Thursday, August 28, 2014

08.31.14

Campus Ministry Bulletin
vol 23 no 3

August 31, 2014 - Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
+ Jeremiah 20:7-9 + Romans 12:1-2 + Matthew 16: 21-27 +
Masses at 10:30am only (no 6:30pm)







Mass Intentions:

Sunday8.31   10:30am
NO 6:30  
For the SAU Community          

Monday     9.1    NO MASS   
Tuesday     9.2    4:30pm+Fr. Ed Botkin           
Wednesday     9.3    9:15pmFor student intentions           
Thursday9.4    4:30pm+Claud Hathorn, '50              
Friday        9.5      Noon+Larry Norcross        

This Week's Activities Include:
Tuesday: Bridge Bible Fellowship 8:40pm (Chapel)
Wednesday: Ambrosians for Peace and Justice 8pm (Lower Chapel); Sacrament of Reconciliation 8:30pm (Chapel); Mass and More 9:15pm (Grotto)
Thursday: Music Ministry 6pm (Chapel)

Campus Ministry Offices - Lower Chapel
333-6132 or ministry@sau.edu
Fr. Chuck Adam, Chaplain
Chris Clow, Director of Music and Liturgy
Kaitlin Depuydt, Director of Service and Social Justice
Tammy Norcross-Reitzler, Director of Faith Formation
Tom Prior, Grad Assistant



Labor Day…A Meaningful Break
Labor Day gives us a welcome three day weekend early in the academic year. But there are several even more important reasons why we should pause to reflect on the meaning of this holiday. First, It challenges us to honor those whose labors contribute to the daily conveniences we so easily take for granted. Think about those who do the hidden work of cleaning early in the morning, cooking behind the stoves and ovens, and working to provide safe streets, clean water, and comfortable environments. Show gratitude for those folks and treat them with respect. Secondly, in keeping with the long history of commitment to social justice at St. Ambrose University, Labor Day also challenges us to plead that the rights and dignity of every worker everywhere be granted them. Reflect on the 2014 Labor Day message from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. This website, by the way, is a magnificent resource for so many issues we face today. And thirdly, Labor Day can help us all appreciate the value of the work we do, whether it is as student, faculty, staff or professional. Everyone's work is important. What counts most is not having the highest positions or largest salary. Its finding value in the fact that our work makes a difference for others.  Because our lives are interconnected, it means approaching our work with enthusiasm because of our concern for the common good. Consider the story of the young man who had just graduated from trade school as a plumber and was taken to Niagara Falls. He studied it for a minute and then said, "I think I can fix that!" Now that's an enthusiastic attitude toward work!   ---Fr. Chuck

•Labor Day Weekend Mass Schedule 
Please note that because of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, there will not be a 6:30 pm mass this Sunday (Aug. 31).   Please join us for the 10:30 am mass.   Also, the 12pm mass will not be celebrated on Monday. Our regular Sunday schedule of 10:30am and 6:30pm will resume on Sunday, September 7.

•Music Ministry
Due to Labor Day, Music Ministry will have a rehearsal on Thursday, Sept 4 at 6pm in the Chapel, and not on Monday, Sept 1.  All SAU students are invited to help lead in music for Sunday masses!  Email ministry@sau.edu to learn more.

•Have you signed-up for Campus Ministry Activities? 
Thanks to all those who signed-up for campus ministry activities and for volunteer opportunities at last Sunday’s mass and at ClubFest. We’ve got a great number of volunteers already and it’s going to be a great year!   It’s not too late if you still want to sign-up.  Sign up cards for the various ministries and activities of Campus Ministry are still available in the Gathering Space or in the Lower Chapel. You’ll be contacted soon, if you haven’t already about the various activities.  To be involved in these or any of the many other types of service and activities, get your volunteer card filled out and turned in to us today, or email us at ministry@sau.edu and we can get the sign up information to you.

•Ambrosians for Peace and Justice
We kicked off the first meeting of Ambrosians for Peace & Justice (APJ) this week.  Missed it?  No worries - you are always welcome to join us Wednesdays at 8pm, in the lower chapel.  We are a group of students who are interested in peace and justice, doing service projects together and discussing the larger picture of social justice in our community and world.

