Campus Ministry Newsletter
Vol. 1 - Ed. 11
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter. These three words need to be stated and stated often.
We write this new newsletter (which will now come out every other week throughout the summer) with grieving hearts. We grieve for George Floyd, for Breonna Taylor, for Ahmaud Arbery, for all of the many who have been harmed during the demonstrations, for the parents who fear for their black children, for those who have lost family members, for those who carry the heavy burden of racism every day. We grieve with you all.
We in Campus Ministry have much work to do. We all do, especially those of us who benefit from white privilege. We need to work on being anti-racist, on being allies, on speaking up and using our voices to unite. We need to remember and exercise our duty to vote. In addition to action, we come together as one community to share our voices, to honor those who have lost their lives, and to pray for an end to racism.
Campus Ministry is working on a virtual vigil calling the Villanova community to pray and act for justice for black lives as together we say the names of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. We are seeking input on the content and form of the vigil from partners across campus. Please contact John Edwards (john.p.edwards@villanova.edu) with any questions.
In this week’s edition, you’ll find:
- Prayer: A Litany for Those not Ready for Healing
- The Mayor of Graterford is available online
- Spread the word about Connections!
- Solidarity on Tap with Marie Dennis of Pax Christi
- Apply to the ICE Institute Innovation Fund (IIIF) by June 14
- Online Programs and Opportunities:
- Search Get Real: Faith Sharing Group!
- Augustinian Video Series
- TedX Villanova: The Struggle to Stay Human is now online
- Ways to connect through our Campus Ministry Slack Group
- Prayer and Spirituality Opportunities:
- Virtual Mass at St. Thomas of Villanova Church
- Centering prayer opportunities
- Weekly Rosary on Thursdays at 3 pm
- Opportunity to submit prayer requests
- Fall COV Applications now open!
- Service Opportunities you can take part in from home including a list of donations needed at area hospitals
- Campus Resources from ODEI, the Counseling Center, Emergency Assistance for Students, and the Career Center
A Litany for Those not Ready for Healing - By Dr. Yolanda Pierce, 2016
Let us not rush to the language of healing, before understanding the fullness of the injury and the depth of the wound.
Let us not rush to offer a bandaid, when the gaping wound requires surgery and complete reconstruction.
Let us not offer false equivalencies, thereby diminishing the particular pain being felt in a particular circumstance in a particular historical moment.
Let us not speak of reconciliation without speaking of reparations and restoration, or how we can repair the breach and how we can restore the loss.
Let us not rush past the loss of this mother’s child, this father’s child…someone’s beloved son.
Let us not value property over people; let us not protect material objects while human lives hang in the balance.
Let us not value a false peace over a righteous justice.
Let us not be afraid to sit with the ugliness, the messiness, and the pain that is life
in community together.
Let us not offer clichés to the grieving, those whose hearts are being torn asunder.
Instead…
Let us mourn black and brown men and women, those killed extrajudicially every 28 hours.
Let us lament the loss of a teenager, dead at the hands of a police officer who described
him as a demon.
Let us weep at a criminal justice system, which is neither blind nor just.
Let us call for the mourning men and the wailing women, those willing to rend their garments of privilege and ease, and sit in the ashes of this nation’s original sin.
Let us be silent when we don’t know what to say.
Let us be humble and listen to the pain, rage, and grief pouring from the lips of our neighbors and friends.
Let us decrease, so that our brothers and sisters who live on the underside of history may increase.
Let us pray with our eyes open and our feet firmly planted on the ground
Let us listen to the shattering glass and let us smell the purifying fires, for it is the language of the unheard.
God, in your mercy…
Show me my own complicity in injustice.
Convict me for my indifference.
Forgive me when I have remained silent.
Equip me with a zeal for righteousness.
Never let me grow accustomed or acclimated to unrighteousness.
Social Justice Documentary
The Mayor Of Graterford
Upcoming Events
Connections - First Year Students!
We are hosting 3 sessions to assist incoming students to meet each other, meet sophomore, junior, and senior leaders, reflect on their transitions, and get to know opportunities for involvement at Villanova, and meet Campus Ministry Staff.
