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Carbondale Campus Ministry Recognized for Excellence

The Catholic Campus Ministry Association presented a special Exemplary Award for Excellence in Vocations Ministry to the Newman Catholic Student Center at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale during the November meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. The award was presented to the Most Rev. Edward K Braxton during the Campus Ministry Association Breakfast for the American Bishops on Nov. 15, 2011. The award is in recognition of the “Called to Christ” Masses of Vocation which were started by Mr. Tim Taylor, the Director of the Catholic Student Center, which is named for Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman.

Father Kingsley Nonis, a priest of the Diocese Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, is the Newman Center chaplain.

Bishop Braxton, who is a former Director of Calvert House, the Catholic Student Center at the University of Chicago, presented the award to Mr. Taylor on Dec. 7, 2011. The Bishop Commented, “I know from personal experience how challenging campus ministry can be. This award recognizes Mr. Taylor’s initiative and creativity in establishing a program that is designed to raise the profile of the vocation to the priesthood among the young men at Southern Illinois University. The Diocese is very grateful to him and to the priests who have participated in the program.”
Knowing that college students are always thinking about their futures and how they should lead their lives, Tim decided to invite a different priest from the Diocese to be the celebrant and homilist once a month at the Sunday evening celebration of the Eucharist. Each priest reminds the students that Jesus Christ calls everyone to a life of holiness and that a positive response to this call can change our lives. The priest shares with the assembly his personal experience of the call to the priesthood. During the Prayers of the Faithful, special prayers for vocations are prayed. The evening concludes with an informal reception allowing the students discuss vocations with the visiting priests over refreshments.

This program provides an excellent forum in which priests of the Diocese of Belleville can share the inspirational story of their call to the priesthood. It challenges the students to think seriously about and to pray often concerning their personal vocations and to encourage one another in their discernment. It fosters personal contact between priests from various parts of the Diocese and the university students. The Center supplements the Masses with a six-part series on the discernment of a Christian Vocation and young people from parishes outside of the university community are invited to participate. The Diocese appreciates the exemplary efforts that Tim and the Newman Center community have made to increase awareness of the need to pray and work for vocations to the Priesthood. In accepting the award, Mr. Taylor said, “I accept this recognition in the name of the entire Newman Center community in Carbondale. We are all working together to grow in our faith and encourage the students to consider serving the Catholic Church as priests and religious. I am really happy about the positive response that our “Called to Christ” Masses for vocations have received. I am very grateful to Bishop Braxton for his support for campus ministry and for taking the time to present this award personally to me.”