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SpiritT H EIN AGGIELAND
Summer 2006 St. Mary’s Catholic Center College Station, Texas
Director of Campus MinistryFr. David Konderla
Associate PastorFr. Brian McMaster ‘95
Campus MinistersDeacon Switzer Deason
Deacon Bill Scott ‘[email protected]
Deacon David Reed ‘[email protected]
Sarah [email protected]
Asst. Director of Campus Ministry
Marcel LeJeune ‘[email protected]
Director of Music & LiturgyMike Macicek ‘97
Director of AdministrationGlenn Schroeder ‘72
Development DirectorGreg Gorman
Asst. Development DirectorAndrew Robison ‘04
2006 Record Year for Aggie Vocations!Former Student Returns to St. Mary’s as Associate Pastor
This fall, 14 Aggies, a record number, are expected to enter formation for the priesthood and religious life. Whether their continued discernment leads to ordination or religious vows, St. Mary’s is blessed to have so many young men and women open to considering a religious vocation. In the last nine years, 75 Aggies have entered formation for the priesthood and religious life, which makes the average 8.33/year (yes, even Aggies know you can’t have one-third of a priest or nun). We give thanks to God for making 2006 a way above average year. Stay tuned for the Fall issue, by then the former students will have finalized their plans, and we’ll name names!
HOWDY! My name is Father Brian McMaster ’95. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to return to St. Mary’s as an Aggie priest! Some of the happiest, most memorable, and formative years of my life were as a student at Texas A&M and a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Center. I attended A&M from 1991-1995. My two older brothers attended A&M, so without a doubt, I knew it was where I wanted to be. I thoroughly enjoyed campus life, Aggie sports, our beloved traditions, and yes, even my classes (most of them). But, the greatest part of those years was attending St. Mary’s Catholic Center. Here, I found a home away from home—it became a true spiritual home where I began to fall deeper in love with my Catholic faith, build friendships that nourished me and urged me to strive for holiness, and it is where I discovered God’s calling for my life. While at St. Mary’s I participated in St. Mary’s Youth Retreat Team (SMYRT), the Newman Mass, a rosary prayer group called “Mary’s Aggies,” Aggie Awakening, among others. I made Aggie Awakening #34 and continued to staff most of the retreats through #50. I especially enjoyed attending weekday Masses—it was through this daily encounter with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament that my love for the Eucharist, the priesthood, and the Church began to grow. Since the days in which I first started attending St. Mary’s, some incredible and holy priests have served here (Fathers Mike Sis, Dean Wilhelm, David Konderla, and Keith Koehl) as well as many others who preceded them. Each one inspired me and helped to teach me what it is to be a priest. I am humbled to follow in their footsteps. Now, I return to Aggieland, not as a student, but as a spiritual father. I love being a priest! It has brought joy to my life like none other. Pope John Paul the Great called for a new evangelization and for shepherds after the Heart of Christ. Whether it is through preaching, teaching, celebrating Mass, healing through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, listening to you, or praying with you, I desire and pray to be a servant for you and a priest after the Heart of Jesus. Gig ‘em and God bless! Fr. Brian McMaster ‘95
The Spirit in Aggieland � www.aggiecatholic.org
St. Mary’s is a parish of “goodbyes” and this summer we say farewell to several staff members. While I’m glad they are all moving on for “good” reasons, we will miss their dedication to Catholic campus ministry. We wish them well and send them with our prayers. We are also saying “goodbye” to Father Keith Koehl, who, in spite of his Longhorn heritage, “loved his enemies” with total dedication to his priestly ministry. This love is returned by all, and we send our congratulations and prayers as he assumes the responsibilities of pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Pflugerville. Although he has left an indelible mark on St. Mary’s, we are removing all “marks” of orange from his office! Fortunately, St. Mary’s is also a parish of “Howdys!” We welcome Father Brian McMaster ‘95 as associate
pastor. We also welcome several new staff members. See page 5 for a complete list of the comings and goings.
