USD Magazine, Spring 1996

At the same time, USD's other predecessor institution, the San Diego College for Women, assigned women religious coun– selors to each of the classes. The counselors looked after the spiritual, emotional, intellectual and moral development of the students, arranging to visit each of them two or three times a semester and to be available for counseling as needed. These days, students are still looked after, but the work of the six full-time staff members in the Office of University Ministry now goes even further. In recent years, the depart– ment's mission broadened and campus ministry was given a new name to reflect the office's expanded mission. The switch from "campus" to "university" ministry illustrates a commitment to serve the entire university community, a commitment stressed by USD's recently retired president, Author E. Hughes, and carried through by his successor, Alice B. Hayes. "Dr. Hughes had the vision that ministry at USD would reach out not only to students, staff and faculty, but also to parents, alumni and benefactors," says Monsignor I. Brent Eagen, who was appointed vice president for mission and min– istry in 1993. "That is more than just a campus activity, it is a university activity." A Focal Point for Faith Ministering to students often happens in unexpected ways, especially when students are encouraged to venture beyond the campus. In addition to the Tijuana housebuilding retreat, university ministry sponsors hunger and homeless awareness programs, an annual Night Without Shelter (see "One Night Without Shelter," page 15) and volunteer opportunities at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Workers Soup Kitchen. There are class retreats and strong involvement in liturgical services through groups like the Founders Chapel choir, which has grown in numbers, repertoire and instrumentation under staff member Annette Welsh '79. Finally, the office is planning a pilot program through which students will be able to reflect on the meaning of their experiences. "Because we live in a pluralistic society, the theological per– spective isn't always automatic: How does this fit with what we read in the Gospel? How does this fit with what Jesus did? How are we becoming more Christian by involving ourselves?" Monsignor Eagen says. "Look at your faith and look at the problem and see how the two intersect."

Th er

formed a bucket brigade. Hauling bucket after bucket of wet cement

some 100 yards tot e house, then up to the people on the scaf– fold, then further up to the roof. Bucket after bucket, six to eight hours a day. Putting on a roof is probably the hardest part of building a house. There's no electricity in this part of Tijuana, Mexico, and no running water. Just 25 USD students, faculty and staff members, here to help their neighbors. The Tijuana Housebuilding Project is just one way USD's Office of University Ministry helps students improve the world around them. Once a semester, student volunteers attend this weekend retreat to work and learn. The experience includes a night visit to the U.S.-Mexico border where students speak, through a translator, to Mexicans trying to cross into the United States. The students pray together and listen to experts explain the social and economic realities of life for the Mexican people. The experience not only helps the community and teaches students about cultures that lie outside the university gates, it also increases their awareness of the need for cooperation and interdependency in today's world. "The fact that you have to work so hard and rely on some– body else breaks down a lot of boundaries," says MaryEllen Pitard '69, associate director of university ministry. Breaking down boundaries and building understanding is a goal the Office of University Ministry hopes to achieve with every USD student. The Tijuana Housebuilding Project and other traditional programs have long been a part of fostering that understanding. As society becomes increasingly complex, however, USD's university ministry is changing and expanding to address the spiritual and social needs of the USD communi– ty, to embrace issues both on campus and off, and to offer new outreach in an effort to show USD students how they can improve their world. From ''Campus" to "University" Ministry The roots of USD's formal ministry program were growing even as the institution was in its infancy. For Bishop Charles Francis Buddy, founder of San Diego University, one of USD's predecessor institutions, taking care of students' spiritual needs was a primary concern. The campus chaplain and faculty priests were charged with attending to the spiritual welfare of the students, but Bishop Buddy inspired a more personal involvement, setting an example by taking an active interest in students, faculty and staff.

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