CAMPUS MINISTRY Retreats, Prayer & Worship

Mass Schedule	Date	Location
Weekday Masses:	Monday-Friday at 4:30 p.m.	Harold J. Coleman Chapel Murphy Hall
Weekend Masses:	Sunday 11:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m.	Harold J. Coleman Chapel Murphy Hall
Summer Masses:	Sunday 11:00 a.m.	Harold J. Coleman Chapel Murphy Hall

Liturgical Ministries

Proclaimers of God's Word
Members of the Catholic community share the story of salvation by proclaiming the scriptures to their brothers and sisters.  Campus Ministry offers training for all those interested in serving in this way.

Eucharistic Ministers
The Catholic community celebrates together, sharing the Body and Blood of Christ as one. Perhaps you would be interested joining those who serve the community as a Eucharistic Minister. Training is available at various times throughout the semester.

Music Ministry
"Those who sing pray twice."  The Fisher Catholic community's Sunday celebrations are enriched by the fine singing of those assembled.  We invite you to consider participating in leading the music as a singer or instrumentalist in the choir.

The retreat experience at Fisher
For many years, the St. John Fisher community has benefited from well-prepared and joyfully done retreats.  When Fisher alumni begin to reminisce about their favorite memories, retreats play a big part.  Come and take part in this Fisher tradition -- and start your own set of fond memories!

This year, the following retreats are planned:

• Intercollegiate Getaway Retreat at Long Point Camp, Seneca Lake, N.Y.  Get together and share 1st year experiences with other freshmen and upperclassmen.  Bus leaves at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, 2004 and returns at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004.
  
  
• Spring Missions Trip. Watch for information on this opportunity to participate.

Prayers and devotions
The Christian community, since the time of Christ himself, has prayed fervently and beautifully.  For the over 2,000 years of the existence of Christianity, God's people have developed beautiful prayer styles, strengthening and empowering followers of Jesus in their daily lives.

Most Catholics know the prayer that the Church calls the "source and summit of our faith," the Eucharistic Celebration, the Mass.  Some have only experienced this form of prayer, but are pleasantly surprised when they find out that the Catholic family has a treasury of prayers and prayer styles.  Some of them are listed (and linked) below.  Enjoy!

• The Liturgy of the Hours, a beautiful form of prayer based on the singing or reciting of the psalms at different hours of the day.
  
• The Rosary, originally a lay person's liturgy of the hours, combining meditative prayer and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus.
  
• The Angelus
  
• Stations of the Cross, a prayerful meditation done usually in Lent as a group remembering Jesus' "way of the cross," before his loving sacrifice for our salvation.
  
• Novenas, nine-day devotions including attendance at the Eucharist and special prayers.  There are literally hundreds of different novenas dedicated to the Lord, his Blessed Mother and to saints, imploring their assistance and asking God's blessing.
  
• On nine consecutive First Fridays, Catholics who are able participate in Mass, receiving Holy Communion and meditate the passion on Thursdays between 11 and 12 p.m., praying to be filled with the love that the Lord has for us in his heart, and for salvation at the end of our lives.
  
• Sacramentals are those rites, actions and things which Catholics use to remind us of the Sacraments in order to obtain through the intercession of the Saints certain effects, particularly of spiritual nature. If used as a means of uniting us more with our brothers and sisters in the Church, sacramentals can bring great grace to do what is good and avoid evil, of protection of soul and body, and the forgiveness of sin. Among the sacramentals are prayers, holy water, blessings, the sign of the cross, objects like salt, ashes, medals, the Rosary, candles, vestments, etc.

Recently, the believing community has recognized an ancient form of worship, the kind for which God called through the Prophet Isaiah to a believing people whose pious actions were being done at the same time they regularly acted unjustly toward their fellow human beings:

"This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke;  Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own."

In the Old Testament book of Micah, our God clarifies what is required of us:

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to act justly and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

When we let these forms of devotion guide our actions as well as our "spiritual" moments, we realize that God has called us to be Catholic Christians for a powerful purpose!  We can change history!  God can work through you and me to bring about the vision of justice, abundance and love that we so dearly need!

Interested in participating?
If you are interested in participating in any of these ministries, please click here to contact us in the Office of Campus Ministry.  We'll make sure you're well taken care of!