Keeping the Faith with Friends

By Thomas Byrne

College poses many challenges to young people of faith. The pressures and responsibilities of academic and social life can often consume our time and energy. And while our GPA’s and friendships are certainly worth tending to, it is important that we engage our spiritual side during these years. St. Augustine beautifully sums up humanity’s relationship with God in his Confessions: “Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”

There is simply no substitute for the peace and serenity found in a life of faith. Now is the time to nurture that faith, and small groups with Catholic Campus Ministry offer DePaul students this opportunity through contemplative readings of and thought-provoking group discussion about the weekly Gospel.

And along with the spiritual reflection and discussion that takes place in small groups, there is also the benefit of joining a great community at DePaul in Catholic Campus Ministry. In my experience, I was able to meet some of my best friends at this school by attending weekly small group meetings throughout my first two years here. Last year, the group I was in would quite literally spend hours hanging out together following our discussions, and we had plenty of laughs and good times to go around. The genuine kindness and welcoming of the Catholic community at DePaul is truly second to none, and these weekly gatherings are a great opportunity to take part in this.

So if you are looking for a group of people on campus who share the values of your faith, or if you are just interested in faith-based discussion and looking forward to meeting some new people, then Catholic small groups are for you!