|
University Ministry: Spring is Here March 22, 2024
| |
We welcome participants and leaders of our three immersions. Over spring break, University Ministry hosted immersion experiences in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Peru. Each experience exposed students to the culture, people, and prevalent social justice issues of the country. Participants engaged in a wide range of experiences from touring the sugarcane fields in the Dominican Republic to learning how to surf from former street kids in Peru to touring a migration center in Guadalajara. In the spirit of a faith that does justice, our students also participated in prayerful reflection on the current issues affecting our host countries and how to respond to the signs of the times.
Christians around the world will observe Holy Week from March 24 to March 30. This week marks the final days in the life of Jesus, commemorating his death on Good Friday (March 29), and reminding us of the hope and promise of the resurrection on Easter Sunday (March 31). Eastern Rite Christians will observe Holy Week beginning at the end of April and will celebrate Easter Sunday on May 5. We wish those who celebrate a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter.
Passover begins on the evening of April 22 and ends on the evening of April 30. This eight-day Jewish holiday commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt and recalls when death “passed over” and spared the lives of the firstborn Israelites. To all our Jewish students and colleagues, we wish you a happy Pesach in the days to come. Chag Pesach Sameach!
The holy season of Ramadan continues for Muslims around the world. This time of increased prayer and fasting recalls the revelation of the Qu’ran. To all of our Muslim students and colleagues, we wish you a blessed Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak!
| |
| University Ministry Events
| |
USF's Baha'i Community
We would like to extend our heartfelt apology to our Baha'i community for neglecting to include a message about March’s fast in our previous newsletter. Baha’i community members fasted from March 1 until March 19, from sunrise to sunset. You can find more information here.
The Baha’i Fast falls during the month of Ala–the last month of the Baha’i calendar. During these 19 days, Baha’is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. While this abstention from food and drink is a test of one’s will and discipline, the fast is not just about abstaining from food. It is primarily a spiritual practice.
Our gratitude goes out to Dean Shabnam Koirala-Azad for her sharing of information and resources!
| |
| | Jesuit Mission Luncheon
Thursday, April 11 | 11:30 a.m.−1 p.m. | Loyola House Jesuit Community
You're invited to join Donal Godfrey, S.J., for a discussion on what it means to be a Catholic institution, and what Catholic identity means at USF.
For more information or to register for this event, please contact Fr. Godfrey.
| | |
Forest Bathing Retreat
Saturday, March 30 | 9–11:30 a.m. | Fuschia Dell
Join us for a forest bath or "shinrin-yoku." Deepen your relationship with and tune into the healing power of nature. Revitalize your health and well-being.
All USF students, staff, and faculty are welcome!
Register by March 28.
| | | |
| | Daily Mass with the Jesuits
Monday–Thursday | 12 p.m. | Jesuit Chapel at Loyola House
Join us Monday through Thursday at the Loyola House Jesuit Chapel for Mass at noon.
The last Mass for the spring semester will be held on Thursday, May 16.
| | |
Monday Meditations
Mondays | 12:30–1:15 p.m. PDT | Zoom
Join us for a guided meditation to start the week right. Guided meditation can help reduce stress, increase patience, improve focus, and more! Open to all students, faculty, and staff! Register in advance through Zoom.
| | | |
Outdoor Stations of the Cross
Tuesday, March 26 | 12 p.m. | St. Ignatius Church
One of the oldest Christian devotions, the Way of the Cross follows Jesus on his journey to Good Friday. These stations can provide a model of how to live life when our struggles are unavoidable, and life seems most oppressive, most unfair, and most impossible to bear.
All are welcome to join this guided outdoor Stations of the Cross for Holy Week. We will process around campus with guided meditative stops along the way. Please meet at the front steps of St. Ignatius Church on Fulton Street.
| |
Virtual Way of the Cross
University Ministry has created a virtual Way of the Cross that is accessible 24/7 for your personal prayer.
| |
| | Jesuit Loyola Mission Lunch
Tuesday, April 9 | 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. | Loyola House Jesuit Community
Join us for a Jesuit mission conversation with Patrick Saint-Jean, S.J., author of books on racial justice and the spirituality of St Ignatius. He received his undergraduate education at the Universite Victor Segalen de Bordeaux in France, a graduate degree in Psychoanalysis from the Parisian Ecole Lacanienne de Psychanalyse in Paris, and a PsyD from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Fr. Saint-Jean has studied, conducted research, and worked in various countries. He completed his theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 2019. In his free time, Dr. Saint-Jean enjoys talking with friends and family, writing on social justice issues, and watching sports among many other things.
