With the end of the school year at UW-Madison, most students returned home and Saint Paul’s Catholic Student Center has quieted down. Just because most of the students have left campus, however, doesn’t mean that they’ve taken a break from their mission of bringing their educational and spiritual formation to their ministries, jobs, and parishes, wherever they are.
“Even though I’m in a totally new setting for my summer internship, the formation I received throughout the academic year at Saint Paul’s has helped to keep me grounded in Catholic values,” says Maggie Flanagan, a rising senior at UW-Madison. “The things I learned guide my interactions and decisions at my job.”
Maggie is spending her summer exploring the Catholic community of Chicago where she has a customer development internship. “I’ve been able to attend events through the local Catholic churches–there’s a pretty big young adult Catholic community here [in Chicago]. Between these events and staying in contact with my friends from Saint Paul’s I have been able to stay very connected with my faith, and this has helped me bring a spirit of compassion and integrity to my work.”
While many are spread across the country, not all students have left Madison for the summer. For those who have stayed on campus, the change in atmosphere has allowed them to expand their faith in new ways.
Michael Niemiec, a graduate student at UW-Madison has been able to continue growing in his faith this summer through receiving the sacraments and attending the ministry offered in downtown Madison.
“With Saint Paul’s being located on campus, I am able to invite my coworkers from my engineering lab to Mass with me,” Michael explained. “This is something that I hadn’t done before, but the slower pace of Madison in the summer months made it easier for me to invite others to join me.”
Whether students are spending the summer on campus or living in a new city, they are able t0 continuing growing in holiness by being rooted in Catholic values and applying these values to their new experiences.