2006 has turned out to be a great year for vocations! We expect 14 Aggies to enter formation for the priesthood or religious life in the Fall—a new record! Please pray everyday for our Aggie priests and religious and our engaged couples, too. Speaking of engaged couples—there are lots of them around, who, along with many recently married couples, want to live out their vocation to marriage and family life in holiness following the wisdom and teachings of the Church. There is a growing need for Natural Family Planning (NFP) instruction. St. Mary’s is committed to sending two people a year away for training at the Pope Paul VI Institute. We are looking for people willing to be trained to minister to our couples and are praying for benefactors to sponsor this training.
Finally (and I know this is long, but there is so much good news), KACB (Aggieland Catholic Broadcasting, FM 96.9 in College Station) is on the air! Right now the format is “All Gregorian Chant All the Time.” As we test equipment, we have an all music format, but a team of staff and students are exploring the best way to use this unique tool for evangelization to the Aggies across the street. The radio station is the result of a multi-year effort by a group of people, who—typical for a bunch of Ags—just wouldn’t give up.
Stewardship † a way of lifeGood Stewardship Through MaintenanceGood stewardship means taking care of the gifts God, through his benefactors, has entrusted to St. Mary’s. Beginning in 2005, St. Mary’s initiated a vigorous program to restore all its structures, grounds and parking facilities to excellent condition. The major projects completed are: resurfacing and striping of the large parking lot, construction of a permanent structure for the parking lot attendant, major repairs to the church roof (and more are needed!), replacement of numerous cracked inner and outer window panes in the church, repair of the sidewalk canopy, and the installation of a continuous gutter to direct storm water away from the structures. Major projects in the planning stages that are expected to be completed in 2006-2007 include: repainting the church, installing hand rails for the steps in front of the church and renovation of the former day chapel on the second floor of the church to provide improved meeting space for the Knights of Columbus and other student organizations.
From the desk of Fr. David
Have you heard of St. Mary’s Class Gift?Thank you to the Classes of 2005 and 2006 for establishing class gifts to the Aggieland Catholic Foundation, Inc. The interest from these gifts will perpetually fund campus ministry at St. Mary’s. To establish a class gift, a group of at least 25 students each pledge to give $1,000 to St. Mary’s over five years (that’s only $20.05 or $20.06 per month). If you would like to contribute to a gift on behalf of your class, please contact Andrew Robison at [email protected].
St. Mary’s Msgr. Gleissner Legacy SocietyMany of us wish to ensure that St. Mary’s will be able to minister to students way into the future. A planned gift or bequest is one way to provide for the future of Catholic campus ministry at Texas A&M and Blinn. If you inform St. Mary’s of your planned gift, you will be enrolled in St. Mary’s Monsignor Gleissner Society. When others learn of your gift, they too may be inspired, or the details of your gift can be kept confidential. To find out more, contact Greg Gorman at [email protected].
Our Faith, Our Legacy Benefits St. Mary’sThe Austin Diocese’s Our Faith, Our Legacy campaign has money set aside to help fund campus ministries. St. Mary’s may be able to receive about $1.2 million from the campaign through matching challenge grants over the next five years. These funds would be used to build a discernment house for students discerning the priesthood and religious life and to help fund our endowment and other ministry needs.
“Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.”
—Kurt Vonnegut
The Spirit in Aggieland � www.aggiecatholic.org
Vocation StationSeminariansProfess Vows
Aggie Brother Nathanael Mary Lysinger, CFR (Stephen P. Lysinger ‘98) professed his perpetual vows in the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on July 30. Aggie Jesuits Mr. Randy Gibbens ‘99 and Mr. John Nugent ‘04 pronounced their perpetual vows to the Society of Jesus on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We offer prayers of thanksgiving for these religious vocations and wish these men many years of joy in service to God and his Church.
St. Mary’s In ActionOutbound Senior Retreat 2006
Catholic Student Association. Brian Hajovsky ‘06, of the CSA, read the names of Holocaust victims on April 9, commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Week. The interfaith event was sponsored by Texas A&M’s Hillel Foundation.
“My experiences as the director of St. Mary’s Youth Retreat Team [SMYRT] helped me along the way to find
my calling in life. The people I worked with on Leadership and the campus minister had a large part in my
discernment to join the priesthood.”
