STM Magazine

 

Called To Serve: Integrating Service Into STM Ministries

Integrating ServiceOne chilly fall afternoon, a group of undergraduate men went to the Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of Grace in Guilford, CT, where nuns live a life of prayer and communion. Attracted by the serenity of the place, these men retreated from the business of student life to spend their time in prayer and service. Armed with an ax and gloves, they chopped and stacked wood for the coming cold season—a great help to the nuns as they prepared for winter’s frigid temperatures.

These men are members of the Undergraduate Men’s Spirituality Group that seeks to deepen their faith through fellowship, prayer, adoration and conversation. Although these components are in themselves valuable, the student leaders of the group intentionally integrated service opportunities, like the trip to the monastery, into their yearly programming and saw them as equally important. For them, faith is not only celebrated in fellowship or kindled in prayer, but it is also lived out in service. As Jimmy Rogers '20 reflected afterwards on his experience chopping wood:

“It has been shown that a definite way to bring people together, no matter who they are, is to group them into a team and have them work with each other to achieve a superordinate goal, exactly as we did at the monastery. Even though I did not know many of the guys that I was working with, I felt a bond form with them—a bond enhanced through the knowledge that we shared the same values, those promoted by Christianity. It was reassuring, and the idea of it makes my spirit feel filled.”

Infusing service into our existing small groups and ministries is the current initiative for STM’s service ministry. The Chaplaincy Team, consisting of the Chaplain and assistant chaplains, worked throughout the year with STM’s student leaders to combine service opportunities with the particular group’s usual programming. Both the Cathletes (Catholic Athletes) and the ESTEEM (Engaging Students to Enliven the Ecclesial Mission) Leadership Program prepared meals for Amistad Catholic Worker House in New Haven, CT. Families involved in STM’s Religious Education program have assembled care packages for our Wednesday Soup Kitchen guests and started a food drive for Catholic Charities. 

This model is aligned with Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, a guiding document for youth ministry issued by USCCB (United States Catholic Conference of Bishops). The document states that any ministry of justice and service must “infuse the concepts of justice, peace and human dignity into all ministry efforts.” So, as students engage in prayer and the study of faith, the element of service must also be present.

Both the Undergraduate and Graduate Councils have taken on this approach of integration in their program planning. The Undergraduate Council partnered with Project Longevity in cultivating a community garden, visited patients at Grimes Center, served food to the homeless at Sunrise Café and helped clean the New Haven Green. Including these events along with social and faith formation programs created a more holistic approach to undergraduate programming and faith enrichment.

Similarly, the Graduate Council organized several service projects throughout the year. After a trip to Bishop’s Orchard in Guilford, CT, the graduate students made apple crisp for our Wednesday Soup Kitchen guests. A number of students also knitted hats and blankets for premature babies staying at the St. Raphael Campus of Yale New Haven Hospital. In May, Graduate and Post Doc Men as well as Women Spirituality groups co-hosted a PLARN (plastic yarn) Workshop that will teach attendees how to make mats made of plastic bags for New Haven’s homeless. Again, such endeavors offer more cohesive programming for students. Students that gather for prayer and fellowship are the same students that gather for service outreach. 

This approach engages groups rather than individuals and generates more STM involvement in nonprofits in and outside of New Haven. It promotes the cultivation of the spirit of service in a communal way. Instead of creating a group for a service project, the Chaplaincy Team coordinates with existing groups and finds ways to respond to a need in the community through partnerships with local organizations. Nonetheless, there are still opportunities open to anyone who is not part of an established STM group. During the 80th Anniversary celebration of the Chapel, everyone in the Yale and New Haven communities was invited to a meal packaging event with Catholic Relief Services. And in partnership with AYUDH (Amma’s Youth for Unity, Diversity, and Humanity), many STM students have assembled numerous blessing bags for our Wednesday Soup Kitchen guests—plus, our soup kitchen is open every Wednesday during the school year for anyone who wishes to volunteer.

The mission of STM to Study, Pray and Act are treated not as isolated goals but an inter-connected vision, offering more comprehensive programming for students. So, when the issue of homelessness is offered in our prayers and discussed in conversations and lectures, we also provide concrete ways on how to alleviate it.

As the Church continues to call us to be a people for the sake of others, we at STM hope to nurture compassion in young people in order to address the needs of others and live a life inspired by Scripture and Catholic social teaching. By engaging our various ministries in responding to the community’s present needs, we are building a Church that strives to be the “salt and light” of the earth (Matt. 5:13-16).

This article was included in the Spring 2019 issue of STM Magazine. STM Magazine is published twice a year for alumni, parents and friends of Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University. If you would like to receive STM Magazine email robin.mcshane@yale.edu.

Allan Esteron

Allan Esteron

Allan is an Assistant Chaplain at STM.