In Thanksgiving for JPII Newman…
A few members of the JPII Newman community reflect on what they’ve found to be grateful for here - for coworkers, friends, life lessons, and encounters with Christ.
This Thanksgiving, take a moment to think in gratitude about your own community and where God has blessed you!
Beth Carlson
Director of Residence Life
January 16 will mark my one-year anniversary as the Resident Director at JPII Newman. This year has flown by, and I am grateful for the staff who have answered a million of my questions and collaborate with me on a daily basis. I am grateful that the RA Team said yes to helping me lead Newman Hall and for all the students who make Newman a lively and joyful community. It is a gift to work in an environment that encourages me to grow in my own relationship with Jesus and stretches my capacity as a leader. I am also thankful for the dinosaur balloon that welcomed me on my first day of work and is still going strong 11 months later!
McKenzi Weber
FOCUS Missionary Team Lead
In this month of thanksgiving one of my greatest prayers of gratitude is for the St. John Paul the Second Newman Center. They are the foundation that makes my work as a FOCUS missionary possible. The goal of my job is to know Jesus Christ and make him known to others. That goal is being accomplished through the support and resources provided by the Newman Center. I think about the beautiful church we have the opportunity to pray and worship in every day; the courtyard where so many memories are being made under the lights. As we read in the gospels Jesus was a person who pursued real and deep relationships with his disciples. The Newman Center is an environment where students start to understand an authentic community that leads them to an authentic relationship with Christ. That is the perfect formula that will renew the Church.
Dominic Lesiak
Student
The Newman Center has provided me with an opportunity to grow in my faith in college. Coming to college, I wasn’t really sure how much I wanted to continue living out my faith, besides Sunday Mass. It just wasn’t on the top of my list. However, I knew I was seeking something. The community has showed me exactly what my heart desired: authentic friendship and an intimate relationship with Christ. The joy that the people had at the Newman Center was something I wanted. I realized this joy came from having a relationship with God. Seeing other people pray, go to Mass, and live out the sacraments filled me with a desire to do the same. As well as growing in relationship with Christ, I have discovered what it is like to have true authentic friendship. Being able to have people to lean on and walk with me as we all journey to heaven together has been a blessing I never knew I needed. The Newman Center has made me realize how great a life with Christ is.
Mary Fennessy
Student
I am beyond grateful for the impact of the JPII Newman Center on my life! This community has brought me great joy as I have grown in prayer and communion with the Lord as well as making great friends! Having access to the Sacraments is my life’s greatest blessing. I am grateful for our clergy, staff, and missionaries’ dedication to our formation. At JPII I have found a place where I can learn new things, especially during Catholic 101 and 201. I am grateful for the opportunities to lead others and to serve! One area of service that I have grown to love is by leading a group that cleans the oratory. Laboring in love to keep the Lord’s dwelling place and our shared worship space clean has taught me much about the heart of our Lord.