•Service on Saturdays
NO Service on Saturday, August 30th, due to the Labor Day holiday.  But, next Saturday, September 6th there will be an opportunity to do some important service in our neighborhood.  Watch for more information, or contact ministry@sau.edu to see how you can lend a hand.

•Bridge Relationship Relationship
The Bridge Bible Fellowship Relationship Retreat will be held on Sept. 5-7.  The full title is "God's Prescription for Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships."  For more information, contact KelleyKirkB@sau.edu.

•Brewed Awakening
All are invited to free coffee drinks and a discussion about “Communicating Faith in the 21st Century” in the Chapel Gathering Space at 8pm on Monday, September 8. The informal discussion will be led by Catholic Messenger editor-in-chief Barb Arland-Fye, who will help us understand how faith can be shared through various media outlets, including social media. There won’t be a Brewed on Labor Day, September 1.

•Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist Training
We will hold a 45 minute training session for new and experienced EMs.  If you are interested in serving in this important ministry please plan to attend one of the training sessions:  Sunday, September 7th at 11:30 am or 7:30 pm, or Tuesday, September 9th at 7 pm, both in the Chapel.   This ministry is reserved for practicing, confirmed Catholics.    Please contact us at ministry@sau.edu for more information.

•Lector (Reader) Training
If you are interested in reading the Scripture readings at weekend or weekday Mass, please plan to attend one of the 45 minute lector/reader trainings:  Sunday, September 14th at 11:30 am or 7:30 pm, or Tuesday, September 16th at 7 pm in the Chapel.  Please contact us at ministry@sau.edu for more information.

•Learning About the Catholic Church/RCIA
SAU students, faculty and staff interested in becoming Catholic or learning more about the Church, its teachings, rituals and way of life are invited to contact Tammy Norcross-Reitzler in Campus Ministry ministry@sau.edu or 333 6132 for more information about the process.

•Sacrament of Confirmation
Baptized Catholics who never celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation are able to prepare for that sacrament while at SAU.  Email ministry@sau.edu to learn more about the process.

•Like Us on Facebook!
Be sure to like the CM page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SAUCampusMinistry  Stay up to date on news, get some insights for prayer and reflection, learn about service opportunities, and so much more!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

08.24.14

Campus Ministry Bulletin
vol 23 no 2

August 24, 2014 - Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time
+ Isaiah 22: 19-23 + Romans 11:33-36 + Matthew 16: 13-30+
Masses at 10:30am and 6:30pm







Mass Intentions:

Sunday8.24   10:30am
6:30pm
For the SAU Community            

Monday     8.25    Noon+Brent Micheal Shirk, '82           
Tuesday     8.26    4:30pm+Dr. Betty Whitted           
Wednesday     8.27    9:15pmFor student intentions           
Thursday8.28    4:30pm+John Moran              
Friday        8.29      Noon        

This Week's Activities Include:
Monday: Music Ministry 6pm (Chapel); Brewed Awakening 8pm (Gathering Space)
Tuesday: Bridge Bible Fellowship 8:40pm (Chapel)
Wednesday: Ambrosians for Peace and Justice 8pm (Lower Chapel); Sacrament of Reconciliation 8:30pm (Chapel); Mass and More 9:15pm (Grotto)

Campus Ministry Offices - Lower Chapel
333-6132 or ministry@sau.edu
Fr. Chuck Adam, Chaplain
Chris Clow, Director of Music and Liturgy
Kaitlin Depuydt, Director of Service and Social Justice
Tammy Norcross-Reitzler, Director of Faith Formation
Tom Prior, Grad Assistant