—Mr. John Nugent, SJ
Aggie Jesuit John Nugent ‘04 Aggie Jesuit Randy Gibbens ‘99
On March 25-26, 2006, 25 upcoming graduates participated in the 2006 Outbound Senior Retreat. The purpose of this retreat was to give upcoming graduates a time to reflect on their years at St. Mary’s and challenge them to get involved in their new parishes after graduation. All of the speakers were former students who shared their experiences of moving on from St. Mary’s to new parishes in places like Houston and Dallas. Senior Mai Bui ‘06,
recommends this retreat because, “It will give you time to think about your past four years, and about your future. So many retreats are so action packed, and it’s nice to have one that gives you time to stop and really see how many blessings you have in your life.” This was the third year for the Outbound Senior Retreat, and dates for the 2007 retreat will be available this coming fall. Contact Fr. Brian McMaster for more details.
2006 is a record year for Aggie vocations, with 14 Aggies entering formation for the priesthood or religious life! In the last nine years alone, 75 Aggies have entered seminaries, convents and monasteries all around the world. Pictured above, are just a few of those Aggie Religious.
Fiesta! The A&M Class of 2006 gathered in the Activity Center on May 2 to celebrate their time in college and look toward the future. This year’s Fiesta had a Southeast Asian theme, with the Korean Catholic Community preparing ethnic dishes. The reception was planned by the Development Office of St. Mary’s and included a short pre-sentation about the class gift.
The Spirit in Aggieland � www.aggiecatholic.org
St. Mary’s
Former
Students
Softly Call the Muster
For Lindsey Whitis ‘06, finals week was a time of great news. She was accepted as a member of the National Evangelization Team (NET), one of only 90 volunteers nationwide between the ages of 18-30 selected to serve. NET ministry teams travel across the country leading high energy retreats challenging young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church. After four weeks of training, Lindsey will hit the road until May 2007. A veteran of retreat ministry, she was active in St. Mary’s Youth Retreat Team (SMYRT). She was encouraged to apply for NET by St. Mary’s campus minister and former NET member, Sarah Hayes. Through her SMYRT experience, Lindsey gained a passion for youth ministry.
Former Student Accepted for NET
“I felt NET would allow me to grow deeper in my
faith and to gain new ideas that I can take with me wherever I end up.”
The Aggie Catholic Reunion, held during
Parents Weekend, began with Mass at
Sbisa followed by dinner, music, door
prizes, speakers and fun. The evening
ended with the drawing of the
winning ticket for the 2006 Winner’s Choice
Raffle. Father Keith hands winner Mary
Ellen Cole the keys to her new car.
Father Albert Palermo, age 85, a priest of the Milwaukee Diocese, died on July 4. He served at St. Mary’s from 1979-1986 and is the priest credited for bringing Awakening to Texas A&M. Jay Stockton, ‘82, who attended Awakening at Louisiana State University and brought the idea to A&M, explained that at first there was little interest in implementing even one Awakening retreat. While attending a conference, Father Al met with Jesuit
Father Joseph Tetlow, who had been impressed with the results of the Cursillo-based retreat in other locations. When Father Al returned to College Station, he contacted Stockton. “Awakening would not have started without Father Al’s support. When he got behind the program, he got behind it in a big way,” said Stockton. During particularly challenging financial times, Father Al secured the funding to train the staffers, and Aggie Awakening began on October 14, 1983. In July 2006, students participated in AA #77, enriched by Father Al’s lasting legacy to St. Mary’s.
Father Todd Reitmeyer ‘93, of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was killed in a personal watercraft accident on May 24, 2006, while vacationing near Austin, Texas. He is the son of David and Phyllis Reitmeyer. Father Todd was a proud member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets in Company L-2. He also earned a master’s degree in counseling from Northeast Missouri State, and studied theology at North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest on June 13, 2003 in Sioux Falls. While an undergraduate at Texas A&M, he would regularly invite the priests from St. Mary’s to eat lunch at Duncan Dining Hall with all the Catholic members of his outfit. He also brought his Catholic fish to Mass at St. Mary’s on Sundays. Father Mike Sis remembers Father Todd during his senior year, “He was a great role model for Catholics in the Corps. He let them see that it is possible to be both a strong leader in the Corps and also a committed leader at St. Mary’s. That’s an important lesson for all Catholics on campus, even today.” In the Sioux Falls Diocese, Father Todd was known for his love of the Lord, his homilies, and his example. His ministry reached beyond the diocese through his popular blog: (www.fathertodd.com/blog/), where there are now many posts remembering him. One person states in a post: “If every town had a Father Todd Reitmeyer, our priest shortage would be gone overnight.”