This event is limited to 10 people, and registration is first come, first served. To RSVP, please contact Fr. Godfrey.
| | |
| | Sunday Night Student Liturgies
Sundays | 7 p.m. | St. Ignatius Church
Join our weekly liturgy and engage in prayer and deep reflection with other students! All are welcome.
Would you like to be a lector, altar server, Eucharistic minister, greeter, or choir member for any of these liturgies? If interested, please contact Ana Karen Barragán.
| | |
| | Breaking Bread and the Binary
Thursdays | 11:45 a.m.–1:45 p.m. | University Ministry – Romero Room (Toler 122)
Breaking Bread and the Binary is back! Join us on a self-discovery journey to explore the intersectionality between our different spiritual traditions and our LGBTQIA+ identities. We meet every Thursday during the academic year. If you have any questions, contact Qmmunity USF.
| | |
| | White Supremacy, Antisemitism, and Anti-Black Racism: Origins and Intersectionality with Eric Ward
Tuesday, March 26 | 6:30–8 p.m. | McLaren Complex
Renowned community organizer and civil rights and racial justice advocate Eric Ward will discuss the foundational connections between American anti-Blackness and antisemitism. Following his keynote, Ward will be in conversation with April Baskin, a dedicated organizer and movement leader within the Jewish community for 20 years, moderated by Professor Bradley Onishi (Religious Studies).
| | |
| | The Alvin H. Baum Jr. Memorial Lecture
A View of the Epidemic: Seeing the Face of the Divine
Sunday, April 7 | 6:30–8 p.m. | Fromm Hall, Maraschi Room
We are thrilled to announce that we have selected the finalists for the first annual Robert Holgate Pride Award in Queering Religion. This award is named in honor of LGBTQIA+ activist and philanthropist Robert Holgate. Hosted by the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice, the prize will enable a student who is active in the work of queering religion on the USF Campus to engage the community through thoughtful programming during the following semester (in this case, in fall 2024). We will announce the award recipient on April 7, during the Alvin H. Baum Memorial Lecture.
| | |
| | Social Justice Passover Seder
Thursday, April 25 | 6:30–8 p.m. | McLaren Conference Center
Our 14th annual Social Justice Passover Seder will focus on antiracism. We will tell the Passover story while making connections between the ancient narrative of moving from slavery to freedom and contemporary anti-racist activism.
| | |
| | Orthodox Christian Fellowship
Tuesdays | 12–12:35 p.m. | University Ministry – Romero Room (Toler 122)
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (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 authentically Orthodox. We are a small but dynamic group of students from many different backgrounds who share a common desire to learn more about the 2,000-year tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. All students, including non-Orthodox, are very welcome! Please drop by or email our spiritual adviser, Fr. Kirill Sokolov, or our student leader, Christianna Yano, for more information.
| | |
| | Intervarsity Community Groups
These weekly gatherings are a space to engage the Bible in the community. Student leaders based the discussion on the questions you bring, so it's a great place to be whether you have experience with the Bible or not! This semester we are discussing portions of the Book of Exodus and how this ancient text relates to life today.
Groups meet weekly at the following times:
- Tuesdays from 7–8:15 p.m. in UC 415
- Wednesdays from 7:15–8:30 p.m. in UC 415
- Thursdays from 11:40 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in UC 414
| | |
University Ministry Newsletter Content Requests
Thank you for reading our bi-weekly newsletter. If you would like to submit content for future newsletters, please make sure to fill out the UM Newsletter Intake Form. If you have any questions about submissions and deadlines, please email Sarah Manzano.
Content deadline for upcoming newsletter:
Friday, March 22 (for April 5 Newsletter)
| |
|
