Four years ago as we were wrapping up that 2020-2021 school year, I was on the hunt for some peer ministry candidates. Someone had suggested a young man whom I found out on the football field one afternoon playing catch. I asked him if he’d like to be a peer minister and he readily agreed. Peer Ministers are a group of Seniors who organize and run retreats for their younger classmates, set up for our school liturgies, and take on any other tasks that we need help or leadership with in Campus Ministry. I turned to the young man he was playing catch with and asked if he’d like to be a peer minister as well. I knew him a bit, although not particularly well at that point. He replied, “Father, I don’t think I’m the kind of guy you’re looking for.” When I asked him why he thought that, he said it was because he hasn’t been going to church. So I gave him the following challenge: “Start on this Sunday, and then go every Sunday for the summer. And go to confession once too. Then in September, we’ll see what you feel about being a Peer Minister.” He started sending me Teams messages each week, telling me what Mass he went to.
He ended up joining the Peer Ministers that Fall. Later in the semester he asked me if he could get confirmed. He never did it when he was younger, and felt it would be something that he should do before going to college. He had two other seniors who were also interested. We met once a week for the rest of the year, and on Ascension Thursday, with the Bishop’s permission, I had the privilege of celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation for all three of them at our final school Mass that year. That young man is about to be a senior in college this Fall, and every Sunday he and a number of his friends drive off campus for 6pm Sunday Mass.
Fast forward two years later and I was playing golf with another senior on a day when we had off from school. While looking for a ball in the rough (can’t remember if it was mine or his) he leaned over and said “Father, I’ve never been baptized, do you think you could help me with that?” One of the guys in the other cart later said he’d never been confirmed, and would be interested in receiving that sacrament before heading off to college. And as word spread, our little class grew to 8 young men. Two for baptism, two entering the Church from Protestant faiths, and four Catholics to be confirmed. That year Bishop Henning asked to do the ceremony in the Cathedral at 5pm Mass. It was a beautiful night for those young men and their families.
Fast forward again to this past Fall of 2024. A few young men had already asked me about sacraments, so I put out a sign-up sheet. We ended up with 21 young men. Two desired baptism, six wished to receive communion for the first time, and thirteen wanted to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Since there were so many, we couldn’t find a period that worked for everyone, so these guys came to school at 7am every other Tuesday from October through April. We celebrated the baptisms and first communions on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, as the boys said they wanted to be able to celebrate Christmas with the Eucharist. And on Ascension Thursday, at our final school Mass, Bishop Lewandowski came to celebrate the Mass and confirm all 21 of them. A beautiful day for their families and the whole Hendricken Community.
The mission of Bishop Hendricken is to build and strengthen the relationship of all members of the community with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This program has been one of the amazing ways that God works in our community to bring our young men closer to him. Whether it be an invitation to peer ministry or a lost golf ball, God always finds a way to work on their hearts. We are very proud of them for coming forward to receive the sacraments and very blessed as a community to witness this amazing grace. There are already a number of young men interested in the sacraments for this upcoming school year. Please pray for them, and pray for all our young men, that they may fulfill the call of discipleship in Christ that each and every one of us was made to do.
Live Jesus in our hearts…Forever!
-Fr. Brian