Campus Ministry Newsletter

January 2018 No. 2

"Teach us to give and not to count the cost" - St. Ignatius


	Mr. Brad Glynn (left) and Mr. Raj Vijayakumar, S.J.

Dear Fellow Magis Seekers,

The campus ministry team is pleased to welcome the return of Mr. Brad Glynn. Mr. Glynn brings back to the school a deep awareness of Ignatian spirituality and a rich tradition relating to campus ministry. The students were pleased to see Mr. Glynn waiting at the bottom of the stairs, at the end of the first day of school, calling out each of their names.

Mr. Raj Vijayakumar, S.J., is a new addition to campus ministry. Raj is a young Jesuit who arrived at the school fresh from a 28-day canoe pilgrimage across Northern Ontario. Before this activity, he completed his philosophy studies in Toronto after studying the insights of Bernard Lonergan, S.J. Raj holds degrees from York University and University of Toronto.

Students Reflect on Experiences

We would like to share some accounts of students who are participating in various aspects of the Campus Ministry Program. They are examples of students who have given and not counted the cost.


	From left: Ashley Stringer '19, Sam Anderson '19 and Sarah Carew '19

Compassion Through Service

The Gathering Place is a service center committed to supporting the members of St. John's who are experiencing poverty, isolation, and/or homelessness. At the Gathering Place students and staff volunteer their Monday and Wednesday mornings to provide community members with a hot meal and a warm drink. Below is the reflection of Sarah Carew, who is a strong advocate for the values found at the Gathering Place:

Almost every Wednesday morning since June of 2016 I have been going to the Gathering Place. At ﬁrst, I started going to the Gathering place just so that I could complete the required amount of hours for the Christian Service Program at school; however, my reason for going quickly changed.

The opportunity to be so directly involved with my community through my service at the Gathering Place is a feeling that cannot be described. While living and growing up in St. John's and attending St Bon's with great friends, family and countless opportunities, I was oblivious to the people in my community who are less fortunate than me.

Once I started at the Gathering Place my eyes were immediately opened and I was amazed by the guests who I was meeting. The Gathering Place, or institutions that have similar purposes, truly are so awakening when you see the distress present in the community. It was a powerful experience to feel connected to the people ﬁrst hand. My day is immediately brightened by the smell of the eggs cooking, the toast sizzling, the feeling of knowing you're doing something good for someone and seeing the faces of the guests light up when they come in. All of these things are why I love the Gathering Place.

I am extremely grateful for the experiences and opportunities that the Gathering Place as well as the Christian Service Program have brought to me. I hope to continue to volunteer and stay involved with all members of my community in my life even after St. Bon's and I strongly feel that everyone else should, too. A little something to one person may be the greatest thing to someone else.

Sarah Carew '19

Conscience Through Reflection


From left: Mitchel Agiaye '18, Rachel Howells '18, Luke Moores '18, Cullen Miller '18 and Ayo Alabi '18.

At St. Bonaventure's College students in Grade 12 have the opportunity to come together and reflect on their spiritual and academic lives here at school. Students gather once a week on a Tuesday afternoon in order to share their "highs and lows", and also offering each other insights into one another's challenges. Below is a reflection by the group leader, Mitchel Agiaye '18 on his experience in the Ignatian Spirituality Project:

The Ignatian Spirituality Club provides a safe, relaxing environment for individuals to grow personally and in their faith. Being in my final year with other members proves to be very advantageous as it helps relieve our university stress and also prepares me to be more aware of the different graces in my life. This solid reflection time has proven itself to make me into a better human being.

I remember being struck by a topic that was based on how we have identified "evil" in the world and how we fight it. Due to that day, I have been trying to play my part in the world physically and mentally. It was being struck by this topic that gave me a new mindset and pushed me to action. This ability to act is what our society is lacking today.

Furthermore, the weekly activities done in the Ignatian Spirituality Club help build men and women who are in the service of others. Generally speaking, this is what St. Bonaventure's College has been striving to do; educate the whole child's heart, mind, body and spirit. With this holistic education we will be ready to enter the world with competence, conscience and compassion for and with others.

Mitchel Agiaye '19

Global Citizens: True Men and Women For Others


	Jasmine Bridger '23 (centre-left) and Charlotte Bridger '25 (centre-right).

Many of our students at St. Bon's are passionate advocates for the poor and marginalized. This passion is manifested and harnessed through the efforts of the Social Justice Committee. Through this committee, students are given the opportunity to come together, share, and advocate for a particular cause. This year Jasmine Bridger '23 along with other members of the social justice committee had a bake sale to raise money for orphans and the elderly in Indonesia. Below is a reflection by Jasmine:

Over the summer, I went to two Catholic orphanages and one elderly home in Indonesia to do charity work. The first place I visited was an orphanage and elderly home in the city of Makassar, in the province of South Sulawesi. The orphanage is the home of 40 smart, polite, and incredible children from grades K-12. This orphanage is run by a small group of nuns, who take care of all of the children.

Unlike Canada, less fortunate people in Indonesia, have to look after themselves to survive. When I visited I brought some basic needs and gifts for the children and the elderly. I also got the children to fill out a short survey, so that I could get to know them better. These children make and sell candles to churches, and grow their own fruit for consumption to earn and save money. The money raised also goes towards supporting the elderly because at this location, there are both elderly people and children. Therefore, there are expenses to be paid.

The second place I visited was an orphanage in the city of Bekasi, in the province West Java. This orphanage consists of 65 intelligent, polite, and very friendly girls from grades K-12. This orphanage is also run by a small group of nuns who take care of all the children. When visiting I also brought basic needs, gifts and donated clothing for the children. I also asked them to fill out a short survey. While visiting, some of the girls asked me to help them with their English homework for school. So we tackled their homework together. After I had spent some time there, they invited me to come back the next day to celebrate Indonesia's day of Independence. There were several traditional activities being held and the girls were all very friendly.

Back here at home, on Halloween, the grade 7 classes and all of St. Bon's held a bake sale to raise money for these orphanages and the elderly home because they are always in need.

Next summer I will be going back to these orphanages and the elderly home and provide them with more basic necessities with the money raised from this bake sale. I am also planning to teach the children English when I return next year.

Kairos

The 2017-2018 Kairos students and their leaders.

Kairos is an opportunity for grade 11 students to leave the "hustle and bustle" of academic life and grow in their personal lives. At Kairos students leave the school premises for a four day, three night retreat. This year our retreat took place at Burry Heights. Students listen to student leaders and teachers about what it means to mature. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, students come to experience at a deep level what it means to be loved and cared for by others. Below is a reflection from Ub Oyet about his experience at Kairos:

Kairos is one of the best experiences that I have had in my life. Before the retreat I had looked up the meaning of the word Kairos. The first meaning that came up was "an opportunity." I feel that Kairos was truly an opportunity. It was an opportunity to get close with friends and people I wasn't too close with. It was also an opportunity to relax and get away from the busyness of day to day life. It was also an opportunity to ask important question pertaining to my life.

At Kairos my friends and I would go on walks before breakfast. The fact that we could go outside for a relaxing walk and just spend time together was great. There was no rush. It was just friends and nature.

A normal day in life gets pretty busy. But tranquility is what I felt at Kairos. Why? For the simple reason that the leaders did a great job making the atmosphere one of peace. The music choices and the way the leaders talked and acted were just a few examples of how they made the atmosphere peaceful.

The talks made me ask a lot of important questions and gave me time to reflect on my past. I really enjoyed the life graph talk because it made me reflect on my past, which is something I don't often do. All in all Kairos was an amazing experience.