Q & A with Bishop Mulvey

Q  You have been meeting with college students throughout the diocese. What was the purpose of your visits? 

A  We discussed the results of the survey that was taken throughout the diocese in preparation for the Synod on youth and young adults in October 2018. The visits were done at the three new campuses, we were able to build through the generosity of the donors from Legacy of Faith, Future of Hope.

I do want to say how grateful the students in each of these places were for these new “homes” for their spiritual life. They were incredibly happy and have found new life in their vocation, because of these centers at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas A&M Kingsville, and Coastal Bend College in Beeville.

Q  Were you well-received at all three colleges?

A  They were extremely grateful that Jaime Reyna, the director of our youth office and I were there with them. Some of the priests of the area also joined us in the discussion.

Q  Were the students engaged, hopeful and open?

A  The students were very engaged with our questions and asked their own questions as well. They were very open and honest and direct in their answers, but also their hopes and desires for the future. I would characterize them as very dedicated as Catholic young adults who desire to live their faith and to share it with others. 

Q  Were you there just to listen or ask them questions about the survey?

A  Jaime began reading a few questions of the surveys and also the results of the surveys. The students responded in a manner that was honest and open and in many cases agreed with the results of the survey.

Q  Were you surprised by their candor?

A  I was not that surprised at their candor. I was grateful that we were able to carry on a dialogue as a bishop and young members of our wonderful Church. I felt very linked to them and very close to them and I hope in many ways they were to me as well.

Q  Your response to college students at Coastal Bend College in Beeville was to post a video thanking them on Facebook. Is social media the best way to communicate with youth today?

A  One question that I was interested in– how can I as bishop reach out to you? They mentioned what I figured they would and that was social media. To try to send something to them regularly–a thought or a video, or audio. Something that they could hold onto and know that their diocese and their bishop especially was reaching out to them.

As you may be aware not only did I make the video after visiting Beeville, but I also placed another on Facebook at the requests of the students both in Beeville and Kingsville–as far as how do you just live a normal life? And some of the questions were: do you cook? Do you make breakfast? etc. So I did post a breakfast video on social media for them.

Q  What is your hope for future dialogue with the youth?

A  I hope to do much more of this, both spiritual thoughts and just the personal everyday things that hopefully can connect with them.

One of the things we hope for and was brought up during the meetings was perhaps we could put on a one-day congress or meeting for them and cover some relevant topics to them as young adults. This is something I hope in the future in coordination with the three campuses and the young adult ministry in the diocese, we can do.

Q  How can we as a church community help you accomplish these goals?

A  One thing I would say to all the parishioners in the diocese is to engage yourself with them. The young people are not as estranged from us simply because of age or a generational gap. They want to share their faith and they want to be embedded in the faith of the generations that precede them. 

The Church is about the communion of minds and hearts and activities. If parishes and people could get involved in just simple activities: inviting students over for a dinner, for a barbecue, or go to the centers, sit down with them–I think they would very much appreciate that. I know that they are very open to that. 

The students expressed especially when they leave their homes and high school they’re a bit disconnected. After they realize they are out of touch with what is so important to them–that is family and community–they begin looking for it.