attended the 10 a.m. mass in the Joan of Arc Chapel. Romano said it wasn’t as busy as their weekday masses, but enough people showed up to continue holding the mass.
“Having Mass available on Saturdays, often a day for getting started with the work due the coming week, offers students this opportunity before they buckle down for a day of study or fun with friends,” Megan Heeder, a doctoral candidate in the Theology Department and Liturgy Assistant for Campus Ministry said.
La Rosa said this isn’t the only Mass that has been added recently. St. Thérèse Chapel in the Commons holds a 10 p.m. mass on Mondays and Schroeder’s chapel has a 10 p.m. mass on Wednesdays.
“I think campus ministry has responded well to the needs of students’ spiritual needs by offering students as many opportunities to attend mass as they can,” La Rosa said.
Romano said that coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Campus Ministry was looking for ways to rekindle the habit of spirituality on campus among their students.
“I’ve been impressed by the devotion of our students who come to church,” Romano said.
Heeder said that some students might remember when students would stand outside churches and chapels ready to show their COVID Cheq as they enter church to social distance.
“With those restrictions lifted, we can welcome all students who wish to attend Mass into the physical spaces and not live-stream Masses in the AMU Ballrooms when we hit capacity in the worship spaces,” Heeder said.
Romano said they’re adding more and more opportunities for students to exercise their faith and rediscover things they couldn’t have during the pandemic.
“It’s good to have more frequent places available for spiritual transformation,” La Rosa said.
La Rosa said when he attends Mass at the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, he’s able to feel like he’s in a community and have the space to reflect.
“There’s something about Joan of Arc. It’s the central worshiping space in our religious memory here at Marquette,” Romano said.
Romano said he’s been impressed by Marquette students’ devotion to attending daily Masses.
“This past Saturday, Father Philip Sutherland gave a beautiful homily that encouraged us to rely on God to get us through the difficulties that will come this semester by asking Jesus to increase our faith, which was an assuring and timely reminder as the semester begins to pick up speed,” Heeder said.
La Rosa said that through communion and worship, he is able to begin to see God in all things, which is what Marquette urges students to do.
This story was written by Sophia Tiedge. She can be reached at [email protected]
