University Ministry:
Stepping Into Spring Together
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Stepping Into Spring Together
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“Spring is like a perhaps hand (which comes carefully out of Nowhere)…”
— E. E. Cummings
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Welcome back to another spring semester with University Ministry! As Cummings reminds us, spring doesn’t arrive all at once — it unfolds carefully and quietly, inviting openness, curiosity, and a willingness to grow. In that same spirit, we’re glad to begin this new semester alongside you.
This spring, University Ministry is here to continue supporting the USF community as we nurture lives of faith, reflection, and commitment to justice, whether that looks like asking new questions, returning to familiar practices, or simply making space to pause amid a busy semester. We hope our gatherings, conversations, and programs can be places where you feel grounded, supported, and encouraged to tend to what is unfolding in your own life.
As the semester begins, we invite you to move into this season gently and with intention, trusting that even small moments of care, reflection, and connection can shape something meaningful over time.
In that same spirit of careful unfolding, we’re also excited to share our newest University Ministry prayer book. Created within the heart of our Jesuit Catholic university, it brings together prayers and reflections from a wide range of spiritual traditions, honoring the many paths our community walks in search of meaning, belonging, and God. Rooted in the Ignatian belief that God can be found in all things, the book offers a shared space where silence and song, ancient words and hopes, can sit side by side, much like spring itself, arriving gently, yet full of possibility.
The new prayer book is available to read here, and on the University Ministry website, where you can also learn more about what’s unfolding this spring.
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"Advent is not about waiting for God to act. Advent is about waking up to where God is already at work and joining God in that work. Staying awake means being prepared to say yes. Yes to justice. Yes to accompaniment. Yes to human dignity. Yes to policies rooted in compassion. Yes to the long and challenging work of peace. And it means standing where Christ stands."
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This past Advent and Christmas, in solidarity and with a deep and urgent concern for our immigrant siblings, Catholic Women Preach featured reflections from Latina women, migrant women, and women who accompany migrants in ministry and advocacy. Reminding us of the Holy Family’s own search for safety, shelter, and dignity, their preaching offers a prophetic witness to the Gospel and a profound expression of the Church’s mission to stand with and for those on the margins.
Our very own University Ministry director, Angélica N. Quińónez EdD, was among the women offering these powerful reflections. In her message, she offers a thoughtful invitation to enter this season with renewed awareness and an open heart.
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UM Events and Sponsored Events |
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Walk With University Ministry |
University Ministry invites you to throw on your HOKAs and fill up your Stanley to join us for our first-ever walking group. A new way to connect, get outside, and embrace movement together! Open to everyone, this group is all about building community while staying active.
Whether you’re looking for a break from studying, some fresh air, or just good company, we’d love for you to walk with us. See you on the path! For questions, email Caton Daval-Santos.
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Saturday, Feb. 21 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Fuschia Dell, Golden Gate Park
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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 Feb. 13. For more information, email Poonam Kakodkar.
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| Saturday, March 7 | 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Las Gallinas Birding Loop
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Join us for a mindful birding retreat that blends gentle walking, quiet observation, and guided reflection. Slow down, tune into birdsong, and cultivate presence, curiosity, and connection with the natural world — no prior birding experience required.
Lunch, binoculars, and a birding basics guide will be provided. All USF students, staff, and faculty are welcome! We hope to see you there!
Register by Feb. 28. For more information, email Poonam Kakodkar.
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Sundays | 7 p.m. | St. Ignatius Church
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Join us every Sunday for our weekly student liturgies! Visit our website or email Laura Díaz-Flaviani to learn more. Sign up to be in the choir, or participate as an altar server, lector, or Eucharistic minister.
Can't join us in person? Join by watching our livestream on the St. Ignatius Parish site.
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Breaking Bread and the Binary |
Thursdays | 11:30 a.m.
University Ministry, Romero Room
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Qmmunity will begin hosting Breaking Bread and the Binary this Thursday and every Thursday throughout the spring semester. This is a place to celebrate your true fabulous self and gain nourishment for the body and soul. Questions? Email Rabbi Camille Angel.
| | Catholic Student Fellowship |
Wednesday Evenings
University Ministry, Romero Room
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Join our USF Catholic Student Fellowship. We meet every Wednesday for community building, faith discussions, and a 15-minute rosary! For more information, please contact Randon Ronquillo.
We would love to see you there!
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Fridays | 12:15–12:45 p.m.
University Ministry, Romero Room
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Join us for Jumma Prayer every Friday in the Romero Room, led by USF's Muslim Chaplain, Imam Sundiata Rashid.
Jumma is a weekly Friday prayer service observed by Muslims in the afternoon.
Please come by or email USF's Muslim Student Association's co-presidents, Areeshah Farooq and Poya Moussali.
Look out for updates regarding weekly Quran study events in our upcoming newsletter!
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Orthodox Christian Fellowship |
Tuesdays | 12–12:35 p.m.
University Ministry, Romero Room
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We’re back on Tuesdays! Orthodox Christian Fellowship is a student-led group dedicated to exploring the Orthodox Christian faith and fostering our spiritual growth in the ancient Apostolic way. We are a small but dynamic group of students from many different backgrounds who share a common desire to grow closer to our Lord Jesus Christ and learn more about the 2,000-year tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. All students, including non-Orthodox, are very welcome! Pizza will be provided for lunch. In addition to our weekly meetings, we regularly connect with OCF chapters at other Bay Area schools for events and worship. We also hope to host more informal events this semester, such as movie nights or book club meetings.
Please come by or email our student leader, Christianna Yano, or our spiritual adviser, Fr. Kirill Sokolov.
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Tuesdays (Men's Group) | 11 a.m. University Center 415
Tuesdays | 7 p.m.
University Center 415
Wednesdays | 7 p.m.
University Center 503
Thursdays | 11:30 a.m.
University Center 503
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These groups are a space to ask real questions, learn helpful approaches to reading the Bible, and build deeper friendships on campus. This semester, we're looking at Jesus' life and teaching in the Book of John. Contact Troy Tisthammer for more information, or just stop in.
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| Global Education Immersions |
We’re excited to support our colleagues at the Center for Global Education for their upcoming Global Education Immersions. These faculty-led programs offer students the opportunity to engage in meaningful cross-cultural learning experiences in locations such as Ireland, Italy, and Alaska — all while earning academic credit for their time abroad. Sign up for upcoming information sessions below!
Upcoming Immersions:
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Gastronomy and Culture in Italy
Summer 2026
Culture and Environment in Sitka
Summer 2026
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Contact Program Director Shawn Dillard for more information.
Please note: These are Global Education Immersions — not Arrupe Immersions.
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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 University Ministry.
Content deadline for upcoming newsletter: Thursday, Feb. 5.
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