Aspects of Campus Ministry Strategie

s
Forming the faith community  The positive, warm and

The Church on campus is challenged to be a welcoming Campus Ministers

credible sign of unity and a living reminder  Well prepared liturgies and homilies

of the essential interdependence and  Adult catechumenate

solidarity of all people.  Bible study/prayer groups

 Positive “church” experiences

promoted feeling of belongingness

Appropriating the faith  Dealing with intellectual challenges to

Maturation in the faith is desired as the the faith

demands in higher education increase so that  Religious education and training

the Christian young adults can live in greater  Provide theological education

communion with God and the Church, give for deepening of the faith

more effective witness to the Gospel, and

face the challenges to belief

that exist in the academic world.

Forming the Christian conscience  Spiritual direction

The Church on campus must facilitate the  Counselling

formation of a Christian conscience in its  Sacrament of reconciliation

members so that they can make decisions
 Homilies,
based on gospel values and, thereby, resist
 Course/ seminars on moral issues
moral relativism.
 Peer ministry program
Educating for justice  Programs that raise social

Campus ministry is called to make the consciousness and awareness of

struggle for social justice an integral part of its social justice issues

mission. The academic world generates  The Catholic social teachings

questions not only of personal morality but  Education for justice

also of social justice, which includes issues of

peace and war, as well as reverence for life in

all phases of its development.

Facilitating personal development  Christian humanism

Campus ministry has the task of promoting the  vibrant sacramental life,

full personal development of the members of courses, seminars, and retreats

the academic community in a setting that is that enable

filled with Catholics on campus to integrate their

In the first CEAP (Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines) Campus Ministry

Training Program on July 25-26, 2012, a sharing by Andylyn M. Simeon entitled Doing

Campus Ministry in De La Salle University shares their overall vision, mission and programs

of De La Salle University that CEAP took it as the basis for a campus ministry functions and

ideals. In the sharing, it talks about some essential Catholic Documents in doing Campus

Ministry and Empowered by the Spirit: Aspect of Campus Ministry which the researcher

magnified as the basis on this paper. The USCCB came out with a Pastoral Letter entitled

Empowered by the Spirit: Campus Ministry Faces the Future around 1985, this document

recognizes not only the dynamic of theological aspirations on the Catholic Education but the

importance and role of Campus Ministry in bridging the Church and the schools especially in
 Higher Educational Institutions. The document defined campus ministry in higher education

“as the public presence and service through which properly prepared baptized persons are

empowered by the Spirit to use their talents and gifts on behalf of the Church in order to be

sign and instrument of the Kingdom in the academic world. Although the very nature of the

document and its effect is Catholic, but the contention lies on the very nature of spiritual life

not just among the Catholic world but applies to all denomination. The document outlines the

following Campus Ministry goals: Promotion of theological study and reflection, sustaining a

Christian community in campus, integration of its apostolic ministry with other ministries of

the local community or diocese, helping the Christian community on campus to serve its

members even the nonstudents. The researcher however wanted to go deeper to the aspect of

campus ministry which the primary topic of this paper. The perspective of the campus ministry

is always grounded on the concept of body, mind and soul wellness. Although the document

suggest far more than the personal development but of the reality which the student faces and

the decision makings. It is the responsibility of the campus minister to uphold such view and

make it a reality.

The aspect of Campus Ministry which the document wanted to pursue are, forming the

community, appropriate the faith, forming conscience, educating for justice, personal

development, developing leaders. These aspects derived from the document which enabled

the campus ministry to function with firm background on theological and spiritual framework,

personal development and leaders. The first aspect is forming the community which

according to the sharing of CEAP that the Church (Faith Community) on campus is challenged

to be a credible sign of unity and a living reminder of the essential interdependence and

solidarity of all people. This can be manifested by the positive, warm and welcoming

Campus Ministers, well prepared liturgies and homilies, Adult catechumenate, Bible
study/prayer groups and positive “church” experiences promoted feeling of

belongingness. Essentially it builds community of faith and haven for spirituality. The

primary effect on this aspect revolves around the idea of belongingness and the place

for formation. Second