Campus Ministry team keeps busy with packing, pizza and prayers

Forgive the STM Campus Ministry team if they need a minute to catch their collective breath.

It’s been a busy few weeks, with multiple faith-related events on the calendar, including visits from two distinguished clerics, a long list of student-related events, and a large contingent from St. Thomas More College (STM) taking to the sky to attend the Canadian Catholic Students’ Association Conference in Montreal.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Bishop Michael Smolinski, CSsR, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon, visited STM for Divine Liturgy. Afterward, Bishop Michael, Fr. André Lalach, and attendees of the Liturgy enjoyed lunch and a visit in the STM Cafeteria.

The weekend saw Campus Ministers Michael MacLean and Celeste Woloschuk, along with Newman Centre (the Catholic student club on campus founded in 1926) students Alayna Jones, Christine Kwon, Carly Serke, Roman Lalach and Jarrod Daunheimer, head to Montreal.

The 2025 CCSA National Conference was titled: Tutti! Tutti! Tutti! Who is a Synodal Church?, and ran from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2. Both French and English-speaking students from across Canada gathered at the Newman Centre of McGill University for talks on the synodal church.

“Tutti” is Italian for “everyone” and a synodal church is a church that involves its entire community in dialogue through prayer, sharing, and listening. The word "synod" comes from the Greek word synodos, which means "assembly" or "meeting." 

“To take five students as a contingent from STM to Montreal for the first in-person National CCSA conference since 2018 was very exciting,” said MacLean.

While there, the group attended Mass at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, where they lit a candle for all the students, staff and faculty of STM College.

After enduring delays with flights back, the team was back in action on Monday, as Catholic Students Week kicked off with free donuts in the St. John Henry Newman Student Lounge at STM.

Tuesday was set aside for Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, and Wednesday saw the annual Newman Retreat kick off with Team Bible Trivia, a pizza supper, Taizé Prayer, and Conversations in the Spirit.

Taizé Prayer is a simple, meditative, and ecumenical form of Christian worship, often done in a candle-lit environment. It's based on the practices of the Taizé community in France. The prayer uses music, scripture, silence, and repetition to encourage a focus on Christ's presence. 

The annual Newman Retreat is hosted off-campus at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster, but with the Montreal trip already taking up so much time from the students, it was better to stick close to home this year.

As it turned out, that was a good choice, as more than 20 people gathered at STM, and happily competed for Bible Trivia prizes and enjoyed pizza afterward.

On Thursday, Most Rev. Mark Hagemoen, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, presided at mass with con-celebrant Fr. Dan Yasinski in STM’s chapel. Again, everyone was invited to share lunch and visiting with Bishop Mark after Mass.

“It was also great to have Bishop Mark here for weekday mass during Catholic Students Week, and to be able to chat with him afterwards,” said MacLean. “As I was saying to Celeste (Woloschuk), when I was a student at STM, I don't remember any bishops coming for weekday mass, much less two in two weeks! And to see how many students came out for Bible Trivia and pizza was awesome! I think it was a terrific week.”

Catholic Students Week was capped off with praying the Rosary in the Chapel on Friday, and pizza after Sunday Mass.

“It was unfortunate that we didn't get out to St. Peter's in Muenster this year, perhaps we will get back there next year,” said MacLean. “Busy student schedules continue to be a challenge for planning extracurricular activities for Campus Ministry, but it was quite gratifying to see elements of past retreats like fun games and prayer in the Chapel embraced by a new generation of students.  I think the most popular part for the students was the free pizza supper!”

SLIDESHOWS:

STM visits CCSA National Conference 2025

Catholic Students' Week/Newman Retreat at STM 2025