God said, “I Did Do Something….”
While we have been very busy the past week with Welcome Week and with the beginning of a new academic year, there has been a great deal of sadness in our world. Whether it's the racial unrest on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, violence in places like Iraq, in Syria, or the Ukraine,  or children fleeing from their homes to our nations borders, there is much to discourage us.  And yet, we must never be so blinded by sin that we fail to see grace. Take for instance the 500 plus first year students who took part in Monday’s Urban Plunge. Who can measure the good that came from those few hours of service to our community? Along with building friendships and serving our community, we hope students felt a sense of empowerment to do even more to work for change. And as President Obama has said to youth on a number of occasions, “The best way not to feel hopeless is to get up and do something.”  It calls to mind a story originally told by the late Jesuit, Fr. Anthony DeMello:  One day a man on the way home from work was confronted by the harsh reality of a homeless man begging on the streets and he dropped a few dollar bills into a kettle.  He sat on the subway next to a grieving mother and he offered her a listening ear. And he arrived home to hear the news of conflict overseas on the evening news.  He plopped down in his chair and cried out, “God, how can you let these sort of things happen? Why don’t you do something to help these people?” As he fell into a slumber in his chair, he heard a quiet voice. To his surprise God answered and said, “I did do something. I created you.”      ----Fr. Chuck


•Mass Schedule
We resume our academic year mass schedule today with both Sunday masses at 10:30 am and 6:30pm.  Daily mass is offered Monday and Friday at 12pm, Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30pm and Wednesday at 9:15 pm in the Grotto if weather permits. The simpler (about 25 minutes) daily mass provides a great way to recharge your spiritual batteries during the week. In addition, the chapel is open for all Ambrosians for quiet reflection from 7am - 10pm daily.

•BEE Involved! Sign Up
This Sunday, August 24 you can sign up for the various ministries and activities of Campus Ministry at both the 10:30am and 6:30pm masses.  Fill out a yellow card in the pews and let us know what you are interested in - we have activities ranging from Brewed Awakening discussions to various reflection and sung prayer and many other types of service and activities! You can also stop by our offices in the lower chapel and we will be glad to speak with you and answer any questions. Or, email us at ministry@sau.edu and we can get the sign up information to you.  We’re looking forward to a great year!

•Like Us on Facebook!
Be sure to like the CM page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SAUCampusMinistry  Stay up to date on news, get some insights for prayer and reflection, learn about service opportunities, and so much more!

•Music Ministry
Love to sing or play an instrument?  Music Ministry is looking for you!  Music Ministry is made up of SAU students of all years, majors, and musical ability, and leads music for Sunday masses, Mass and More, and other prayer services and events.  Interested?  Sign up on an interest card, or email ministry@sau.edu to learn more.  Practices are Monday nights at 6pm in the Chapel, beginning this Monday, August 25!

•Brewed Awakening
The first Brewed of the year will be Monday, August 25 at 8pm in the Chapel Gathering Space. With the tragic loss of Robin Williams so recent, the first discussion will be led by our counseling staff who will help us understand depression and its effect on the individual and community. Come to the informal student discussion and enjoy free coffee drinks. There won’t be a Brewed on Labor Day, September 1.

•The Bridge Bible Fellowship
“The Bridge” will begin next Tuesday August 26.  This is a time of fellowship for SAU students of any Christian denomination.  Each Tuesday evening begins with Worship and Praise at 8:40 pm followed by discussion on a biblical topic at 9pm.

•Ambrosians for Peace and Justice
Join us this week for the first meeting of Ambrosians for Peace & Justice (APJ).  We are a group of students who are interested in peace and justice, doing service projects together and discussing the larger picture of social justice in our community and world.  All Ambrosians are welcome!  We will meet on Wednesdays at 8pm, beginning 8/27, in the lower chapel.  See you there!

•Service on Saturdays
We’re kicking off the Service on Saturdays season with a painting project!  Join us on Saturday 8/23, 9:30-noon for a morning of local service in our neighborhood.  For more information, contact ministry@sau.edu or stop by and see us in the Lower Chapel!

•BEESknees is a unique prayer ministry that allows Ambrosians to pray in their own time and manner for confidential intentions presented each week on behalf of fellow Ambrosians. If you’d like to be part of it, or have intentions to offer, send to: Beesknees@sau.edu.

•R.C.I.A./Sacramental Prep./Learning More about the Catholic Church
If you are interested in becoming Catholic, being confirmed if you have not completed your sacraments, or simply want to learn more about the Catholic Church, contact Tammy by emailing ministry@sau.edu.  A group will be forming soon.

