HERALD

Students have taken part in Catholic activities on campus and at St. Patrick’s Church in Whitewater for decades. But what keeps them coming back to Warhawk Catholic and the Campus Ministry Center at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater? To find out more about their motivations, we asked a few students to share what draws them to campus ministry, Mass, and Warhawk Catholic.

LAUREN REID Freshman, St. William Parish,

Janesville, General

Business Major I decided to get involved with Warhawk

Catholic because I thought this would be a

good opportunity to meet new people, while continually growing in my faith. I have gotten involved with Warhawk Catholic by attending Wednesday night large group meetings, Thursday night Bible study, Thursday night dinners, sports, cookie bakes, and Fall Ball. This year I have also been able to go to Holy Hill and the spring retreat. The highlights of my involvement so far in Warhawk Catholic have been learning more about my faith and being able to grow closer to God through prayer. Another major highlight has been the people I have met. Without Warhawk Catholic I would not have the circle of close friends I have today. Personally, being a part

FAITH & COMMUNITY CONNECTION KEEP US COMING BACK

Why Warhawk

Catholic? .......................... 1

From The Director ........... 1

Profile:

Carolyn Evers ................... 3

Italy Revisited

by Julie ............................. 3

Profile: Michael

& Kyla Schmidt ................4

Where We’ve Been ..........4

Why We Serve .................. 5

Prayers Please .................6

Join Us ..............................6

DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS MINISTRY

Brian Zaninzaninb@uww.edu

__________

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENTClaudia Broman

bromanc@archmil.org__________

SENIOR SECRETARYKim Weiss

csc@uww.edu__________

PARISH PRIESTFr. Mark Niehaus

fr.mjniehaus@gmail.com

u CONNECTION (Continued on page 2)

SPRING 2019warhawkcatholic.org | (262) 473-5555

Praised be Jesus Christ! Greetings from Campus Ministry here at UW-Whitewater! This school year has been an exciting time of growth and expansion

in Campus Ministry! We have increased our Brew City Catholic Missionary presence on campus, purchased and moved our offices into the property next door to the Campus Ministry Center, added to our student outreach, and grown in student participation! Our ongoing mission is to invite and encourage students to grow in their relationship with Jesus, seek His will for their lives, and serve His people.

This school year has been a fruitful spiritual season highlighted by our participation in the Inheritance Young Adult Conference

in Milwaukee, SEEK national conference, and March for Life in Washington, D.C. On campus, our Warhawk Catholic Large Group, Bible studies, and one-on-one discipleship continues throughout the semester along with special events like our Ash Wednesday Service and Memorial for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

We are already actively planning our welcome to students as they come to Whitewater over the summer for Orientation and in the Fall when the new school year begins. We are hopeful that the growth in our staff and facility will help increase our outreach to the campus and invitation to everyone into the adventure that is life with Christ!

Please pray for us! Know of our prayers for all our friends and benefactors! A blessed Easter season to you!

- Brian Zanin

FROM THE DIRECTOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 | SPRING 2019

of the ministry, I have gotten a sense of belonging. I feel like everyone going off to college has some degree of anxiety about whether or not they will find friends or feel like they belong. Through Warhawk Catholic I have gained this sense of belonging and so much more. The members in Warhawk Catholic truly care about each other. There always is someone who is willing to go out of their way to do good and help another. Whether that is walking someone back to their dorm or helping shovel out a car that is buried in snow. This is a beautiful aspect about the organization, because it is so much more than the scheduled meeting times.

SAM SATORI Senior, St. Francis of Assisi

Parish, Manitowoc, Marketing &

Management Major In the beginning of

my freshman year I would attend St.

