The fourth-annual “Feed Your Faith” took place Wednesday evening on South Quad. The event offered Notre Dame students the opportunity to discover organizations on campus that promote religious growth and community. Campus Ministry and a variety of student groups gathered to share their missions and encourage students to join or learn more about faith.
Associate director of communications at Campus Ministry Danielle Collins said in an email that the goal of Campus Ministry is to support students in living out their faith at Notre Dame and beyond. Collins said Feed Your Faith gives Campus Ministry the chance to spread its mission since students organizations from many areas of interest such as social justice, service, choirs and pilgrimages attend.
“It’s really cool to see all the different opportunities that Campus Ministry offers,” senior Megan Wilson, a Campus Ministry intern, said in an email. “They are not often all displayed at once. You don’t often get to see all the facets. I often talk about Campus Ministry like a banquet. There is all this rich food to offer, but you have to take advantage of it. Here, you get to see the whole buffet.”
Feed Your Faith had 38 tables present for the faith-based groups along with five food trucks and balloons. The balloons were each different colors to represent the categories to find groups. For example, green balloons represented multicultural ministries while yellow balloons signified musical groups. Students who checked-in received a free t-shirt and two tickets to be used at the food trucks and also subscribed to Campus Ministry’s weekly newsletter.
Campus Ministry’s assistant director of evangelization Kayla August wanted students to know that faith truly matters at Notre Dame and wanted to give students a time to invest and connect. In this way, she sees a clear connection between religious and academic education.
“Part of the educational experience at Notre Dame is to answer the deeper questions of the heart and find where God may be calling us to use your gifts for the benefit of the world,” August said in an email. “The classroom is not the only place you’ll learn. Feed Your Faith is a part of that holistic education. Feed Your Faith gives you a chance to connect to choirs, clubs, service organizations, retreat, pilgrimages and many other opportunities to pursue your continued education of the heart.”
Senior Marissa Griffith, another Campus Ministry intern, said Feed Your Faith was an inclusive environment where new students or returning upperclassmen feel comfortable and confident in growing in faith.
“I like Feed Your Faith because it’s a total blast of a time and you get to meet people who all explore their faith in such different ways,” Griffith said in an email. “They all have the purpose of welcoming you into the community and making you feel at home.”
Collins hoped to attract all types of students to the event, no matter their religious tradition or experiences.
“Any student searching for God and even asking the question of if God exists and what role He may play in their life is welcome,” Collins said. “Life is a continuing journey of faith and Campus Ministry is here to help you on that journey. Feed Your Faith puts all the opportunities in one place, so you can if and how you’d like to plug-in.”
Student organizations in attendance included Iron Sharpens Iron, Folk Choir, Compass, the Muslim Student Association and groups that promoted retreats and getting confirmed in the Catholic faith.
Liturgical Choir member and sophomore Savannah Anez believes that Feed Your Faith is an effective way to promote groups on campus that are not advertised much.
“It’s good to come here and get some ideas on things you might have missed out on at Welcome Weekend or even as an older student,” Anez said. “I joined Liturgical Choir as a freshman and it all started here at Feed Your Faith. I put my name on the audition list, and the rest is history. The choir has done wonders to revive my spirituality just because of the music we sing. You never know where putting your name down on a list might take you. It’s all about finding what’s right for you.”
Campus Ministry promoted Feed Your Faith on campus through table tents in the dining halls, posters in residence halls, newsletters, social media, the Campus Ministry website and word of mouth. Campus Ministry staff and students who are part of the faith groups represented also wore green Feed Your Faith t-shirts all day yesterday.
In addition to Feed Your Faith, Campus Ministry supports faith development on campus through choir concerts, pilgrimages, retreats, speakers, service organizations and prayer opportunities.
