Campus Ministry By Terrel Joseph

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From the Chaplain’s Desk By Fr. Gregory Nunez

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Student Spotlight By Julian Paparella

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NSS Blasts Off! By Ruben Warnongbri

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Newman Institute News By Prof. Daniel Cere

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Also in this issue: F or the past several

months, the revised trans-lation of the

Missal has become increasingly familiar to us. As I reflected on the events that have taken place at the Newman Centre since my arrival in August, two of the new dismissals at the end of Mass came to mind: “Go and an-nounce the Gospel of the Lord” and “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” I think that many of the events portrayed in this year’s Advent newsletter illustrate, each in its own way, how the life of faith nurtured at McGill’s Newman Centre spreads out from the Centre into the lives of our young people and then from the Centre, as a place of worship and intellectual for-mation, into our society as a whole. I wish to take this oppor-tunity to share a few of the high-lights since August.

As we opened our doors in Sep-tember, we began the academic year with a Solemn Mass of the Holy Spirit. The Mass drew stu-dents, faculty, and Board mem-bers into the Centre for a rich liturgy animated by sacred music and added solemnity. Fr. Kim D’Souza ’05 delivered an inspir-ing sermon, which discussed, among other things, the role and importance of the mentoring relationship between Catholic

professors and students, an ideal expounded in Newman’s Idea of a University. A festive reception followed the Mass. Many ex-pressed the desire for the Aca-demic Mass to become an annual tradition of the Centre.

The first Fireside Chat of the season was given by Bishop Dowd, following a solemn mass on All Saints’ Day. He presented informally on the problem of secularism from his perspective as a Bishop of Montreal and took questions from a robust gathering of students as they enjoyed hot chocolate before a warm fire.

In our ongoing attempts to form students of deep faith, we invited Elizabeth Koessler of the Ig-natian Spirituality Centre to give a workshop on prayer. One of the fruits of this event has been the initiative to set up prayer groups

to help students remain faithful to a routine of daily prayer in the face of the pressures and com-mitments that confront them on a daily basis.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, the Centre hosted a seminar organized by the De-partment of Theological Studies of Concordia University, featur-ing Prof. John O’Malley, SJ of Georgetown University. The title of Prof. O’Malley’s lecture, “The Hermeneutics of Vatican II: A Case Study in Interpreting Religious Texts,” attracted over 40 people, most of whom were new to the Centre and whose presence at this event kindled interest in our upcoming lec-tures with Dr. Tracey Rowland, Dr. William Cavanaugh, and Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB.

Continued on page 2

The Newman Centre of McGill University

Upcoming Lectures

Tracey Rowland, bi-ographer of Pope Benedict XVI, will give the Marguerite Bourgeois Lecture on Wed., 20 February at 7:00 p.m.

William Cavanuagh of DePaul University will give the Claude Ryan Lecture in Catholic Social Thought on Thurs., 14 March at 7:00 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Thomas Rosica, CSB will give the Newman Lecture on the Idea of a Uni-versity on Wed., 20 March at 7:00 p.m.

Advent Newsletter Director’s Christmas Message 1 December 2012

Left to Right: Vanessa Chan (Neuroscience), Christy Cheung (Marketing and International Business), and Loren Lugosch (Software Engineering)

Campus Ministry: A Plentiful Harvest! By Terrel Joseph, Campus Minister

S t. Paul teaches in his letter to the Galatians: “For whatso-

ever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Indeed, a good season of planting early this Fall has yielded a plentiful harvest for our ministry to students at McGill University. The fruits are visible in the many new faces and a host of thriving programs of spiritual, social, and intellectual nature.

The year began with an advertis-ing blitz on campus, placing posters in residence halls, tabling events at Street Fest and Activities Night, hosting events during Frosh Week, such as an ecumenical pancake breakfast, and celebrating a Solemn Aca-demic Mass, which bol-stered the public profile of the Centre on Campus.

The students in residence at the Newman Centre this year (three gentlemen and four ladies) have been a great boon to the spiri-tual life of the community. Back in September, Dr. Di Pede and I took the residents on an over-night retreat of prayer and fel-lowship at Dominus Vobiscum Retreat Centre. The overarching theme of the retreat was “Leadership as Service.” Since the retreat, our residents have shown much initiative in the community, planning events such as an evening of Adoration

and Taizé and a forum for ex-ploring the topic of vocation. Both were very well attended and students have expressed the desire for their continuance peri-odically through the remainder of the year.

Many of our other in-house faith-formation programs are thriv-ing: the Youth Catechism discus-sion group, Bible Study, Faith Study, and RCIA are all attended by earnest and bright students eager to travel more deeply into the Catholic faith.

Continued on page 4.

