Image References
Cuppett, Mark. (2022). Five people posing with cardboard cutout of Pope Francis. [Digital photograph]. Provided via personal correspondence with Mark Cuppett on October 17, 2022.
@UNCNewman. (2022, May 2). Group of students posing with Newman center sign. [Digital photograph] [Organization Facebook Banner Photo]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/UNCNewman/
@unc_newman. (2022, October 16). Praise God for Carolina Awakening 14. [Digital photograph] [Instagram post]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjy0lvfr_n4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Presentation Script
As someone who grew up in catholic schooling and has a religious family, I was interested in the catholic community on campus from my first day here. I had friends’ siblings and acquaintances who I knew were involved, but I had fallen out of connection with the faith in recent years and the general perception of Catholics on campus is not positive. There are many overt Christians who make their presence known in an aggressive way and turn people off, which creates the negative perception. This piqued my interest in the ways that the Newman center, which is the Catholic ministry on campus, attracts new members and rekindles the faith of students who may have given it up in their youth.
In my catholic upbringing, I noticed some common themes that affect the rate at which the Catholic church retains patrons from youth to adulthood. For example, it is commonly impressed upon many at a young age that they need to be spending a lot of time in church or studying the faith to have a relationship with God. This is very counter-productive to making the faith more accessible. This reflects Mayrl and Oeur’s 2009 research, which states that “the more time and investment religion requires of them, the less likely students are to engage” (4). This led me to heavily emphasize the accessibility of the events that I attended and the intensity of the environment when discussing the faith.
The Newman center effectively tailors their programming to feel accessible to outsiders. When I attended Carolina Catholic Night, there were plenty of students who were eager to talk to
me and learn about why I was there. When a student was doing a presentation for the group, the audience were constantly cheering for them, showcasing the community that the Newman center has built. When I attended Mass on campus for the first time, I got a chance to meet Father Timothy, the pastor and leader of the ministry at the Newman center. One of the problems I and many other Catholics have with the Church is the lack of strong, approachable leadership in parishes. Father Timothy is a kind, accessible priest who most who are involved with the ministry seem to respect and trust. His sermon was relatable and spoke on life as a Catholic on campus. Having a likeable figure leading the ministry in addition to the strong student leadership that is showcased at events like Carolina Catholic Night makes it much easier for an uneasy student to get acclimated into the community.
My experience at Newman center events spoke volumes for their ability to bring new people in and make them feel at home. As both an insider to the faith and an outsider to their community, I was impressed by how easy it was to feel comfortable in the environment. The combination of the interactive programming, the accessibility of leadership, and the friendly vibes that radiate in the room make the Newman center a great place to rekindle one’s faith or find a new community.
Explication of Research
Preface
As someone who grew up in catholic schooling and has a religious family, I was interested in the catholic community on campus from my first day here. I had friends’ siblings and acquaintances who I knew were involved, but I had fallen out of connection with the faith in recent years and the general perception of Catholics on campus is not positive. There are many overt Christians who make their presence known in an aggressive way and turn people off, which creates the negative perception. I also have a conflicted relationship with the Catholic faith, as I was raised in Catholicism and my commitment to the faith faded as I grew older. This was mainly caused by my disagreement with beliefs that were impressed on me during high school and a lack of interest in church gatherings and events. These factors piqued my interest in the ways that the Newman center, which is the Catholic ministry on campus, attracts new members and rekindles the faith of students who may have given it up in their youth.
Background Information
According to the Newman center’s webpage, the Newman center was founded in 1971 as an independent parish serving the Chapel Hill community. On the webpage, the parish names its mission as being “to invite people to encounter Jesus Christ and accompany them towards deeper discipleship and commitment to continue His Mission” (Newman center). The mission statement echoes my research question in its focus on attracting new people to the faith and introducing them to Catholicism’s values. The idea of reintroducing students to the faith is one that applies to me and interested me. My personal experience with falling away from the faith was my loss of interest in participating in church or other parish events. This factor is echoed in Klimova and Martynova’s notes on students’ attitudes toward religion, as they say that “one of the common features of religiousness among today’s young people is its passive nature, with no relation to church” (Klimova, 2009, pg. 80). Students are now more likely than ever to hold religious beliefs without being a member of a parish or active in their religious community, so the Newman center has the task of reintegrating students into the church and parish environment.
In my catholic upbringing, I noticed some common themes that affect the rate at which the Catholic church retains patrons from youth to adulthood. For example, it is commonly impressed upon many at a young age that they need to be spending a lot of time in church or studying the faith to have a relationship with God. This is very counter-productive to making the faith more accessible. This reflects Mayrl and Oeur’s 2009 research, which states that “the more time and investment religion requires of them, the less likely students are to engage” (Mayrl, 2009, pg. 263). This led me to heavily emphasize the accessibility of the events that I attended and the intensity of the environment when discussing the faith. Youth leadership is also an area that traditional Catholic parishes are lacking in. While most run youth groups, there are not many enticing programs for high schoolers that are common in Catholic parishes. At a large university like UNC, there is no shortage of students who are eager to be involved in leadership positions, so the Newman center should have a great base of students to help build the community.
Observation and Analysis
The Newman center effectively tailors their programming to feel accessible to outsiders. When I attended Carolina Catholic Night, there were plenty of students who were eager to talk to me and learn about why I was there. As I entered the room, I was greeted by a group of students who seemed to be experienced in the community. They were all friendly with one another and had clearly been around the center for a while. Students in Newman center attire were spread out talking to students who were not wearing it, which indicates that they were trying to make all of them feel welcome. This peer-to-peer interaction is very important for the new students, as they feel socially accepted right from the beginning. When a student was doing a presentation for the group, the audience were constantly cheering for them, showcasing the community that the Newman center has built. When I attended Mass on campus for the first time, I got a chance to meet Father Timothy, the pastor and leader of the ministry at the Newman center. One of the problems I and many other Catholics have with the Church is the lack of strong, approachable leadership in parishes. Father Timothy is a kind, accessible priest who most who are involved with the ministry seem to respect and trust. His sermon was relatable and spoke on life as a Catholic on campus. Having a likeable figure leading the ministry in addition to the strong student leadership that is showcased at events like Carolina Catholic Night makes it much easier for an uneasy student to get acclimated into the community.
Conclusion
My experience at Newman center events spoke volumes for their ability to bring new people in and make them feel at home. As both an insider to the faith and an outsider to their community, I was impressed by how easy it was to feel comfortable in the environment. The more experience students make a point to reach out to new people as they were when they first came to campus. The comradery that the group of students has is appealing to any student who is looking for a place to belong. Newcomers are made to feel like a priority and like their perspective is important. It is a different take on the traditional Catholic community that is geared towards young adults. Being different is the best chance that the center has of growing and spreading their positive message around campus. The combination of the interactive programming, the accessibility of leadership, and the friendly vibes that radiate in the room make the Newman center a great place to rekindle one’s faith or find a new community.
References
Klimova, S. M., & Martynova, G. V. (2009). College students’ attitudes toward religion. Russian Social Science Review, 50(5), 71-80. https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=8c2546cd-644b-49fb-b5bc-0e737e1afd43%40redis
Mayrl, D., & Oeur, F. (2009, June). Religion and higher education: Current knowledge and directions for future research. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 48(2), 260-275. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-5906.2009.01446.x
Mission & Vision. (n.d.). Newman Catholic Student Center Parish. Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://uncnewman.org/about-us