More information is found here. And registration is here.
Thanks!!
Solidarity on Tap
Ice Institute Innovation Fund (IIIF) - Apply by June 14th @ 11:59 PM!
Search Get Real: Faith Sharing Group!
Search Get Real will continue throughout the Summer, Tuesdays at 8:30 pm. Contact BZ Ulsh for more information: julsh1@villanova.edu
Here is the Zoom information:
Julia Ulsh is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Search Get Real!
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
Join Zoom Meeting
https://villanova.zoom.us/j/6354914685
Meeting ID: 635 491 4685
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Meeting ID: 635 491 4685
Find your local number: https://villanova.zoom.us/u/aBCn6NixZ
Online Programs & Opportunities
Augustinian Video Series
You are invited to accompany Augustine on his journey “home” by means of a personal and communal reflection on your own journey, drawing you closer to God, to yourself, to others and to the magnificent manifestation of our loving God in nature.
The journey begins with this introductory video and will be followed, weekly, by a video meditation on each of the 13 books of St Augustine’s master work: The Confessions. Join the legion of saints and searchers throughout sixteen centuries who have found, in Augustine, a spiritual companion on the path toward a more personal relationship with Christ. God is the source and origin, Jesus himself is the path, the Way, and the Spirit is our common guide.
https://www.augustinian.org/confessions-of-saint-augustine-video-series
TedX Villanova: The Struggle to Stay Human
Ways to Connect
Prayer and Spirituality Resources
Virtual Mass at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish
Take part in the Liturgy with the St. Thomas of Villanova Parish. Click here for the Virtual Mass Link.
- Monday - Friday 12pm Daily Mass
- Saturday, 9:00am daily mass and 5:00pm vigil mass
- Sunday 10:30am mass
Texts of Sunday homilies from Augustinian friars are available: https://www.augustinian.org/homilies
Common Ground – Bible Study and Prayer Sundays at 6 pm
Gather with Christians of all backgrounds for a time of reflection on a passage of scripture and shared prayer.
Zoom: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/746144357
Meeting ID: 746 144 357
Phone: +1 253 215 8782 US
Centering Prayer Remote Meditation Meetings
Tuesday Centering Prayer, 1 PM EST:
Zoom: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/532950859, Meeting ID: 532 950 859
Phone: 16465588656,,532950859#
Thursdays Centering Prayer, 1 PM EST:
Zoom: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/890533965, Meeting ID: 890 533 965
Phone: 16465588656,,890533965#
Weekly Rosary
Join the Campus Ministry Community in the rosary every week on Thursdays at 3 p.m. via Zoom.
All are welcome to join in this prayer.
This week it will include holding space for lament, inner conversion, and prayer for racial justice in relationships, communities, nations, and systems.
Meeting ID: 320 802 064; Phone: +13126266799,,320802064# or +16465588656,,320802064#
Spirituality Resources
There are many resources on the Campus Ministry Spirituality Page that we hope can be helpful at this time. Notably, you may see:
- Contemplative Outreach resource on Centering Prayer
- Calm Clarity Resources
- YouTube resources by Fr. Thomas Keating, Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hahn, Tara Brach, Pema Chodron
Fall COV Applications Now Open!
Looking to serve some incredible communities, learn about social justice, and make wonderful friendships along the way?
Join Community Outreach of Villanova (COV)! Hundreds of Villanova students serve in and around Philadelphia each week at soup kitchens, nursing homes, tutoring and mentoring programs, adult ESL classes, family shelters, and more. COV also offers the opportunity to participate in "RUIBack at It" for those who want to continue their RUIBAL experience.
We are also now partnering with Back on My Feet on Friday mornings!
Our applications are now open and we have a priority deadline of Wednesday, June 24th @11:59 pm. If we are unable to serve in person in the Fall due to Covid-19, we hope that you can still join us to support our community partners through remote service opportunities!
Email us at villanovacov@gmail.com with any questions!
Service Opportunities you can take part in from home
If you are looking to support some local Philly organizations that are in need of help during this tough time, This document provides a list of organizations looking for either donations from afar or volunteers.
