University Ministry: Renewal of Humanity
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Have you passed by our office recently? If you have, you may have noticed a new addition to one of Toler Hall's exterior walls. Commissioned by University Ministry and made possible by a generous gift from the parents of Fr. Donal Godfrey, S.J., the mural is an ode to Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home, the second encyclical from Pope Francis. It calls everyone to a deeper understanding of the urgency of the environmental challenges we face and encourages us to embark on a new path forward. As Pope Francis writes and the mural references: "There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself.”
The mural was created for our community from within our USF community. Prof. Sergio de la Torre led his students through reading and analysis of Laudato Si' followed by discussions from which the art emerged. The result is a mural that depicts the reality of climate change on our earth, the effects of climate change on humanity, and the hope that still exists for change to come. The powerful work was student-imagined and student-produced, one more example of the creativity and passion of our students.
We hope you'll take the time to visit the mural, the first of several UM-commissioned art projects, and stop on by and visit us. Look for future issues of our newsletter where we'll discuss the mural further, and follow us on Instagram for an announcement on the official UM art unveiling. And, if you're a student interested in exploring Laudato Si' further, check out our upcoming immersion opportunity to Ecuador!
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| University Ministry Events
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Sunday, Sept. 18 | 10 a.m. | Third Baptist Church of San Francisco (meet at University Ministry)
BRAND NEW! Please join us for our Interfaith Visiting Series, a series of mini field trips to different places of worship around San Francisco. We will take up to ten USF students, faculty, and staff members to attend worship services, speak with faith leaders, and eat food around the San Francisco area. Here is our schedule:
Sunday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m.: Third Baptist Church of San Francisco
Thursday, Oct. 6 at 11 a.m.: Baha'i Center of San Francisco
Sunday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m.: Buddhist Church of San Francisco
All faith and non-faith backgrounds are welcome. Space is limited, please RSVP.
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Pizza in the Peace Garden
Tuesday, Sept. 22 | 12–1 p.m. | University Ministry's Peace Garden (located on the hill behind Toler Hall, before Gillson Hall)
Join us in our Interfaith Prayer Service as we celebrate the start of the school year while having "Pizza in the Peace Garden." Our theme is "Prayers for Beginnings." We welcome you to contribute a prayer, poem, song, or reflection from your faith or spiritual tradition that addresses new beginnings. We will serve a pizza lunch. Please RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 20. All are welcome!
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Monday, Sept. 26 | 12:30–1:15 p.m. | Zoom
Join us for a guided meditation to start the week right. Guided meditation can help reduce stress, increase patience, focus on the present, and more! Open to all students, faculty, and staff!
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Thursday, Sept. 29 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Xavier Auditorium, Fromm Hall
Join us for the Inaugural Latinx Heritage Lecture on Religion and Public Life. USF welcomes Miguel H. Díaz, the John Courtney Murray, S.J. University Chair in Public Service at Loyola University Chicago, and retired U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See (2009-2012), to discuss his new book advancing a bold sexual theology for the Catholic Church. Queer God de Amor (Fordham University Press, 2022) disrupts standard Trinitarian Theology by way of an unexpected source — the late-medieval Spanish mystic San Juan de la Cruz (St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591). The event will be in person with an option to join via Zoom. Copies of Queer God de Amor will be available for purchase.
This event is sponsored by the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, The Joan & Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Social Thought and the Ignatian Tradition, University Ministry, Latin@-Chican@ Studies, and Gender and Sexualities Studies.
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Friday, Oct. 7 – Sunday, Oct. 9 | Mercy Center
This retreat weekend is a period of time that has been set aside as God's time. It is an opportunity to open ourselves more deeply to God's movement in our lives. Join us for this Ignatian retreat tradition in re-discovering your relationship with God, with others, and yourself. All are welcome with or without any religious affiliation.
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Sunday Night Student Liturgies
Sundays | 7 p.m. | Saint Ignatius Church
Join our weekly liturgy and engage in prayer and deep reflection with other students! All are welcome. Meet us each Sunday for student liturgy.
Would you like to be a lector, acolyte, Eucharistic minister, altar server, greeter, or choir member for any of these liturgies? If interested, please contact Ana Karen Barragán.
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Thursday, Sept. 22 | Privett Plaza
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is around the corner and SF Hillel has several events planned for Thursday, Sept. 22 on Privett Plaza. Please contact Sarah with any questions. 1–3 p.m. Intention Setting
Join us for some apples and honey and intention setting for the new year.
