Among the millions of young Catholics returning to school are students in college, tens upon tens of thousands of them. Social trends are such today that the years in college are especially important, and more and more young Catholics are in colleges and universities.
In 1789, Jesuit priests founded on then the outskirts of Washington the school known now as Georgetown University, the first in a network of institutions of higher learning presently serving, admirably, this society. Catholic interests operate fine colleges and universities from Honolulu to Boston, Seattle to Miami, St. Paul to Mobile.
They came into being to prepare young Catholics to live productively on their own but also to train them to cope with anti-Catholic hostility pervading the American culture. These objectives have not changed. Catholics, as they step into the world as adults, must know how to make their way in preferred occupations and professions but driven by accepted sets of values. Anti-Catholicism is hardly a thing of the past.
Bigotry and interdenominational fighting are not gone, although circumstances have changed. The problem now is irreligion, the abandonment and even rejection of God, of institutionalized religion in any form and the dismissal of any standard of behavior not personally appealing.
As always, the times spent in college are occasions when convictions more firmly are set, directions in life are determined and often when serious relationships are formed.
While this country has many Catholic institutions of higher learning, and among them are distinguished schools, not enough exist to serve all of America’s Catholic youth. Without public funds, many must charge fees that most Catholic families cannot afford. Not all provide in their curricula training in every pursuit. None attracts the interest of every Catholic young person.
Therefore, most Catholic young people go to public colleges and universities and some to nonsectarian schools.
Catholic parents take pains to educate their children in the Faith, either by sending them to Catholic elementary and high schools or to religion classes in parishes. What about when the young people get to college? What facilities are available? Most of the larger public colleges and universities have Catholic campus centers that are well-organized and well-staffed. More than a few engage FOCUS missionaries, who are young themselves, devoted to the Catholic religion, and mix with the students as peers. FOCUS has a website, explaining its objectives and programs, and listing schools where its members are serving. Check it out.
Catholic campus ministries are vital. Students arrive on campus, most living away from home for the first time, curious about many things. Enthralled with their newfound independence, they are tempted at least to scrutinize — maybe to discard outright — associations of childhood, such as religious practice, while caught in the modern avalanche of scorn for religion.
If they give a Catholic campus center a try, good things can happen.
“If” is the key word. Efficient staffs and programs of campus ministries are important. Hooray for Catholics and Church officials who support them, but campus ministers, even on Catholic campuses, know that they never see many students with Catholic backgrounds. Many students ignore the Church, even coming from Catholic homes or after graduating from Catholic schools. Other religious groups busily, often aggressively, press Catholics to change their religion. Relationships impel Catholics to go elsewhere in religion. Many students forsake religion altogether.
This is nothing new, unfortunately. Remember the rich young man of the Gospel who walked away from Jesus (cf. Mt 19:16-22)?
Still, parents should encourage their college-age children to think about the Church, always respecting the young person, eager to be an individual, able to choose paths through life for himself or herself. No lesson is more convincing than the sight of a Catholic — mother, father or anybody — who loves the Lord, loves all others as the Lord loves all, and regards the Church as the link with the Lord. God bless Catholic college youth. God strengthen all Catholics.
Msgr. Owen F. Campion is OSV’s chaplain.