“It is Jesus who stirs in you [young people]

the desire to do something great with

your lives, ...the refusal to allow

yourselves to be grounded down by

mediocrity,... improving yourselves

and society, making the world more

human and more fraternal.”

John Paul II Castel Gandolfo, 2000

Page 2

The Centre continues to be a home away from home for many students who are from other provinces or countries. The staff, students, and I have worked hard to begin refurbishing the interior spaces of the mansion, replacing old and broken furniture with newer more durable pieces, matching the elegance and charm of our heritage home. Tending to urgent roof repairs and replacing our 40-year-old carpet are on the agenda for 2013, as well as a host

of smaller but significant ex-penses, such as acquiring a new piano.

As Christmas draws near, I hope you will consider donating to our annual campaign, not only to help maintain the physical prem-ises, but to support programs that make us the home of Catho-lic spiritual and intellectual life at McGill University. With your help, the Centre will continue its mission, constantly adapting to the times, in order that the ex-

hortation given by Fr. Gregory to our students at the end of Mass, “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord; glorifying the Lord by your lives,” may be a realizable goal, giving purpose and direc-tion to their lives. May you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas and happy New Year!

Sincerely, Dr. Robert Di Pede

Bishop Thomas Dowd celebrates a solemn mass on All Saints’ Day before a large gathering of faculty and students.

The Newman Choir, under Holly Garnett’s direction, sing at the Cathedral for the Archbishop’s Youth Catechesis

Holly Garnett (PhD candidate in Poli Sci) and Sean Grogan (Mining) cook a traditional Saturday Night Supper.

Advent Newsletter 2012

From the Chaplain’s Desk Page 3 The Newman Centre of McGi l l Univers i ty

By Fr. Gregory Nũnez, Chaplain

I n the two-and-a-half years I have been at the Newman Centre, my ministry has

taught me how to cope with a variety of challenging situations and to exercise my priestly role from a new perspective.

Since I am originally from the Philippines and my experience as a priest was obtained working in the missions, I was at first over-whelmed to take up a new minis-try in a wealthier, urban, secular, and culturally-foreign society. As time went on, however, I was inspired and energized by the example of faithfulness and ser-vice to Our Lord and the Church exhibited by the students and faculty who frequent the Centre as their spiritual home on campus. While there is much spiritual dark-ness in Canada and at McGill, I was amazed to observe how the fire of the Holy Spirit can burn brightly here as well. In giving my life to the students through my priestly ministry, it is my hope that I may help this flame grow even brighter.

One of my main pastoral duties at the Centre involves listening to students in spiritual direction or Confession, providing them with spiritual support and companion-ship through their life’s journey in university. With the help of train-ing and some practice, I am now able to see patterns of struggle

and to identify more clearly their needs.

Most of the students who see me express deep concern about the place they occupy (or fail to oc-cupy) in today’s world. They worry about employment pros-pects, limited opportunity, having to give up dreams of making the world a better place to pursue economic ends, and the over-arching question of what makes life worth living. The process of discernment is often demanding, as it usually entails a long men-torship where students learn to discover their identities in the light of Christ and the Gospels. As a Chaplain, I continue to make myself and the resources at my disposal available to them:

be it healing in the sacrament of Confession, or suggesting good literature, or establishing more frequent spiritual direction, or recommending professional counseling. In addition to this deeply relational aspect of my ministry, I strive daily to make the Liturgy and prayer the con-duits of grace in our community.

It has been a true gift and a pleasure to serve at the Newman Centre. My ministry depends on your support and prayers. May God bless you for your unfailing generosity and may the joy of Christmas fill your home and surround your friends and family.

Student Spotlight By Julian Paparella, Newman Resident and NSS Finance Officer

T he Newman Centre teems with activity on a daily basis: YouCat on

Tap, Daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, guest lectures, Satur-day Night Suppers, Soup and Bagel Lunches, and special visits from priests and the Bishop are just some of the activities that bring us together, in a homey atmosphere, where fun com-bines with faith-filled formation, the spunky with the spiritual, meeting our needs as students on multiple levels.

As a resident of the Newman Centre, I have immersed myself in the variety of these activities. They have provided me with fellowship and friendship, and have given me the inspiration, understanding, and joy to bear witness to the dynamism of Christ in our midst. By moving into Newman, I found what I was looking for, and it has filled me to the core of by being.

“What are you looking for?” is the motto of the International Year of Faith chosen by the Archdiocese of Montreal. This penetrating question from John’s Gospel is particularly poign-ant when posed to my generation: What are we looking for? Or better still, whom are we looking for? The proposal, if I may be permitted to suggest, is Christ: Jesus who draws us to himself, who satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts. Speaking as a student, I think we must allow ourselves to be drawn by Christ into an encounter that is able to complete us.

