Have you wanted to start building your faith on campus, but don’t know where to start?
Mount St. Joseph offers six different weekly clubs that will help you integrate that faith aspect into your life. They are all non-denominational, so it doesn’t matter if you are Catholic or not, which is a common misconception about our clubs since we are a Catholic institution. These clubs welcome everyone with open arms. So, what are these clubs, and what all do they entail?
On Mondays, Ethan Burzynski leads the MSJ Worship Room. They meet at 7 p.m. in the Mosaic Center, which is on the top floor of the Harrington Center. Burzynski leads participants in an hour of worship, sometimes acoustic with his voice and a guitar, and then sometimes they connect to a speaker and listen to music through that. This hour of worship allows them to take an hour away from their hectic days to spend time with God through intentional worship and prayer.
A quote that he loves and thinks really describes what his vision for the Worship Room is comes from CS Lewis: “It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.”
Rachel Seiter leads the Interfaith Club also on Mondays in the Mosaic Center at 3 p.m. Interfaith Club is a place where students can learn about faith traditions and can meet local members of those faiths. They talk about how their religions worship, their spiritual beliefs, the history of the religion in the Cincinnati area, and social justice topics concerning the religion. Through this they see how our personal faith tradition has similarities with another, and how many religions share common beliefs.
“My personal favorite experience while leading Interfaith Club was visiting the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati last May. Every other month the Islamic Center hosts a ‘Know Your Neighbor’ program where anyone can come for free and learn about Islam, the lives of Muslim Americans, their prayer services, and meet their Imam,” Seiter said. “The members were some of the most welcoming and kindest people I have ever met and were happy to have non-Muslims learning about their faith. They not only made us traditional Middle Eastern foods, but also gave each of us a Quran.”
On Tuesdays, there are two different faith clubs that meet. Alyssa Ferguson leads Lions for Life every other Tuesday from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Mosaic Center. They discuss different issues in the community like food insecurity and homelessness, and they look for ways to help decrease these problems.
From 5 to 6 p.m. Savannah Coomer and Sophie Hirt lead a new faith club on campus, in the Mosaic Center, called Hidden Gems, a group for young women focused on discovering their identity in Christ. They study the different women in the Bible, and the lessons that they can teach young women on how to fully live for God and be mighty Christian women.
On Wednesdays, Josi Morrison leads Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the Interfaith Chapel in Seton Center at 7:30 p.m. FCA is an environment for all individuals, not just athletes, to dive into the Word, study devotions, and learn how to cope with issues as college students.
Alex Schmidt, an attendee of FCA, said this about his experience: “FCA for me has been a fun weekly experience which it helps me take a deeper dive into my faith as a Catholic. That combined with the duality of being a Christian and an athlete and being able to merge the two worlds has allowed me to further my faith, and honestly has helped me perform better as an athlete as I bring that confidence that God is with me to competitions. It is allowed me to greatly see how to connect the two very important parts of my life.”
On Thursdays, Grace Muir and Grace Jones lead Bible Study from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Mosaic Center. They look at topics in the Bible that can be applicable to college students, and it is a wonderful way for everyone to grow in their faith and fellowship with one another. If you love discussions, meeting new friends, and learning more about the Bible, this club is for you.
Mount St. Joseph University offers a wide range of faith clubs for all students here in our case. No matter what you are interested in, you’ll be able to find a club that best suits you. Make sure you follow msjmission_belonging on Instagram to stay up to date with all faith clubs and activities on campus. If any clubs get cancelled or times change, that will be the place to check. All the faith club leaders hope to see you at their next meetings!