If you do find you are able to donate or volunteer, please let us know by filling out this brief Donation / Volunteer Form. We would like to both be able to keep track of what is being sent where / when people are volunteering, and also to be able to recognize you for your generosity! Even if you are not assisting with any of the organizations listed, please let us know via the form if you are supporting another organization or volunteering anywhere in your community!
RSVP.com is also a great site to check out if you are looking to volunteer!
Finally, you can also directly support St. Barnabas Women’s Shelter and Families Forward Shelter by purchasing beautiful sea glass art on Etsy, made by one of our incredible Community Outreach of Villanova Volunteers!
Hospital Donations Needed
COVID-19 Donation Needs and Drop-off:
The Fitzpatrick College of Nursing's Center for Global and Public Health has assembled a list of local hospitals and organizations in need of supplies. For details and ways you can help, click here.Help for Immigrant Families
- A local coalition of immigration orgs started a fund to give grants to undocumented workers who don’t qualify for govt relief because they pay taxes using ITIN instead of SS numbers.
- The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia set up a fund for food for needy families through Catholic Social Services.
- The “Welcome the Newcomer” page on the Archdiocese website: https://welcomethenewcomer.org/
LIVING RACE—TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY
"Our campaign is an organized and sustained effort to engage the Villanova community in facilitating opportunities for Black and minoritized students, staff and faculty to succeed and thrive within the University. Creating a just and equitable community can never be the sole province of a single office or individual, so we will do this work in collaboration with other offices, student groups and individuals."
University Counseling Center
Counseling Center Groups
The Coronavirus outbreak has impacted lives all over the world in a variety of challenging ways. This student group is a chance for Villanova students to talk about the many changes and losses they have experienced as a result of the global crisis. This discussion group will provide an opportunity for students to connect with and support each other through this very difficult time. The group will meet weekly for 6 weeks beginning the week of May 18th. If you’d like to participate or for more information, please contact Dr. Natalie Sheridan, PsyD at natalie.sheridan@villanova.edu
2. Support Group for Graduating Seniors
So many milestones have been taken from you during your final year at Villanova due to the COVID pandemic – senior year events, celebrations, in-person graduation. Activities/clubs/sports that you have been involved in during your career at Villanova canceled; Not to mention not being able to say goodbye in-person to friends, professors, teammates, coaches, advisers, mentors. And then the uncertainty of what comes next. What will the job market be like now? If you secured a job prior to the pandemic, will you still have one? How hard will it be to find a job if you did not have one prior? Will graduate school start on time? If not, when will it start? There are so many unknowns and so much loss associated with being a senior during this unprecedented time. We want to support the class of 2020 by offering a support group where you can connect with other graduated seniors who understand what you are going through. It will give you an opportunity to share your experiences, feel supported by one another, and discuss helpful ways to manage these difficult times .
The group will be offered once a week for 6 consecutive weeks, beginning Thursday May 21st at 2:30pm. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Victoria Ostroff, PsyD at victoria.ostroff@villanova.edu
3. Coping with Loss During COVID Pandemic
Losing a loved one is sure to bring up an array of universal feelings of grief that so many of us experience, but losing someone during this pandemic is further complicated by the effects of isolation, a lack of closure, and a baseline of stress and anxiety that makes mourning distinctive during this time. This group is meant to help you connect with others who have also recently lost someone and are ready to begin to process these feelings. The group will meet for 6 weekly sessions beginning in June. Please email candice.post@villanova.edu for more information.
4. Loss of a Loved One
The Loss of a Loved One Group is aimed for those who have experienced the grief associated with the death of a loved one and are looking for the support of others going through a similar experience. This group is best suited for those mourning a loss that occurred 6 months ago or longer. Please email candice.post@villanova.edu for more information.
Emergency Assistance for Students
If you would like to donate to the fund, information is here.
Career Center Next Steps
Pray for the Augustinians
Please remember and pray for the Augustinian Friars of the Province of St Thomas of Villanova who will meet for three days this week for their Provincial Mid Chapter, which is held every four years.
Generally they gather at Villanova for this meeting, but as a sign of the times, and for the first time ever, this ancient Order present in the US will hold their Mid Chapter by a Zoom meeting on those days.