Greetings!
 
The new academic year is off to a great start!  Close to 300 students, faculty, staff and community members gathered in thanksgiving and prayer to celebrate Mass on the Grass.  This celebration was a beautiful witness of faith on our campus.  Another important witness of faith is our tabling efforts on campus.  NMSU Catholic students carve out time to invite their peers to come grow in faith, connect in community and serve in love at Newman.  If any of you happen to walk by our table, please take a moment to meet our students and make those body of Christ connections!
 
                                                                                                 Peace. Sal 

"Grant me O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you."

-Saint Thomas Aquinas

Dear Newman Community,





It’s here, finals week! We’ve got a full week of finals stress relief for students. Please pray for them and pass on the word about these stress relief opportunities:

​
May 5-6 at all Masses -- Blessing of Brains & Finals Relief
Packs Monday, May 7 at 8pm- Taize Prayer & Breakfast

Tuesday, May 8 at 12:10pm (NMSU Spiritual Center)
Mass on Campus Friday, May 11 at 5:30pm - Grad Mass
& Reception



Graduates, we are looking forward to celebrating with you!  You, your family and friends are invited to a special Mass in your honor on Friday, May 11 at 5:30pm followed by a reception in the parish hall. All NMSU and DACC grads welcome. Please help us plan for the reception RSVP to mona@stalbertnewmancenter.org.



Peace, Mona


"Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day," remarked St. Francis de Sales, "except when we are busy then we need an hour."

Dear Newman Community,



As some of you may know, I have been blessed to have a long history with our parish. I first started working with Newman ten years ago. I was involved as a parish volunteer for five years prior to coming on staff. This time has been such a blessing to me, both professionally and personally, thanks to countless life giving relationships and experiences.
 


Now, after a period of prayerful discernment, I have decided to leave my staff position at Newman. My last day will be May 18th, after the close of the spring semester. While I am going to deeply miss working at our parish, I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life. God is good. I have no doubt there are new opportunities and possibilities to come always, for all of us!



I will still be around as a member of the community. (You can’t get rid of me that easily!). Please pray for me and Campus Ministry as we enter a period of transition. All of you will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.



Peace,

Mona

Dear Newman Community,



It’s hard to believe the semester is already coming to a close but first
we’ll squeeze in a couple more great events. Next weekend a group of
students and I will be going to Bonita Park Retreat Center in Ruidoso,
NM. You’ve heard of the T.V. show ‘Fear Factor?’ Well this retreat is
called Faith Factor! An adventure style retreat, the weekend is full
of high intensity activities that are both physically and spiritually
challenging including a zip line and high ropes course. The students
will have time in prayer and small group discussion at the beginning,
middle and end of the day to make meaning of their experiences.
Please keep us in prayer, especially that we are able to courageously
engage in the activities!



Finals week begins May 7th. We are prepared to help students take
on another stressful week of exams by offering some stress relief
activities (details below). We’ll conclude the week by honoring our
2018 graduates with Grad Mass & Reception. Graduates, please
save the date. Grads from NMSU, DACC and BCOM welcome.



Weekend of May 5-6 at all Masses- Pick up a Finals Relief Pack!

Monday, May 7 at 8pm (Newman Center) Taize Prayer & Breakfast
Tuesday, May 8 at 12:10pm (NMSU Spiritual Center) Mass on Campus



Peace, Mona

Dear Newman Community,

​Recently Campus Ministry and the Knights of Columbus teamed up to give La Bodega, our parish food pantry, a facelift.  A group of Knights and students spent a Saturday morning cleaning, stripping and staining the wood fence that surrounds the property of La Bodega.  I was so thankful for the opportunity.  Often times we spend ample time in prayer and community but do not take the opportunity to also spend time in service.  Prayer is good.  Time in community is good.  But we are also called to service and charity.  Pope Francis makes this clear in the quote below.

​About half way through our morning at the pantry Marsha Franke, the pantry coordinator, gave us a tour.  She and the volunteers are doing incredible ministry!  I invite our community to continue to support La Bodega.  It is one of the most tangible ways we can serve Christ - by serving our brothers and sisters in need.

Peace, Mona

​“A prayer that does not lead you to practical action for your brother  the poor, the sick, those in need of help,

a brother in difficulty  is a sterile and incomplete prayer... St Benedict sums up the kind of life that indicated for his
monks in two words: ora et labora, pray and work. It is from contemplation, from a strong friendship with the Lord that the
capacity is born in us to live and to bring the love of God, his mercy, his tenderness, to others. And also our work with
brothers in need, our charitable works of mercy, lead us to the Lord, because it is in the needy brother and sister

that we see the Lord himself.” (Pope Francis 7/21/13)

Hello parishioners,

It is good to be back after a good long winter break! Our spring semester is underway and it is good
to see all the students back and ready to finish off the school year. Campus ministry servant leaders,
myself and Mona have been getting ready to plan events for students as well as continue our regular
weekly activities. The activities include mass on campus and midweek mass and dinner. It brings me
great joy to see how motivated everyone is to make this new year and semester the best one yet. We
are looking forward to seeing what the Lord brings us and are ready to be more attentive to Him. I
ask that you continue to pray for our ministry as well as the students so that we may all continue to
shine Christ's light to others on our campus and community at Newman!

In Him,


Justine Del Castillo

Student Campus Minister

Dear Newman Community,

​This Wednesday's Campus Ministries kicks off out weekly Midweek Mass and Dinner.  Students come to daily Mass on Wednesday at 5:30pm and take turns preparing dinner.  This Wednesday we are hosting a special guest from Catholic Relief Services who is visiting our area from Ghana, Africa, Thomas Awiapo.  While the Midweek Mass and Dinner is typically for students, we invite anyone interested in hearing Thomas's inspiring story of survival and success to join us this week.
Please read on for more on Thomas:
​Growing up in a small African Village in Ghana, Thomas was orphaned before the age of ten and left on his own to struggle for survival.  He was the second of four brothers;  his youngest two brothers died of malnutrition and lack of care.  His search for food led him to an elementary school, where he was fed a small meal every day.  he survived, studied, and eventually won scholarships to attend college.  he later earned a master's degree from California State University.  Today, Thomas works with Catholic Relief Services as a consultant and integral part in bringing global solidarity.  He lives in Ghana with his wife and four children.

​Peace, Mona 

​Dear Newman Community,
 
Have you ever wondered where the ‘Newman’ in Newman Center comes from? It comes from John Henry Newman, who we remember this week on October 9th. Newman Centers and Newman Clubs across the nation are named after John Henry Cardinal Newman, campus ministry’s patron.
 
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) is a famous convert to Catholicism. He wrote extensively on the role of a Catholic university, conscience, and the laity. In 1883 Catholic students attending public colleges and universities began to gather as Catholic communities on campus. In 1908 the first national Catholic student association was established. The association was named after Cardinal Newman- the National Newman Club Federation. Our own ‘Newman Club’ at New Mexico State University was founded in 1930– nearly 100 years ago! Cardinal Newman was beatified (the final stage before being recognized as a Saint) in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.
 
Please join me in praying for Newman Centers and Campus Ministries across the United States and offering a word of thanksgiving to Cardinal Newman for inspiring the Newman Movement!
 
Peace,
Mona