A Meal and More
Big things come from small beginnings.
For one Catholic Illini recently, accepting a free dinner invitation to a new weekly Catholic Illini event was the small beginning that led to a big impact in his life.
When he accepted the invitation to a Tuesdays Together night, he first felt welcomed and comfortable in the community. Then, when students at his table talked about their experiences of confession and he realized there was a culture at St. John’s that encouraged regular confession he felt moved to take advantage of this offering of God’s mercy, returning to the sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in many years.
This young man’s connection with other students and Christ in the sacrament is just one of the benefits that we hoped Tuesdays Together would have for students at the University of Illinois. This new ministry initiative, which began this school year, provides weekly, carefree time for students to be together and to meet students from across the larger Catholic Illini community. Of course, time together is made even more enjoyable over a meal. A free dinner provided each week allows students to gather around tables and break bread together, enjoying true leisure time away from the pressures of school work and campus life.
Perhaps most meaningfully, each Tuesdays Together culminates in a short, inspiring talk to help students live out their faith daily on campus. Talks covering topics like friendship, relationships, forgiveness, healing, and leisure focus on the human, lived experiences of faith and how Catholic Illini can live more fully, rooted in the freedom of Christ
Two of our Tuesdays Together speakers give a talk to Catholic Illini in a packed room
The results of providing this weekly space for fellowship and encounter are even greater than we expected. Week after week, over 200 Catholic Illini walk through the Armory Avenue courtyard door for Tuesdays Together. In total, this year we’ve seen more than 600 unique students come to at least one Tuesdays Together event, with a cumulative year-to-date attendance of more than 2500 students.
The most encouraging sign that Tuesdays Together is bearing lasting fruit is the consistent, new student connections week after week. Every Tuesday this year, we have welcomed 20-30 first-time attendees, plus an additional 5-15 brand-new members of the community—that is, students who have never had any contact with the Catholic Illini community until Tuesdays Together. These first-time connections were another hope for what Tuesdays Together could provide, a non-intimidating way to “check out” the Catholic community on campus and an easy invitation for involved students to extend to their friends.
While the numbers speak volumes about how Tuesdays Together has contributed to the growth and vibrancy of our Catholic Illini community (which has already prompted us to think creatively about how we can re-envision our spaces to accommodate the overflowing crowds of students who wish to attend events), it is the individual stories of Catholic Illini who found their place in the community after attending Tuesdays Together that give us great heart for the future of this mission.
Catholic Illini line up early for Tuesdays Together
Stories like that of a young woman seeking an opportunity to move to Newman Hall mid-semester, in search of a lively community. Dissatisfied with the opportunities for friendship and encounter at her residence hall, she toured Newman Hall. Although the Hall had no vacancies, she was invited to the upcoming Tuesdays Together for a chance to enjoy a meal and meet members of this vibrant community. From there, she was invited to a weekly bible study and soon became a regular Sunday Mass attendee. Today, she has truly found a home at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center.
If you would like to help even more Illini find their home in friendship, community, and the love of Christ at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center, please consider sponsoring a Tuesdays Together night. Your partnership ensures that we can continue to reach men and women on campus through shared meals, fellowship, and inspiring talks, and ultimately invite them into the fullness of life with Christ and his Church.
Interested in helping us continue this vision next year? Let's talk! Connect with John Kelley at 217-255-6631 or at john.kelley@sjcnc.org