•Your One-Stop Vocation Retreat 
This Labor Day weekend an opportunity is available for Catholic women to explore your vocation with Catholic Sisters from 6 different communities located along the Upper Mississippi River Valley in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. You’ll learn about their prayer life, community life, ministries and traditions. You'll screen and discuss films about Catholic women religious. You'll enjoy the companionship of your hosts, the Benedictine Sisters, who will provide tours, conversation and answers all weekend long. You’ll learn what religious life is REALLY like!   It takes Fri. Aug. 29 - Mon. Sept. 1, 2014 at St. Mary’s Monastery, 2200 88th Ave. West, Rock Island, IL, 61201. There is no cost.  Contact Sister Stefanie MacDonald smacdonald@smmsisters.org.

•Bridge Relationship Relationship
The Bridge Bible Fellowship Relationship Retreat will be held on Sept. 5-7.  The full title is "God's Prescription for Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships."  For more information, contact KelleyKirkB@sau.edu.

Friday, August 15, 2014

08.17.14

Campus Ministry Bulletin
vol 23 no 1

August 17, 2014 - Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
+ Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7 + Romans 11: 13-15, 29-32 + Matthew 15: 21-28+
Masses at 10:30am and 3:00pm







Mass Intentions:

Sunday8.17   10:30am
3;00pm
For the SAU Community              

Wednesday     8.20    9:15pmFor student intentions           
Thursday8.21    4:30pm+Patricia Simmons Rowe, '78              
Friday        8.22      Noon+Donald David Foster, '54        

This Week's Activities Include:
Wednesday: Music Jam 8pm (Hayes Courtyard); Mass and More 9:15pm (Grotto)
Thursday: Daily mass 4:30pm
Friday: Daily mass 12 noon

Campus Ministry Offices - Lower Chapel
333-6132 or ministry@sau.edu
Fr. Chuck Adam, Chaplain
Chris Clow, Director of Music and Liturgy
Kaitlin Depuydt, Director of Service and Social Justice
Tammy Norcross-Reitzler, Director of Faith Formation
Tom Prior, Grad Assistant



What Makes SAU Home?
  Residence Halls open up on Sunday to new first year students, we celebrate a “welcome mass,” and we begin our annual “welcome week” in preparation for a new academic year. It seems appropriate that this year’s welcome week materials are entitled, "Welcome Home."  We hope that all new Ambrosians quickly come to discover that SAU is a "home, away from home." There are so many who stand ready to assist our students in being at home here. If one needs any proof of the caliber of dedicated people who work so hard to make St. Ambrose what it is, they can point to a very recent example: the professional and selfless manner in which members of our administration and others conducted themselves while working for new facilities for athletic competition. Even though set-backs and disappointment were a part of the process from the start, and even though we still are not at the place we'd like to be, those representing SAU have upheld the integrity, respect, and honor of St. Ambrose in a way that makes me very proud to be a part of this university. What makes SAU a home? Faculty, staff, alumni, and students with the same selfless dedication to serving others with a conviction that we are all a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We look forward to new Ambrosians catching that same spirit and we in Campus Ministry stand ready to help you in any way we can. It's a great time to be an Ambrosian. Please be welcome and we hope that you too will become an active participant in our noble enterprise of making SAU a place where "All are Welcome" and everyone is at home.          ---Fr. Chuck

•Campus Ministry Staff
Our campus ministry staff strives to serve all members of the St. Ambrose community, regardless of religious or denominational background.  Fr. Chuck Adam serves as Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry.  Christopher Clow is our Director of Music and Liturgy.  We are delighted to welcome two new staff members to our Campus Ministry team.  Tammy Norcross-Reitzler joins us as Director of Faith Formation and Kaitlin Depuydt as Director of Co-Curricular Service and Justice Ministry.  Tammy comes to us with much faith formation parish experience. Kaitlin joins us after work as a Lasallian volunteer experience which included living and working at a Catholic Worker House.  Please feel free to stop in and visit the Campus Ministry offices on the lower level of Christ the King Chapel. Among all the ways you can get in contact with us,  know you can always use the common email: ministry@sau.edu.

