What is it like being a Catholic student at Columbia? What are the challenges faced by the typical Catholic college student? Well, have you seen The Exorcist? The Boondock Saints? It’s exactly like that. Just kidding. Seriously, though, in order to answer this question honestly, I need to explain that I was not raised in a prototypical Catholic environment (if such a lifestyle exists). My church had gay and lesbian families attend Sunday services. Before all teenagers were confirmed, they were informed that not believing in Jesus did not make them any less of a Catholic. I was certainty not told that unbelievers were going to hell as a result of their lack of belief.
With that being said, I can honestly say that because of Columbia’s environment, I am sufficiently prepared to tackle any obstacles put before me, whether academic, social, or spiritual. The Columbia Catholic Undergraduates have made weekly masses and other events available, welcoming, and comfortable, and their meetings give a student some stability in their week. I have grown from an especially clueless first year to a slightly less clueless second-semester first year purely on my faith in myself, in those around me, and in this University. After having had a grueling week of classes, a poor performance in sports, or an embarrassing weekend, I know all of that will be absolved on Sunday evening when I go to mass at St. Paul’s Chapel. An added bonus? One can be purified of any crippling guilt from the weight of sins committed during the week. This makes mass a particularly cleansing time in addition to a calming one. The accessibility of the 5 p.m. mass time is so convenient (who wants to wake up for mass with a hangover on Sunday morning?) that I sometimes catch myself looking forward to this respite from college life.
And that is the most important component of my life as a Catholic at Columbia: that all of a sudden, I am motivating myself to go to church. The image of my youth, with my mother practically dragging me out of bed and throwing my church clothes at me, coaxing me out of the house solely with the prospect of Dunkin’ Donuts after mass, is slowly fading. With the realization that I am independently creating a relationship with God, and that I have been given an opportunity to do so freely at Columbia, I can say how grateful I am to United Campus Ministries for creating such an accepting environment.
Now it is the little things that affect me: when I hear to the strikingly beautiful harmonies from the church choir, when I am repeatedly surprised at the large number of students at Communion, waiting in line behind me, or when I listen to the post-mass announcements at St. Paul’s, which are comfortingly reminiscent of announcements made after Communion at church at home. Then, I begin to understand. As I listen to the news of the weekly Sunday dinners, of the opportunity to live in Catholic housing as a graduate student in Earl Hall, of the commitment to saying the rosary on a daily basis, or of helping nuns tutor underprivileged children in Harlem, I realize that there are many others whose faith have been fostered at Columbia. With this faith and this strength, they are doing wonderful acts. I am enlightened.
Realistically, there may never be such a lively student-run organization like Hillel for Catholics at Columbia. John Jay and Hewitt will probably still serve meat on Fridays during Lent. Catholic students will most likely never be excused from class for Ash Wednesday and must instead simply receive quizzical stares aimed at their foreheads throughout the day. But all of that is fine, for within the silent, welcoming structure of Catholicism, a Columbia student can find all of the strength and support he or she needs. And that is something all Catholic students should know: that they will always have a place at this University, and be supported in all their endeavors. As I am only beginning to realize this for myself, I can now discern why my parents, relatives, and friends all carry on the tradition of forcing their children to go to church on Sunday and attend CCD (Sunday school). The purpose is to equip the children with the faith and courage to meet life’s challenges optimistically and with a feeling of support. This way, they can learn to nurture their own faith in a personal and unique way and find the desire to continue the Catholic traditions. We Catholic students are neither faint of heart nor meek in mind, and our faith is divinely resolute. With Columbia continuing to support such devoted individuals, the possibilities for students to grow intellectually and spiritually are practically limitless.