By Martyna Szmitko
Hello, my name is Martyna Szmitko. I am a junior, and I am the Catholic Campus Ministry’s (CCM) Liturgy Coordinator this year.
I became really involved in CCM winter quarter of my freshman year. That year’s liturgy coordinator asked me to become the altar server coordinator—to suddenly become a student leader on CCM’s Liturgy Team.
I did not know what to say. I thought about it and I told myself “I am now in college and I need to be more outgoing,” so I decided to take a leap of faith and accept the opportunity. That decision, I can now confidently say, was the best decision I made. I have made so many amazing friends that I trust and I know have my back if I ever need anything.
As this year’s liturgy coordinator, I really hope to promote our Sunday Night Mass, which is, honestly, one of the best around, and to involve as many students as I can in our liturgical ministries, ways anyone can serve at Sunday Night Mass: as a lector, proclaiming the scriptural readings during Mass; as a Hospitality Minister, welcoming students to Mass and distributing our weekly bulletins; as a singer in our Liturgical Choir—no tryouts involved; if you love to sing, welcome to choir!—or as a musician in our Liturgical Band; as a Eucharistic Minister, distributing the Body and Blood of Christ to others during Holy Communion; and as an altar server—my personal favorite—assisting the priest on the altar throughout Mass.
I am so eager to share my love for the Mass with other students, to inspire students to come to Sunday Night Mass not because someone is making them (even their parents from afar) or because they feel morally obliged to do so (as though by a watchful God). I want to make Mass fun, beautiful, invigorating, and a time for you to be in communion with your friends and with the Lord.
And so my prayer for this year is this:
Lord, help me to hear you saying, “I am your hope” over all the other voices. I’m running to you with both hands stretched out and grabbing on to you. Fill me up with hope and give me a tangible reminder today that hope is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline. In Jesus Name, Amen.
With that I would like to personally invite you to come–and to continue come–to Sunday Night Mass. And if you are interested in taking a leap of faith like I did and want to be involved, you can either email me at mszmitko@mail.depaul.edu. Thank you and may God bless you.
Peace,
Martyna Szmitko
