SAU hosts Catholic experience day

By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — Prospective college students interested in growing their faith participated in a Catholic Ex­per­ience Day on Oct. 30 at St. Am­brose University in Davenport.

Schools and parishes received invitations inviting high school juniors and seniors to attend Mass with Bishop Dennis Walsh and meet campus ministry students and leaders, said Tammy Norcross-Reitzler, the university’s campus ministry director.

Attendees are eligible to receive a $500 scholarship if they choose to attend St. Ambrose while seniors had the opportunity to explore additional scholarships, she said. “We have endowed scholarships that are available to those who have been actively involved in community service and in their parish or Catholic school and who are interested in strengthening their faith and growing as leaders in campus ministry.”

St. Ambrose University President Amy Novak welcomed the students and parents. She encouraged the students, saying that attending St. Ambrose would help them to develop spiritually and intellectually and to explore and bring their best self forward.

Bishop Walsh presided at Mass in Christ the King Chapel and Father Dale Mallory, the university’s chaplain, concelebrated. In his homily, the bishop reflected on Luke’s Gospel reading for that day, on striving to enter the kingdom by the narrow gates. “My fear is that the Lord will say ‘Walsh, jump on the scale.’ I will be in trouble,” he laughed. “The narrow gates are a beautiful metaphor.”

All should strive to grow in holiness, Bishop Walsh said. “And when the day comes to walk through the narrow gates, I can say I have grown in holiness.” The world desperately needs saints, he continued. He also referred to Pope Francis’ decision to offer a year of hope in the upcoming jubilee year. “The Gospel offers us hope. We are witnesses of hope,” he said.

As the bishop was preparing to enter the priesthood years ago, he heard a talk by Episcopalian priest John Danforth that moved him. Danforth said the one church that could change the world was the Catholic Church. Why? Because the Catholic Church has the global outreach and the moral, spiritual and intellectual strides “to enter the narrow gate.” What matters more than success, Bishop Walsh said, is whether a person has made strides to grow in holiness and enter the narrow gate.

Following Mass, the students divided into smaller groups to tour the campus. Returning to the chapel’s gathering space, they had the opportunity to mingle with St. Ambrose students. The high schoolers received information about campus ministry groups and activities such as retreats, service trips, small faith groups, Bees for Life, Ambrosians for Peace and Justice. They learned about offerings of liturgy, sacraments and prayer, Norcross-Reitzler said. Several professors and the college deans were available to talk to the prospective students about academic programs. Ethan Gannaway, professor and co-director of the Academy for the Study of Saint Ambrose of Milan spoke about the saint after lunch.

The high school students made tie blankets as a service project to donate to the Clothing Center at Minnie’s Maison of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. “This project introduced them to the importance of giving to others and was a fun way for them to interact with current students,” Norcross-Reitzler said. Parents socialized with representatives from various departments.

High school student Jacob Huddleston, who recently moved from Texas to Muscatine, wants to study nursing. He was excited to visit the university because he has heard positive comments about it, especially its nursing program. The scholarship for visiting that day was an added bonus, said Jacob, a parishioner of Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine. High school student Alex Hady of St. Peter Parish in Buffalo said his pastor, Father Mallory, asked him to attend. Hady said he had a positive experience.