Reigniting faith of young Catholics

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Deacon Alfonso Ramirez blesses a dorm room at Teas A&M-Corpus Christi last year. Students, from left, are Analese Doherty, Amanda Macias, Tony Guajardo and Frances McDonald.

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Tony Guajardo, 25, has a vast number of places in Corpus Christi he could volunteer, but giving his time at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Newman Student Center is a mission close to his heart. When his job with the forest service transferred him to the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi campus last summer, a chance meeting with Deacon Alfonso Ramirez changed his life.

“God’s grace put me here. I walked in to find out information about Mass times on campus and met Deacon Alfonso. We had lunch and I was instantly part of the family,” Guajardo said.

Guajardo began volunteering alongside Deacon Ramirez on the “Young Catholics Ablaze” program, as well as the “Awakening Retreat.” On Nov. 2, 2014 Deacon Ramirez passed away from pancreatic cancer, but according to Guajardo, he left a legacy that will live on forever.

“Even as he was battling cancer, he had a do-not-stop attitude,” he said. “He would tell me there was just too much work to do. Today, I do my best to do proud by him through my work here.”

One of the last assignments Deacon Ramirez completed at the Newman Center was to hire Amy Barragree as campus minister for the Newman Center. Her primary goal is not only ministering to the young people of the university, but all young adults in Corpus Christi.

“A large percentage of young people leave the Church between the ages of 16 and 25. Of course, it would be so much better if we don’t lose them in the first place, so our goal here is to keep them active in their faith,” Barragree said.

“Our students of faith want a place they can grow and learn more about what it means to be a Catholic, through activities like retreats, community service and camaraderie with their peers,” she said.

Students from the Newman Catholic Center at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at last year’s kick-off event. Contributed photo

The Newman Center not only offers students a place to attend Mass, but they can study, watch movies or simply hang out. The center staff and volunteers host Bible study classes, religious education, RCIA classes and a host of different spiritually based activities.

Barragree said work has begun on an additional building next door that would allow for a dedicated chapel. The project is part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi’s Legacy of Faith-Future of Hope and plans for the new center will be put in motion soon.

“We’re still in the land survey phase, but one day we will have meeting rooms, a kitchen for all our social activities we host for the students and a chapel for Mass. It will be amazing.”

Barragree was quick to point out any student is welcomed at the Newman Center, not just Texas A&M University students. Currently, she is also working on outreach activities at Del Mar College called Viking Catholic. Meetings are the first and third Friday of each month at St. Thomas More Church, across the street from Del Mar College.

Pam De LaMora, 21, is a third year communications major at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, said her involvement with the Newman Center has been a tremendous blessing. She was born in Mexico City and raised in San Antonio so her move to Corpus Christi to attend college was a major change for her.

“The Newman Center has become a second home for me. When I first moved here for school, I did not know about it. And even when I did find out, it took me a little while to get involved. Last semester I really started to do more and my faith has been renewed,” she said proudly. “Amy has played a big role in my involvement. She is always available to students and cares about our relationship with God.”

At Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Father Peter Stanley has the task of reaching out to 9,300 university students and helping them stay connected to their faith.

“We also reach out to those who may have already strayed, to see if we could bring them back in,” he said. “We serve free lunch on Thursdays, when school is in session and feed anywhere from 700-800 students. It’s open to all students and it gets them in the door, so we’re able to develop personal relationships. Once you make a connection, you can move into discussions of faith and offer them opportunities to remain connected.”

Located at the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center and Chapel on the Texas A&M-Kingsville campus, students engage in a wide variety of activities, such as prayer groups, movie night, Bible study, pro-life events, visiting nursing homes and many other community oriented, faith-based activities.

Father Stanley is familiar with the topics on the minds of today’s youth and he believes in frank, no holds-barred discussions.

“We talk about faith, body image, virtues, trying to live the faith in today’s fast-paced world. I deliberately walk across campus to check the mail and many times students walk up to me and just start talking. They might have something on their mind and see me nearby. Sometimes just being present on the campus makes a huge difference in ministering to young people,” Father Stanley said.

Students are also dealing with homesickness, he said.

“We’re now four weeks into school and homesickness is starting to kick in, especially for freshmen. Addictions to porn and alcohol are huge. We are also dealing with same sex attraction and working on bringing a program called ‘Courage’ for the students. The program will help young people with same sex attraction understand why the Church teaches what it does on the subject. Ultimately, it will make them feel more welcomed in the Church, as opposed to an outsider,” Father Stanley said.

Meanwhile, Guajardo from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi added he recalls being Catholic at Texas A&M-College Station had been a wonderful time in his life, but one filled with temptations that popped up when he was far away from home.

“I remember college life and dealing with the various temptations that came along with it. It’s a battle for souls. As a college student, it’s easy to get caught up with the rank and file. I’m happy to have this outlet to share my Catholic faith and serve God, while helping young people lay the foundation for their faith.”

The diocese is also looking to develop a campus ministry at Coastal Bend College in Beeville. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the diocese held a groundbreaking in Beeville for a new $500,000 student center. Coastal Bend College in Beeville serves more than 1,000 students who can benefit from an increased attention to their spiritual needs with the campus ministry center.

For more information about activities and services at the Newman Center at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, visit: newman.tamucc.edu. For information on St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center at Texas A&M-Kingsville, visit: www.tamukcso.org. Both organizations can also be found on social media sites Facebook and Twitter.