This article first appeared in Our Sunday Visitor magazine. Subscribe to receive the monthly magazine here.
Faith on campus is a difficult thing. It has always been difficult to manage becoming independent as an adult while still recognizing that ultimate dependence on God remains a necessity. The struggle to grow into a mature person of faith is compounded by the typical college experience, which has ballooned into a sort of unsupervised perpetuation of adolescence at great cost to families, taxpayers and students.
The cost of this collegiate independence is staggering: hundreds of thousands of dollars, unhealthy relationships, a feeling of wandering and, worst of all, a loss of faith in God. While this is not the universal experience, the most dangerous place for faith is the college campus.
For students who have lost their faith, or at least their practice of the Faith, graduation can be a great mercy. Delayed adolescence must now give way to truly engaging the world as an adult. Very often, this leads to marriage and the consideration of what I want to provide for my children, as opposed to seizing whatever the day might hold for myself.
For students who have prioritized and maintained their faith, on the other hand, graduation can bring challenges. The campus they have attended and the community surrounding their faith life are now removed. They are thrust into a world that is not geared primarily to them, nor are they as available for prayer and the sacraments throughout the day. Depending on where they end up, the ecclesial life of their new community might be rather impoverished. Here are a few old-fashioned ways that the recently graduated student can manage this new stage of life:
Register at a parish right away
Parish life is the basic bedrock of Catholic community life. While today it is often less than glamorous due to shifting sociological realities and a lack of quality control from bishops, the parish is where God’s salvific action finds a concrete home. Just the simple act of registering as a parishioner and, yes, contributing one’s income, gives the young adult a sense of ownership and belonging. One of the precepts of the Church, the basic minimum requirements of Catholic practice, is doing just this: “The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2043).
Join or start a young adult group
If your parish has a young adult group, or if there is one in the area, join it and help it grow from inside. FOCUS Catholic’s parish missionary program is expanding, and there is a growing movement of parish discipleship. If nothing is going on at your parish, then be the group leader you want to see there. It doesn’t have to be complicated: A garage, some drinks and some invitations might be all it takes.
Schedule time for prayer
It can be difficult, but prayer and daily Mass — as far as possible — are bedrock moments for spiritual growth, especially in times of transition. Add to that regular confession, and you have the recipe for a happy life at any stage. Although more is needed than just the sacraments for flourishing, they are the constants you can build on throughout your life.