Patrick’s Saturday evening mass, until I found out that there was a student Mass held on Sunday nights. There were many friends on my dorm floor who attended the student mass, so I decided to give it a try and was later introduced to Catholic Student Coalition. Over my four years of being involved in Campus Ministry, I have been a part of the student choir, co-led a men’s Bible study, co-organized the Warhawk Catholic Fall Ball, helped with our monthly cookie bakes, and went on a pilgrimage to Italy with a great group of people! Currently I am a Campus Ministry employee. I’ve enjoyed the friendships and social connections that I have been able to make with others over the years through Warhawk Catholic. It has been a great experience for me since I joined, and has been a big part of my college adventure!

ELISE MATSON Freshman, St. Mary Parish,

Waukesha, History

Education Major I grew up Catholic and found out

about Warhawk Catholic through a

leader who went to the same grade school and high school as I did. I was eager to be out on my own, especially with regard to my faith. I know so many people who struggle to get to church on Sundays in college, and understandably so. I wanted to come to college and thrive in my faith. I couldn’t have anticipated how much Warhawk Catholic would help me to do that, but coming in I saw it as a great starting point. I also knew how important it was to get involved on campus and to find where your place is, and since I am Catholic, I thought the Catholic group on campus would fit me well. My first semester, I primarily attended large group and a small group Bible study on Tuesday nights. I had never had the time nor the opportunity to participate in a Bible study, so I was interested in seeing what that was like. That experience with a small group was wonderful, and I felt like I got to know members of the large group in a more meaningful way as a result of attending. Before attending large group, I didn’t know exactly what to expect and was afraid it would resemble Christian formation classes from my time in public high school. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I love learning about various aspects of my faith in new, interesting, and relatable ways in large group. I have continued to consistently attend this semester as well. Additionally, this semester, I am co-leading the small group Bible study that I stumbled into first semester. It has been a joy working closely with such faithful, intelligent individuals. I feel so blessed and have enjoyed learning more about God and his call for my leadership through this experience. I’ve really

enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people. I have been pushed in my faith harder than I thought I could be, which has been amazing. Everyone I have met is passionate, kind, and so God-fearing. I love growing together in faith and friendship. I’ve been able to grow deeper in my faith and my leadership skills. I feel so connected to my faith and continue to grow in that connection. I also have been given opportunities to develop my leadership skills, which has also helped me to learn where God is calling me to go. I’m very thankful for this group and the opportunities I have been given because of it.

ALEX CHERNOUSKI Senior, Immaculate

Conception St. Mary Parish, Burlington, Physics & Biology

Education Major I was a member

of Warhawk Catholic for the entirety of my time at UW-Whitewater. In addition, I was a small group leader for three years and part of the leadership team for three semesters. My favorite thing about being involved in Warhawk Catholic has been connecting to people through small group. It was always so much fun to get to know people better through small group and to hear new perspectives on scripture passages. Warhawk Catholic helped me to stay connected to a faith community while in college. I always had people to go to whenever I needed help who were in the same point in their lives as I was and who had the same faith as me. Currently, I teach religious education for freshmen and sophomores at my home parish and I plan to continue my involvement with this program. I am also a lector for Sunday morning and Saturday evening masses. Warhawk Catholic provided so many opportunities to meet new people and to grow in faith, it was one of the best parts of my college experience!

u CONNECTION

(Continued from page 1)

WARHAWK CATHOLIC HERALD

Senior Julie Beyer was among the students who took a pilgrimage to Italy through Warhawk Catholic in Summer 2018. Read on for her reflection about the experience….

I decided to go on the Italy pilgrimage because I knew it was an opportunity to travel with my faith community on a trip where the sole purpose was to deepen my relationship with God through learning more about Him and the saints who dedicated their whole

lives to Him. Some of my favorite moments were visiting the Vatican,

the prison where St. Peter and St. Paul were held, and viewing the

beautiful landscape that God created. Oh, and of course, I loved expanding my palette

as I ate homemade authentic Italian four-course meals in the Assisi pensione, Casa Papa Giovani.

