Published Work - Le Provocateur

Prayer opportunities now mandatory within residence halls - Feature - Le Provocateur
Published in September 12, 2012 issue of Le Provocateur 

Campus Ministry priests, the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Residential Life here on campus have teamed up to create something new and exciting in all of the residence halls. Once a week, the Resident Assistants in each residence hall are required to have "prayer opportunities" for their residents and to create programs with religious themes.

Although change can be challenging, when the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Residential Life were discussing whether or not to bring this new opportunity to the residence halls it was met with great enthusiasm, especially among the Resident Assistants who would be required to participate.

"I think that is is a really good idea for the school because it is a Catholic school and it will be great to give students a weekly opportunity to reflect and relax when our weeks can be so busy and overwhelming," says junior Kerriann Lusk, a Resident Assistant in Salisbury hall.

"I am happy that Residential Life has put this in place because it is a great way for students to get involved with their religion. I have on coming up on Tuesday in memory of September 11 so we will see how that goes," Lusk said.

The topics of prayer at the new prayer opportunities change on a weekly basis, and all of the topics are chosen by the RAs.

"Last week another Resident Assistant did a time capsule prayer opportunity," said Lusk. "I know later on this month we will ahve an adoration and a time to pray to a particular saint,"

ResLife administrators are enthusiastic about implementing this new program.

"The new prayer opportunities will allow all of the students living on campus, which is roughly about 90 percent of the student body, who are interested in prayer to experience it in the residence halls on a weekly basis," says Ted Zito, Director of Residential Life.

These prayer opportunities will not necessarily happen in every residence hall on campus, but merely in all of the living areas on campus. For example, on "the hill," they will meet one week in Nault, the next in Hanrahan and then the third week in Young. In "the valley," the location will switch from various Resident Assistants' apartments located throughout. The same goes for "the village" where Plough, South and Wet are located. Alumni, Desautels, Wachusett, the Living and Learning Center, Salisbury and Worcester will all have their own meetings in a common room area in those halls. Ultimately, the RAs are the ones who decide the location.

The campus is lucky enough to have four of its practicing priests living in the residence halls. Father Dinh is in the area where Alumni and Desautels are located. Father Roger is living in the Living and Learning Center and may also cover "the village" area. Father Barry will be the priest for "the valley" area.

"The priests who live as residents have the opportunity to bring a piece of Campus Ministry to the residence halls," said Zito.

Part of the process will include the RAs and Resident Directors attending a DVD series on Catholicism; Barry is putting on the series. The reason for this series is so that the RAs and RDs can pose their own questions regarding faith and prayer, discuss them and possibly have them answered.

"There are training opportunities for the Resident Assistants through 'Foundation Fridays' to learn more about faith," said Zito.

The series is about every four weeks and starts on September 14. It will be held in Hagan Center Hall and will be open to the whole student body.

"The main concern was to help students understand that faith has to be lived out," said James Rizza, Director of Campus Ministry. "Faith is not just what we learn in class. It should be put into daily life, not just during Sunday worship."

Just because Assumption is a Catholic College does not mean that the prayer opportunities are strictly for Catholics.

"We want to open up the spirit dimension on campus for those that are of different faiths," said Rizza.

This new opportunity is to help the college branch outside of the traditional programming.

"As a college, we are moving in the direction to our roots as a Catholic Institution," said Zito.

Residential Life and Campus Ministry are looking forward to what will come of the new prayer opportunities.

"I am looking forward to the new prayer opportunities especially since it is a Catholic school," said junior Sarah Bevins, a Resident Assistant in Wachusett Hall. "I am glad residents will have more opportunity to practice their faith if they choose to. I don't know how successful it will be, but I don't mind trying it out."