5–6 p.m. Cookie Party
One of our wonderful USF students will be leading us in a cookie decorating activity inspired by Rosh Hashanah traditions. Join us for sweets, community, and some Rosh Hashanah learning! Please RSVP ahead of time if you are able to, but free to bring friends.
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Friday, Sept. 30, 4 p.m. – Sunday, Oct. 2, 12:30 p.m. | Walker Creek Ranch
Spend a weekend with your favorite people from Qmmunity at our Overnight Spectrum Retreat at Walker Creek Ranch. There will be guest speakers, fun activities, nature time, free transportation, and more! Registration will open soon; to be notified when registration becomes available, please complete this form.
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Tuesdays and Thursdays | 4:15–6 p.m. | Zoom
University Ministry is supporting farmworker families in Half Moon Bay, California by providing tutoring services through ALAS (Ayudando A Latinos A Soñar) which works towards empowering the Latino coastal community by helping children and their families feel proud of their identity, culture, and amplifying their voices.
Our volunteers meet virtually with students twice a week to help with assignments and homework and provide overall mentorship. We are looking for tutors to assist in elementary-middle school reading, writing, math, and Spanish, or who have experience teaching English as a second language. Please contact Resident Minister Joel Ojeda Ramirez for more information.
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Orthodox Christian Fellowship
Tuesdays| 12 p.m. | University Ministry – Romero Room (Toler 122)
Orthodox Christian Fellowship at USF (OCF) is a student-led group dedicated to exploring the Orthodox Christian faith, fostering spiritual growth, and exposing our campus to the faith, cultures, and customs that are uniquely Orthodox. We are a small but dynamic group of students from many different backgrounds who share a common desire to learn more about the 2000-year tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. We look for opportunities throughout the year to pray together, meet up with OCF chapters at other universities, serve our neighbor, eat, and create a rich community in Christ. All students, including non-Orthodox, are very welcome!
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| | Faith Talks
Wednesdays | 7 p.m. | University Ministry – Romero Room (Toler 122)
Each Wednesday beginning Sept. 7, come and join us for a night of fellowship where we talk about our faith and learn more about the Word of God. Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact Resident Minister Damilola Adesanya.
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| | Breaking Bread and the Binary
Thursdays | 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | University Ministry – Romero Room (Toler 122)
Join us every Thursday as we explore the intersectionality between our unique spiritual traditions and our LGBTQIA+ identities.
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Integral Ecology Retreat on the Farm
Tuesday, Oct. 4 | Star Route Farms
Erin Brigham and Fr. Donal Godfrey, S.J. will lead a Laudato Si'-inspired retreat at Star Route Farms on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This retreat offers faculty and staff an opportunity to connect with each other and the beauty of nature magnified at the farm. Space is limited to 12 and priority will be given to those who have not previously attended the retreat. Email Fr. Donal to sign up.
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Arrupe Immersions
Friday, Sept. 16 | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | University Ministry – Romero Room (Toler 122)
Arrupe Immersions are local and global experiences designed to open participants' eyes to the realities of the world. This year, we want to invite you to an informational session so you can learn more about the upcoming trips and where the immersions will take you!
Grab coffee and pastries with the University Ministry team and discover new opportunities to expand your worldview. Make sure you sign up so we can learn which immersion trip interests you the most. See you there!
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InterVarsity Weekly Community Groups
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays | Various Locations
Been too busy to check them out? It's not too late! Supportive community, open discussion of the Bible, and tasty snacks - come by anytime! InterVarsity groups are open to students of any faith background.
Mondays | 7–8:15 p.m. | University Center (UC) 415
Tuesdays | 7–8:15 p.m. | KA 499
Thursdays |11:40 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | UC 415
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Jews and Indians on Turtle Island: Between Colonialism and Justice
Monday, Oct. 10 | 6:30–8 p.m. | Lone Mountain, Outdoor Sukkah (adjacent to LM Main/Pacific Wing Dorms)
In his award-winning book, The Jews’ Indian: Colonialism, Pluralism, and Belonging in America (2019), scholar David S. Koffman investigates the history of relations between American Jews and American Indians, both in the realm of cultural imagination and face-to-face encounters. The exchanges between these groups were numerous and diverse, at times harmonious, other times discordant. Drawing from his extensive and original archival research, in this talk Koffman will discuss this largely unknown piece of modern Jewish history within the context of both the longer, more complex entanglements between settlers and Indigenous Peoples in American history and contemporary Jewish efforts to grapple with the legacies of colonialism and advance the cause of justice on Turtle Island. Immediately following Koffman’s talk, USF Politics Professor and American Indian Studies scholar Kouslaa Kessler-Mata will moderate a Q&A discussion.
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