In Christ’s light, we, at Newman, are more than a community;; we are a family: individuals who recognize each other because of our common love for Christ. No matter the diversity of our areas of study or backgrounds, Christ unites us into spiri-tual, intellectual, and loving society; He supplies what we are looking for and fills us with the potential to transform the world into a better place! I am grateful to the Centre for mak-ing Christ a reality through these years at McGill. My hope is that others may find what they are looking for here as I have.

Lizzy Carnogursky, Newman Resident and NSS Publicity Officer

Continued from page 2. Preparations are now underway to send an expedition of stu-dents to Rio, Brazil for World Youth Day 2013.

Our Newman Choir has also been an area of fruitful growth for the Centre. The Choir, num-bering fifteen students, includ-ing a pianist and French horn player (!), have enhanced the experience of worship at Mass with hymns, motets, and songs sung in four-part harmony. The Choir, growing in renown lo-cally, was invited to provide vo-cal music for the Archbishop’s evening of Catechesis at the Cathedral on November 26th, bringing the talent at the Centre to the wider community in the Archdiocese of Montreal

The year is off to a good start and we anticipate even more success as we head into the Win-ter Term. Please support our mission and remember us in your prayers!

By Jackie Cere DV Associate Administrator

D ominus Vobiscum (DV) Retreat Centre, an initiative of the

Newman Centre since 1998, just completed another suc-cessful season of programming, with over 100 families attend-ing from July to September. The camp’s mandate is to pro-vide support for couples facing challenges in marriage and fam-ily life. Week-long retreats for couples and families include:

Newman Institute of Catholic Studies News

NSS Blasts Off! By Reuben Warnongbri, NSS President and Newman Resident

M y name is Reuben Warnongbri and I am this year’s Presi-

dent of the Newman Students’ Society (NSS). The Newman Students’ Society is composed of all the students belonging to the Newman community, who share a common goal, which is to promote friendship, charity, and love in keeping with the example of Cardinal John Henry Newman, our patron.

I am pleased to report many areas of success since Septem-ber, including a Thanksgiving clothing drive, a fundraiser for St Padre Pio Parish in the Phil-ippines, an evening of cabaret performance at our Fall coffee house, and a semester of deli-

Dominus Vobiscum Retreat Centre

morning and evening liturgy/prayer, a marriage enrichment program, a children's program, and recreational activities. The combination of spiritual nour-ishment along with fun and re-laxation in a beautiful setting creates an oasis in our secular world where couples can reflect and connect with the experience of the Holy Family at Nazareth. One of the couples that recently spent time at DV, said the ex-perience was “a turning point in our lives … a very real piece of God's Kingdom.”

This year, the Institute ap-pointed Prof. Margaret Somer-ville and Bishop Thomas Dowd to its Board of Direc-tors. Also, a slate of interesting courses are being offered through The Catholic Studies Program, such as The Religious Sense (Prof. John Zucchi), Catholic Social Thought (Dr. Robert Di Pede), Introduction to Catholicism (Prof. Douglas Farrow), and a new course The Management of Religious Institu-tions (Rt. Rev. Thomas Dowd)

We look forward to an exciting year ahead. The 50th anniver-sary of Vatican II will be marked by special lectures and a conference, and continued work will go into improving and expanding the Catholic Studies Program across the disciplines.

By Daniel Cere Professor and Board Member

The Newman Institute of Catholic Studies truly makes the New-man Cenre at McGill unique among Newman centres in the world, fulfilling its intellectual mandate on the campus of Canada’s leading university.

The Institute was conceived as a creative Catholic think-tank able to deliver organized events and accredited courses in the Catholic tradition.

Today, the Institute continues to live out its commitment to students of McGill University, guiding them through a deep exploration of the Catholic faith and equipping them to live their faith as university-educated men and women in today’s world.

Another successful summer of prayer, fun, and games in the scenic surroundings of Dominus Vobiscum Retreat Centre north-east of Montreal draws to a close.

cious meals at Saturday Night Supper.

Some of the new initiatives of the Newman Students’ Society this year include the formation of a weekly Bioethics Discus-sion Group and our Faith Study Program, which allows students to discuss the Cate-chism of the Catholic Church in small groups conducive to reflection and discussion.

We have also updated the Newman Students’ Society logo, drawing from Cardinal Newman’s own coat of arms for inspiration, adopting his famous motto cor ad cor loquitur (“Heart speaks to heart”) as our own motto.

As we wind down the semes-ter, the NSS are organizing a Christmas dinner to bid every-

one farewell for the holidays. When we return in the New Year, we will be organizing a six-week course for pastoral home care, which will provide students in our community with certified training to help the elderly and the sick. We also hope to keep up our fundraising and service work, while also organizing the annual Newman Ball and other social events.

Updated logo of the Newman Students’ Society featuring Newman’s famous

motto, “Heart speaks to heart”