The Spirit in Aggieland � www.aggiecatholic.org
HOWDY! WELCOME TO CAMPUS
WE’LL MISS YOU GOOD LUCK!
STAFF CHANGES
Howdy! By the time you read this, I will have departed St. Mary’s Catholic Center and moved to my new assignment as pastor of St. Patrick in Pflugerville, Texas. After being here five years, I have truly been blessed and amazed at the generosity, not only of the students and parishioners in College Station, but of the overwhelming support through your prayers and financial assistance for the campus ministry program. I have enjoyed the privilege of meeting many of you in person throughout the state and country, and many others have either called or written. Thank you for your words of kindness and support. I leave St. Mary’s with mixed emotions. I will miss the enthusiasm for the faith, while at the same time I look forward to taking my experiences here and sharing them with others. As we journey forward in the faith of Christ, we do not always know where we might be led. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have grown in my faith at St. Mary’s. May God continue to bless the lives of all those connected with St. Mary’s.
In the peace of Christ,
Fr. Keith
AGGIES SAY GOODBYE TO FR. KEITH
Dawn Rouen, former campus minister, is leaving St. Mary’s to pursue a Masters in Theology at The Catholic University of America. Roel Garza, former director of music and liturgy, recently married veterinarian Kellie Frame and will be teaching in Arlington, Texas. Julia Motekaitis, former director of social ministry, leaves St. Mary’s to enjoy being at home with baby, Dominic and husband, Bronius.
Mike Macicek ‘97, former Ross Volunteer and member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, is the director of music and liturgy. Marcel LeJeune ‘95, assistant director of campus ministry, comes to St. Mary’s from campus ministry at Texas Tech. Deacon James Ekeocha will participate in the pastoral work of St. Mary’s as he prepares for ordination to the priesthood next summer. Tish Morone comes to St. Mary’s from the corporate world and will serve as a campus ministry intern as she discerns her religious vocation. Rachael Harmon ‘01 is a campus ministry intern as she discerns her religious vocation.
Dawn Rouen Roel Garza Julia Motekaitis
Tish Morone
Marcel LeJeune ‘95 Dcn. James Ekeocha
Rachel Harmon ‘01
Mike Macicek ‘97
SpiritT H E
IN AGGIELAND
St. Mary’s Catholic Center 603 Church AvenueCollege Station, TX 77840(979) 846-5717www.aggiecatholic.org
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“Entering college, I have been so blessed by having St. Mary’s as my home away from home.”
PROFILE IN FAITH / ANDY REINBERG ‘06
Having a strong faith is something that is not always easy, but I have been so blessed by having St. Mary’s as my home away from home. Not only has my faith grown, but it has given me an opportunity to reach so many others through the many ministries here.
My freshmen year was the hardest time of my life, but I was inspired after joining St. Mary’s Youth Retreat Team (SMYRT). In SMYRT we conduct retreats for high school and junior high youth. I have always enjoyed working with youth, which is why I plan to become a high school coach and teacher. The people I met brought me to a higher level of faith. Each semester, I have slowly become more involved at St. Mary’s with ministries like Aggie Awakening and Welcome Weekend. Each one of these organizations has allowed me to explore different aspects of my faith and has pushed me to become a better Catholic man. I have had many ups and downs during college, but the one thing that has helped me to carry on is my faith. Without the influence of St. Mary’s, I may have still become a firm Catholic man, but I can say with great confidence that I would not have grown in so many ways and grown as close to so many who also treasure their Catholic faith. This amazing community has been my support through times of trial, and has become my family—lifting me up in weakness and giving me the opportunity to help bring others closer to God.