Coming in from the cold with a smile on his face, David Leavitt ’12 walked energetically into Memorial Chapel on Thursday for the first Catholic Mass of the new term.
“This is a great way to just put things in perspective after being so focused on the nitty-gritty and getting down to the books all week,” Leavitt said of the Mass, which is celebrated every Thursday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.
Since becoming Catholic Chaplain five years ago, Tom Boland has worked to bring a weekly Mass to campus. Before, Mass was limited to special occasions like Ash Wednesday and ReUnion.
“Since I’m not a priest, we’ve been really dependent on local parishes like St. John the Evangelist and St. Anthony's for Mass,” Boland said. “Those parishes are great, but I’ve always wanted to have a weekly Mass on campus so that interested members of the Union community can come together in prayer this way.”
Members of the Jewish faith hold Shabbat every Friday night, said Victoria Brooks-McDonald, campus Protestant minister and Interfaith Chaplain. The Intervarsity Christian Fellowship hosts a prayer meeting on Fridays as well.
In addition, there are occasional Protestant and Hindu services on campus, she added. Muslims also use the college's new prayer and meditation room in the Reamer Campus Center for daily devotions.
Boland was able to garner enough support from the local Catholic community to start a weekly Mass last fall. Priests from parishes across the area, including Father Richard Carlino from St. John the Evangelist Church, rotate as celebrants.
Lucia Reed ’09, Catholic Student Association vice president, is thrilled with the new Mass.
“I love it because it fits in better with my schedule,” she said.
Students are still encouraged to attend Mass on Sundays. For years, St. John's, which is across the street from the main campus entrance, has held a 7:30 p.m. Mass that has been popular with students. This year, the time of the Mass has been changed to 5 p.m. to appeal to more students.
“It’s been my impression that students feel pressure to get back to the books by Sunday evening,” Boland said. “Having Mass earlier might make it more attractive to them.”