Evangelization Supplement

Priest’s presence helps students at University of Indianapolis

Father Sean Danda talks with University of Indianapolis senior Anne Marie Shipe after a Palm Sunday Mass on April 17 in the college’s chapel. In his first year as the Catholic chaplain at the university, Father Danda has brought the sacraments and a caring, priestly presence to students, according to Shipe, a member of Christ the King Parish in South Bend, Ind., in the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

By John Shaughnessy

It was a moment in time when 20-year-old Derek Menkedick was struggling with all the concerns and challenges of a college student.

It was also a moment that showed the importance of the archdiocese’s increasing efforts to connect with Catholic college students at non-Catholic colleges.

At the time, Menkedick was juggling his classes and exams as a double major in biology and chemistry. The University of Indianapolis junior also had his responsibilities as a resident assistant in a dormitory, trying to help younger students avoid the occasional questionable choices they sometimes make on their own. Then there were the struggles with his own choices, struggles that led him to want to receive the sacrament of reconciliation from a priest.

That’s when he turned to Father Sean Danda, associate pastor of St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis, who has also spent this school year as the Catholic chaplain at the University of Indianapolis.

“He worked around his schedule and my schedule to come to campus to hear my confession,” Menkedick recalls. “It meant a lot to me. He was understanding and gave me good advice as well.”

He paused and then added, “College can definitely be a struggle. And sometimes it’s easy to forget the religious aspect of your life. Father always makes himself available to us. It’s definitely awesome to have a Mass on campus to celebrate my faith and reconnect with God.”

Those are some of the goals that have marked the evangelization efforts at the University of Indianapolis this year, part of the archdiocese’s commitment to offer a vibrant faith connection to Catholic college students at non-Catholic campuses.

Chaplains are also in place at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and other non-Catholic colleges and

universities across central and southern Indiana.

The impact of a priest at the University of Indianapolis has dramatically changed the faith life of Rigo Gonzalez, a junior from San Fernando, Calif.

“I went about two years without going to Mass,” Gonzalez says. “I had no parish here to go to. I don’t have family here. I just felt very lonely. Since I have the Father here every week, it’s just brought me a lot closer to my beliefs and God. Father Danda is young so he relates to a lot of college students. It’s a fun Mass, and that’s why people come here.”

That reaction from students is typical, according to Father Danda.

“There’s a deep hunger and longing for sacramental life among them, especially when it comes to reconciliation and the Mass,” Father Danda says as he sits in the chapel at the student center before Mass. “To have a spiritual guide, to have a Catholic priest who can be present for them, I think they feel reached out to.

“There are a large number of Catholics at the University of Indianapolis. They are away from home, away from their home parishes, and they can feel a little lost. To have the Mass and a priest here, they feel connected, and it helps them tackle their

day-to-day college experience without overwhelming them. Our faith experience is part of who we are. And when it’s not being nourished, we look to other areas to fill the void—and some of those can be quite destructive.”

Besides offering reconciliation and Mass to students, Father Danda has also been a guest lecturer on campus, talking about the practices of the Catholic faith. He has also held retreats at St. Barnabas Parish for members of the university’s Catholic Students Association. When asked, he also comes to campus to meet with the students individually to talk about their lives.

“I strive to communicate to them that God is present, and he loves them very much,” Father Danda says. “It does seem like a basic message, but sometimes we don’t come to know and experience it until someone points it out to us. At its root, it’s about hope in Jesus Christ. And in our culture today, we don’t seem to find many places for hope.

“The students thirst to know that hope, to be affirmed in it. They’re on the verge of high school childhood and young adulthood, and they need a mentor to guide them into the confidence of a Catholic young adult. That’s why I’m here.”

The students are glad he is.

“I’ve had some struggles this year, and it’s been nice to be able to call him up and talk to him,” says Anne Marie Shipe, a senior.

“He’s here every Sunday, and he’s open to people to talk to,” says Chelsea Domiano, a freshman. “It helps with your religion. You can go to him for anything. It’s easy to grow in your faith when you have a priest you are comfortable with.” †