THE P RTAL
March 2014
AU Page 1
Catholics on Campus
- Monash University
by Richard Houlihan
Catholics on
Campus was established in October 2005, on the Clayton campus of Monash
University, Melbourne, under a Dominican chaplaincy. It comprises students, staff, their families and
local parishioners. A presence was established on Caulfield campus in March 2009, followed in October 2009
by the Peninsula (Frankston) campus.
Outreach
Catholics
on
Campus attempts
to
provide
assistance to new
students in their
transition
from
secondary school
to university, by
providing
both
students
and
staff a Catholic
friendship network
within the Monash
community.
The community
aims to provide
moral,
social,
cultural and spiritual support for students and staff, by
promoting a mutual understanding among faiths and
ecumenical fellowship. We believe that by advertising
our presence on the various campuses, we can provide
a positive contribution to the wider university
community.
engaging people
impart to the young people.
Therefore
the
mission is to reach
out to people who
have never heard
of the Gospel.
There must be an
ongoing personal
conversion
for
this process to be
realised, so that
we can be the
living
witnesses
of Christ. This
can be achieved
only in a language
that people can
understand
and
First, an authentic expression begins within us, a
new Pentecost, with a renewal by the Holy Spirit. Once
we have achieved this, we can challenge young people
to make a response to Christ.
This response comes to young people by taking
The Mass on the Clayton campus is offered daily and personal ownership of their faith, and equips them
on Sundays, which has increased in popularity due to to challenge the very secular culture within Australia.
a greater awareness of it and of the number of events Another way is to focus on the understanding of
being conducted by the community. This has been contemporary youth culture, by working within it,
achieved by organising regular group meetings, by rather than demanding that young people adopt a
engaging people in Gospel values and the principles culture that is unfamiliar.
of Catholicism, with retreat days and by fellowship
events. The community has a flourishing choir, with
Second, this ownership of faith comes as an
many young people participating.
encounter with Christ, and this experience should
provide a unique lifetime experience.
Our mission should reflect the new evangelisation
that cannot be new in its content as the theme is always
Finally, as we find more and more people searching,
Jesus Christ. However, we can be new in presentation, we must strive to be living witnesses to others, with an
method and enthusiasm, by re-presenting the faith authenticity of faith and live by it. You cant visit the
to people of our day who have either lapsed from the Catholics on Campus website at:
faith or have been alienated from it.
http://monashcatholics.blogspot.com