August 14, 2009

College Catholics

Students search for answers

By Kamilla Benko

College is often a time when students search for the meaning of their lives and the answers to life’s tough questions, said Father Rick Nagel, director of Young Adult and College Campus Ministry for the archdiocese.

They ask tough questions like, “Who am I? Why was I created? How will I make a difference?”

The answer to these questions is Jesus Christ, Father Nagel said.

For many Catholics, college might also be the first time they are surrounded by people who do not share the same religion.

Dominican Father Robert Keller, pastor at St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington, encourages students to learn about other religions and, at the same time, teach others about the Catholic faith.

To help Catholic college students prepare for questions about their faith, Father Nagel recommends some books and Web sites about the Catholic religion.

Books

  • New Answers Catholic Bible
  • United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
  • Butler’s Lives of the Saints
  • Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn
  • Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft
  • Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West

Web sites

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