Inspired by Assumption University’s mission to, “provide students with an education that shapes their souls,” the Office of Campus Ministry supports the spiritual development of students of all religious traditions as well as those who are not connected with a church, synagogue, temple or mosque community.
Prayer and Worship
Students are invited to participate in a variety of prayer and worship opportunities including Sunday and weekday Masses, daily Morning and Evening Prayer, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a beginning of the year Protestant worship service, an annual Hispanic Heritage Week Mass, and an annual Black History Month Ecumenical Service. Students serve at campus liturgies as Greeters, Altar Servers, Lectors, Communion Ministers and Music Ministers. Spaces for quiet prayer and meditation include the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, an Interfaith Prayer Room in the Tinsley Campus Ministry Center, a Muslim Prayer Room in Alumni Hall, and the Zen Den meditation and reflection room in the IT Building. The campus ministers can also connect students who are not Catholic with a worshiping community from their faith community in the Worcester area.
Service and Justice
Students have numerous opportunities to serve and develop solidarity with those in need both locally and beyond Worcester. Campus Ministry’s SEND service/immersion trips offer students an opportunity to serve others, to experience the reality of poverty, and to gain insight into their personal spiritual lives. SEND participants develop strong bonds with other Assumption students, staff, faculty and alumni through a combination of shared service experiences, prayer activities, immersion opportunities, and critical reflection rooted in the Assumptionist tradition and Catholic Social Teaching. Week-long SEND trips, which take place during University breaks, include El Paso, Texas where participants develop an understanding of the migration issues at the U.S./Mexico border and interact with migrants at the refugee shelters operated by the Assumptionists and the Religious of the Assumption. Other sites in recent years include Camden New Jersey (Romero Center Ministries), Duran, Ecuador (Rostro De Cristo), and Florida (Immokalee Friendship House). Additional opportunities for service include the SEARCH retreat program in which Assumption students lead retreats for high school Confirmation candidates from area parishes and Advocates for Life which offers students the opportunity to discuss and educate the University community about a variety of life issues including euthanasia, abortion, death penalty and human trafficking.
Spiritual Growth and Development
During the academic year, retreats are offered to help students get to know themselves and one another while exploring topics of identity, community, commitment, faith and service. Events such as Agape Latte and Theology on Tap bring students together in a social setting to hear reflections by members of the Assumption community on how they have integrated faith in their life. Bible study groups, including some just for athletes, meet weekly. Separate discussion and fellowship groups for male and female students are offered during the year. Four campus ministers serve the Assumption community: a Catholic deacon, an Assumptionist brother, and two Catholic lay ministers. A Protestant member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship assists the campus ministers in providing opportunities for students to develop a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. Students living in campus residential halls are supported spiritually by Ministers in Residence (graduate students) and Resident Peer Ministers (undergraduate students) who live in the residential halls. Additional pastoral support to students is provided by three Assumptionist priests, a Religious of the Assumption Sister, a Baptist minister who is the University’s Vice President of Student Success, the Vice President of religious publisher Bayard Press, and the Campus Ministry graduate assistant. Campus ministers are available in the Tinsley Campus Ministry Center adjacent to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit for pastoral care and spiritual direction with students, and these conversations are protected by confidentiality. The Lauring Community Room in Tinsley is a comfortable space for students to study, hang out, grab a free cup of Fair Trade coffee or tea, or chat with a campus minister. Tinsley is open every day until 11:00 p.m. during the academic year.