Campus Ministry and Service

Campus Ministry

At St. Thomas Aquinas, Campus Ministry is all about helping students encounter God in real, personal, and joyful ways.

Our hope is that every student, faculty member, and staff member experiences God as He truly is: a personal God who desires a relationship with each of us (Rev. 3:20), a God who is love (1 John 4:16), who brings order to chaos (1 Corinthians 14:33), and who wants the very best for every person (John 10:10). A God who is trustworthy (Hebrews 10:23), who is on our side (Romans 8:31), who is an ever-present help (Psalm 46:2), who knows us and is known to us (Baruch 4:4). A God who is generous in forgiving (Isaiah 55:7) and who hears our prayers (Daniel 13:44).

Through Campus Ministry, students have opportunities to grow in faith, build authentic friendships, and become joyful witnesses of a life lived for Christ.

Encounter

The heart of Campus Ministry is helping students encounter God personally. We gather as a school family for Mass about twice a month, with the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Confession afterward. 

Every Monday, the chapel is open during all lunch blocks for Eucharistic Adoration, giving students a chance to pray, reflect, or just spend a few quiet minutes with Jesus in the middle of a busy day. The Campus Ministry Center (CMC) is also open throughout the day for homework, games, puzzles, questions about faith, or just to hang out (and yes — there are lollipops, except during Lent!).

Optional Bible studies are offered during study hall blocks in the CMC, creating small spaces to explore faith, ask questions, and grow spiritually. During the seasons of Advent and Lent, parent groups are also offered, providing opportunities for families to reflect, pray, and grow together in faith alongside the school community.

No matter where students are in their faith journey — from those preparing to enter the Church through OCIA, to lifelong Catholics, to students of other faiths or those exploring spirituality for the first time — there is a place for everyone to encounter God, experience His love, and discover the joy of His presence in a personal and meaningful way.

Formation

• Campus Ministry provides opportunities for students to grow in faith, develop their gifts, and discover what it means to live as disciples of Christ. Formation happens through retreats, sacramental preparation, student leadership, and many other ways, helping students encounter God, themselves, and each other in meaningful ways.
• Retreats: Each grade level has its own retreat, designed to meet students where they are at in their own faith journey and give them tools to propel forward. Retreats provide a space to step away from the routine of school life, reflect on personal faith, and deepen relationships with classmates and faculty. Through prayer, Scripture, small group discussions, and plenty of fun games, students encounter Christ in personal and transformative ways. Past retreat games have included lettuce-eating contests and building towers over 10 feet tall with moving boxes — all designed to spark plenty of laughter and teamwork.
• Retreat leaders are upperclassmen chosen to guide and mentor younger students. They help facilitate activities, lead discussions, and support their peers in creating a meaningful and joyful retreat experience.

Sacramental Preparation (OCIA):

For students who are interested in becoming Catholic or completing their Sacraments of Initiation, Campus Ministry offers OCIA classes. Through prayer, discussion, and study, students explore the teachings of the Church and prepare to receive the sacraments, typically during the Easter season.

Student Leadership: 

Students are also invited to take an active role in Campus Ministry through the Campus Ministry CORE team. Leaders help plan retreats, lead prayer experiences, and support Campus Ministry events. Through these experiences, students learn to lead with humility, creativity, and joy, using their God-given gifts to serve others and glorify Christ. Leadership in Campus Ministry isn’t just about organizing events — it’s about becoming the kind of person God calls you to be.

Witness

Faith isn’t just something you feel — it’s something you live. Campus Ministry invites students to share Christ’s love through action, serving their school, community, and the wider world.

Students have opportunities to serve and lead in many ways:

• Liturgical ministries: altar serving, music ministry, lectoring, and other roles that help the school community worship God.
• Student-led prayer experiences: for example, during Holy Week, students present the Living Stations of the Cross, helping the whole school reflect on Christ’s journey to the cross.
• Service opportunities: partnering with local churches, volunteering at the neighboring nursing home, international service trips, supporting global missions, participating in the Canned Food Drive (over 14,000 lbs collected in 2025), and Red Cross Blood Drives.
• Leadership in service: students on the Campus Ministry CORE Team help plan retreats, organize service initiatives, and support prayer experiences, inspiring their peers and helping build a culture of faith and joy.

Each year, students are asked to complete a certain number of service hours. Not because we like tracking hours, but because we believe in the formation of the whole person. Serving others helps students grow in humility, generosity, and love, reflecting the call of Scripture: “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Through Witness, students learn that faith is most alive when it reaches beyond themselves, and that joy grows when we love God and neighbor with our whole hearts.