•Come as You Are to the 3:00 pm Sunday Welcome Mass 
For those who will have spent the day moving into residence halls, we want you to know that casual dress is appropriate for the 3:00 pm mass today – Sunday, August 17.  This mass is specifically intended to help new students and your families have an opportunity to worship today. Simply come as you are!

•Convocation and Blessing of the Academic Year
Please join us at 11 am this Tuesday August 19 in the Rogalski Center Ballroom as we welcome the class of 2018 (Faculty and staff are asked to arrive at 10:30 am).  Bishop Martin Amos of the Diocese of Davenport, Chair of the SAU Board of Trustees, will lead the campus community in a prayer service asking God’s blessing on the new academic year. Dr. Micah Kiel will offer a keynote address, and Sr. Joan Lescinski, President of St. Ambrose University, will offer the customary charge to the community for the coming year. Please join us.

•Chapel Schedule
Please know that all Ambrosians, regardless of religious tradition, are invited to make Christ the King Chapel their spiritual home while at SAU. Although we offer a special 3:00pm mass today to welcome new students and their families, our usual Sunday masses while classes are in session are at 10:30am and 6:30pm. Daily mass is offered Mondays and Fridays at noon, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 pm and on Wednesday evening at 9:15 pm in the Grotto if weather allows.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Wednesday at 8:30 pm. Please keep an eye on this campus ministry bulletin which we will send out each week on e-mail and leave copies on Sunday in the chapel Gathering Space.

•New Student Seminar!!! First Meeting  – Welcome Sunday - August 17
Be sure to check your Welcome Week information to find out where your first New Student Seminar meets this evening (Sunday) at 7:30pm. You’ll meet your NSS instructor and peer assistant and get info about the details of your Urban Plunge site for Monday, Aug 18.

•Welcome Week Activities
Make note of Urban Plunge, an opportunity for all first year students to engage in service with the community, and all activities of Welcome week.  We want to help set the stage for your successful college career. What's more ... we're really rolling out the red carpet with cookouts, late night bowling and bingo, movies, color run, and acapella group “Six Appeal”!  Find the schedule online here.

•Campus Ministry Music Jam
Come end the first day of classes with music and fun at the Campus Ministry Music Jam.  Bring your guitar, bring your voice, or bring your requests and come sing songs, meet new friends, and get to know your campus ministers!  The music starts at 8pm in the Hayes Courtyard, and leads right into 9:15pm Mass and More.

•Mass & More
Take part in an SAU tradition with Mass and More, beginning Wednesday, August 20th at 9:15 pm in the Grotto (if it rains, we’ll have Mass in the Chapel).  After Mass, we’ll have a make-your-own sundae bar in the Chapel Gathering Space.  It’s a great way to give thanks after the first day of class and to meet new people.  

•Brewed Awakening
Join fellow students throughout the year for coffee drinks and discussion of various topics at Brewed Awakening.  The first Brewed of the year will be next Monday, August 25 at 8pm in the Chapel Gathering Space.  With the tragic loss of actor Robin Williams so recent, the first discussion will be led by our counseling staff who will help us understand depression its effect on the individual and community.  Come to the informal student discussion, enjoy free coffee drinks, and learn more.   Also, be thinking about topics for future “Brewed Awakening” discussions.

•Service on Saturday
Sign up today if you’re interested in volunteering for community service at the Humility of Mary Housing on Saturday, August 23rd. The indoor projects will include shelf-building and sorting clothes. For more info on this and other Saturday service projects all year long, contact Tom Prior at PriorThomasJ@sau.edu.

•BEE INVOLVED! SIGN-UP!
You will have a chance to sign-up for various ministries and Campus Ministry activities next Sunday, August 24 at both the 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. masses.  Please plan to join us next Sunday and let us know of your interest.  You can also stop by our offices in the lower chapel. We are glad to speak with you and answer any questions.  We are looking forward to a great year!

•BEESknees is a unique prayer ministry that allows Ambrosians to pray in their own time and manner for confidential intentions presented each week on behalf of fellow Ambrosians. If you’d like to be part of it, or have intentions to offer, send to: Beesknees@sau.edu.