I enjoyed learning the historical impact of the all of the cathedrals and basilicas in addition to the challenges that Saint Francis and Saint Claire of

Assisi faced in their daily lives. Also, hearing how a Catholic priest helped protect Jews during WWII, and how walls of a cathedral were whitewashed over because the people thought that the frescos were the cause of the Black Plague, connected me to those who had been there before me. I realized on this pilgrimage how the saints were just people. I found solace in asking for the saints’ intercession in my life. Learning about the saints is a beautiful part of Catholicism because they are people who had to fight against the “norms” of their time to have a powerful relationship with Christ. They can help guide me in my lifelong journey as an aspiring saint. Everyone is called to be a saint. From the pilgrimage, I now understand that my life is a pilgrimage. I don’t have to fly across the world to be on a pilgrimage, I can be a pilgrim in my everyday life. I have an abundance of sacred places around me that I can go to in order to strengthen my relationship with God.

SPRING 2019 | 3 WARHAWK CATHOLIC HERALD

Carolyn Evers joined Warhawk Catholic as a first-year student at UW-Whitewater in 2014 after learning about the group from Brian Zanin at the organizational fair on campus.

She started attending Mass, she participated in Bible studies, and became a member of Warhawk Catholic.

“I wasn’t ever a leader in the group,” she said, “But just being part of it was helpful to me.”

Carolyn volunteered for cookie bakes and gave of her time at St. Vincent de Paul through Warhawk Catholic. Taking part in the campus organization helped her grow her network of friends, grow closer to God, and give her support in growing as a person during her time at UW-Whitewater, she said.

Carolyn graduated in December 2018 with a BBA in Human Resources, a BA in Spanish, and a minor in Psychology. She lives in Oak Creek and works in human resources at a Milwaukee area manufacturing company. After graduation, Carolyn has made a point of donating to Warhawk Catholic.

“It was something I needed to do,” she said. “It was four and a half years of my life and I’ve met some amazing people.”

OUTGOING SENIOR PROFILE: CAROLYN EVERS

FINDING THE SAINTS IN ITALY: SUMMER 2018 REPORT

4 | SPRING 2019 WARHAWK CATHOLIC HERALD

Being involved in Warhawk Catholic brought more to Michael and Kyla Schmidt than they expected as UW-Whitewater students. “I gained a faith, a husband, a family, and wonderful friends,” Kyla said.

Michael, originally from Waukesha, checked out what was then the Catholic Student Coalition after attending a spaghetti dinner in 2002. He kept coming back to events casually at first, and then more full-time in his sophomore year, continuing up until his graduation in 2006. Kyla, also from the Waukesha area, transferred to Whitewater in 2005, went on a pilgrimage to Rome through the Catholic student group, and met Michael through a mutual friend in what is now Warhawk Catholic.

“It helped me feel part of the campus and part of the community,” Kyla said about being involved in the group. “And it really helped in my desire to become a Catholic later in life.”

Michael and Kyla got married in 2008, and then Kyla became Catholic in 2009. They’ve each pursued careers in their fields of study, with Michael now employed by a trade association, and Kyla doing marketing work for an accounting firm, both in Milwaukee. They have a three-year-old son, Casey.

When the couple received their first Warhawk Catholic donation request in the mail in 2017, they made giving back to the organization a priority. They recognize the support network that Warhawk Catholic provided to them while they were students.

“We help within our means because we know the impact the program has had in our lives,” Michael said.

Catholic Campus Ministry at UW-Whitewater connects

current students with a variety of faith-filled experiences

that will help them grow as people in Christ. Here are a

few of the many student activities we’ve organized and

sponsored this school year.

Students traveled to Washington D.C. in January to participate in

national March for Life events and support pro-life efforts.

Fr. Mark Niehaus of St. Patrick’s Church in Whitewater offered an on-campus Mass for students on All Saints Day in November.

