Amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily commitments, where do we find refuge? Where, when and how do we take the time to focus on what really matters most to us? A growing community of Catholic students on campus has found its answer through daily Rosary and Mass, followed by dinner together.
“[This group is] really the trifecta of Catholic living, which consists of devotion, liturgy, and community,” senior Benny Caiola said.
Led by the Villanova Knights of Columbus, Rosary begins each day at 5 p.m., either in the Grotto or in Corr Chapel.
“The Knights are committed to ensuring Rosary and post-Mass dinner is held every day, even when it means a Knight praying alone on busy days, so that Villanovans always have a quiet, welcoming place to find friendship and communion with Our Lady, Jesus in the Eucharist, and the entire Catholic community,” senior and Grand Knight Hunter Paulson said.
This is followed immediately by 5:30 p.m. daily Mass, which is presided over by one of five Augustinian friars: Frs. Jeremy Hiers, Francis Caponi, David Cregan, Joe Calderone or Joe Ryan. Their goal is always to provide this refuge to students as an opportunity to find higher meaning and context to their daily lives.
“[Daily Mass is a] wonderful way of balancing out the rigor of academia with a moment to peacefully experience the human soul,” Fr. Cregan said. “[It gives] our students a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as a refuge from the expectations of success that our world imposes upon us all. It helps them to realize that the goodness of God is the greatest success of our lives.”
Seeing God as central to their lives, Catholic students find that the daily Rosary and Mass are a way for them to develop their identity.
“They receive grace from the Word and sacrament, which helps deepen their personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Fr. Ryan said. “The 5:30 p.m. Mass provides a small community experience, in which students share their faith with each other and with me. They take that faith beyond Corr Chapel when they share a meal after Mass.”
After being fed spiritually, students then walk to Doherty Hall (Pit) to share a meal. The simple act of eating and talking together is something that builds strong connections among students. Conversations have ranged from deep theological discussions to whether snowball fights should be an Olympic sport.
“As a freshman, I met upperclassmen who were spiritual mentors to me and helped in avoiding the common pitfalls of freshman year,” Paulson shared. “Unlike other clubs, these men and women truly desired my good. No hazing, no steep requirements, no status symbols, just genuine friendship rooted in Christ.”
This combination of prayer, worship, and community is a way for Catholic students to emulate each of the elements of the Catholic life.
“The daily practice of praying the Rosary, going to Mass, and then sharing meals together is perhaps the best witness of Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas I see on campus,” Fr. Hiers said. “As we hear God’s Word and share Eucharist, we unite around the ultimate source of all Truth, and are then sent to live that truth in our daily lives on campus.”
As the season of Lent is upon us, we may contemplate where our refuge is, or more importantly, in whom.
“They are free to attend Mass or not,” Fr. Caponi explained. “No one is looking over their shoulder. No university requirements are fulfilled. It is not the sort of thing that brightens a LinkedIn profile or impresses recruiters. Rather, as adults, they freely choose to make Jesus Christ a priority in their time at Villanova.”
In doing so, this group has created a small but powerful community on campus that is rooted in both their truest values and the values we all hold as Villanovans.
