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College students are welcome
archived from: 2005-03-25
by: Patricia Bartos

When he became pastor of St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, Father Donald Breier looked out over the many college and graduate students at Mass and had a thought.

The cathedral sits in the heart of the city’s university district. He knew that many students had been active in their home parishes during high school and he wanted to help them continue those close ties to the church.

“I wanted them to feel welcome, to participate in church life as much as they wished to,” Father Breier said. “I know they have busy schedules, but I wanted them to know they’re welcome.”

He asked his parochial vicar, Father Tom Burke, to look into the matter. At the same time, Ed Hirzel and John Newell, both of whom had attended Mass at the cathedral during their college years, had been working toward the same goal.

Hirzel is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and a parishioner at the cathedral. Newell now teaches at the University of Pittsburgh.

“They approached us with the idea to help get young adults involved in the faith,” Father Burke said.

What emerged was the St. Paul Cathedral Parish College Student Program, launched in November and headed by Father Burke, with Hirzel and Newell as advisers.

“When Father Breier came, one of his goals was to involve college students more,” said Hirzel, whose parish program committee had been pursuing the same idea.

“It seemed to me we had no outreach to them, that the vast majority just came to Mass,” he said. “Our goals were to have them become involved in parish ministries and to provide a social and spiritual outreach to them.”

The advisors, with a core group of students as team leaders, meet monthly to plan activities. They placed forms in the cathedral vestibule and created an e-mail database of interested students.

Thus far, organizers have focused on social gatherings for the some 40 students who come regularly — ice-skating, volleyball and dodgeball games. And this past weekend, Father Burke led an overnight Lenten retreat at the Martina Spirituality Center in West View for 36 of the students.

With the Oratory and the Ryan Catholic Newman Center located near the cathedral, leaders didn’t want to duplicate programs. Hirzel said his group stresses a parish focus, offering students the chance to join in parish life — and that is happening.

Students have become active as ushers, lectors and eucharistic ministers. Some have joined the choir. Students always fill roles at the cathedral’s 6 p.m. Sunday Mass — the college Mass — but they help out at other Masses, too, as their schedules permit.

“We see it as a stepping-stone to them becoming full parishioners in their future parishes,” Hirzel said.

Young women students also join the parish’s Jean Hartman in embroidering baptismal gowns and assisting in wedding preparation and funeral coordination.

Nancy Czaicki of St. Louis, Mo., a freshman chemistry major at Pitt, is among them.

Volunteers attend wedding rehearsals and on the day of the weddings set up the altar and help ensure that things run on time.

“It gives you more of a sense of belonging to the church,” she said. She arrived on campus last fall, just when the youth group was being formed. “I like the idea of being active in a community with people who have similar beliefs and interests,” she said.

She enjoys the social outings. “It’s a good start to get everyone more active.”

Tim Lander, a first-year graduate student at Carnegie Mellon and member of St. Ferdinand in Cranberry, helped to organize the group.

“I wanted to get involved with people outside of school,” he said.

He met Hirzel, who asked him to help. With Newell and several students, they put together the activity schedule.

“Our group is definitely on the right track and everyone seems to really be enjoying themselves,” Lander said.

He is enthusiastic about encouraging students to become involved in the parish.

“Many members have,” he said, including himself — he ushers at the 6 p.m. Sunday Mass.

“What we pride ourselves on,” he said, “is we bring together fun social and spiritual activities which are open to any denomination, but focus on bringing students closer to Christ, the church and each other.”

Those activities next year will also include community service projects, Hirzel said.

Group leaders are still learning as they go. “Just talking to them, one-on-one, is the best experience,” Father Burke said. “We’re finding that kids feel comfortable to come here.”

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