PROFILE: MICHAEL & KYLA SCHMIDT

Where We’ve Been

An Ash Wednesday service was held in the University Center for students, staff, and faculty to mark the beginning of Lent.

u PHOTOS (Continued on page 5)

Warhawk Catholic is blessed to be part of the Brew City Catholic Missionary Project, a program where recent college graduates devote a year to proclaim the Gospel on college campuses within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. College is a key developmental time in terms of faith. Brew City Missionaries offer a support system and encouragement for students to seek true joy and happiness: Christ and His Church. The missionaries accomplish this primarily through outreach events, faith-sharing small groups, and one-on-one discipleship mentoring on campus.

AMANDA NOBIS | Brew City Catholic Team Leader at Warhawk Catholic

I love being a Brew City Catholic missionary,

and I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to serve Warhawk Catholic at UW-Whitewater. Spring of 2019 marks my fourth semester at this campus, and I’m overjoyed with what I’ve been a part of. Our students, and in a special way our student leaders, are incredibly eager to grow in holiness and draw closer to the heart of Christ. They accept challenges from the missionaries with great zeal and their priorities reflect that. It inspires me in my own pursuit

of the Lord. What really impresses me, though, is how those students then live out their relationship with God in such a way that calls the rest of the community to greater holiness as well. I’ve personally gotten to see the number of students attending daily mass skyrocket from one to about fifteen. I’ve seen adoration attendance boom from four consistent attendees to twenty. I’m honored and humbled to be used as God’s instrument here.

ANNA WESSEL | Brew City Catholic Missionary at Warhawk Catholic I am a college

campus missionary at UW-Milwaukee and UW-

Whitewater. At Whitewater specifically, I have seen the Lord working in many ways through the students, the programs, and the daily encounters with people. The students inspire me daily and are the reason I love my job. I have no doubt that the Warhawk Catholic students will graduate and go out into the world ready to evangelize others and be joyful witnesses of the gospel. The students are so well formed because of the ministerial programs that cultivate their spiritual growth. The large group meetings focus on teachings of the Catholic Church that the students are

eager to learn more about. The Bible studies form intentional disciples by diving into scripture to understand how to follow Christ. Adoration this year has been an overwhelming blessing as we’ve seen increasing numbers of students come each week to adore the Lord and spend time with Him in silent prayer. Finally, dinners create a low-stakes atmosphere where it’s possible to do outreach and bring in people of all faith backgrounds. Warhawk Catholic has truly made this missionary year a wonderful blessing.

DEVIN VANWALLEGHAN Brew City Catholic Missionary at Warhawk Catholic

I’m a first year Brew City Catholic Missionary and my

time out here in Whitewater has been so filled with joy! The students are always doing something to get more involved in their faith as well as the community. Being able to invest in them brings me so much joy! When I first arrived in Whitewater I was not sure what to expect, but I was very surprised and happy that the students are seeking the Lord. My faith has grown so much be being here and I am so looking forward to this spring semester!

SPRING 2019 | 5 WARHAWK CATHOLIC HERALD

A retreat to the

St. Vincent Pallotti

Retreat Center in

Elkhorn attracted

nearly 30 students

in February to

prepare for Lent.

Catholic Campus Ministry organized a candlelight vigil in October after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

A number of students attended the

Inheritance Conference in Indianapolis to

learn more about their Catholic faith.

u PHOTOS (Continued from page 4)

Why We Serve

Catholic Campus Ministry at UW-WhitewaterShalom Ecumenical Campus Ministry, Inc.344 N. Prairie StreetWhitewater, WI 53190

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAIDWHITEWATER, WIPERMIT NO. 114

Blessings For Grads Fr. Mark will offer blessings for new grads at St. Patrick’s weekend Masses Saturday, May 11, 5 p.m. Sunday, May 12, 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Open House Come to the Campus Ministry Center for an Open House Sat., June 29 from 1-4 p.m.

Save The DateWarhawk Catholic Homecoming Tailgate & Open HouseSat., Oct. 12, more details to come

JOIN US!

PRAYERS PLEASEPlease pray for these UW-Whitewater students,

Michael Postelwait, Matthew Johnson, and Nayeli Govantes

(not pictured), as they move toward full communion

with the Catholic Church at Easter this year.