by Kristen Shlakman
Even though Capital is associated with the Lutheran denomination, the largest Christian denomination on campus is actually Catholicism. With such an overwhelming majority of students associating themselves with the Catholic religion, the Catholic Student Organization is aiming to reach out to this majority and educate them about the different religious opportunities on campus.
Senior Scott Partika, the president of the CSO, is hoping to spread the word about the group to all students of every denomination.
“The organization started a little over 20 years ago after identifying a need for the group to exist on campus to build a community among Catholic students,” Partika said. He and the other members are hoping to increase community and worship on campus not only for Catholic students, but all students as a whole.
The group offers a biweekly Catholic mass at 5 p.m. Sundays in the Schneider Multi-purpose room. Location can vary due to the renovations in Kerns Chapel. They also offer rides to St. Catherine’s on the Sundays that services are not offered on campus.
Stephen Rossi, senior, expressed his gratefulness for having mass available on campus.
“Finding time to go to mass off campus, especially with no transportation, can be a hassle,” Rossi said. “It is so convenient having the opportunity to attend mass here or have adequate transportation to one.”
The group is also reaching out to students in many different ways outside of offering religious services.
“We have recently launched the ‘UNITE campaign’ collaborating with many other organizations on campus. We are raising funds to help those devastated by Hurricane Sandy,” Partika said. “We are partnering with Catholic Charities USA to help reach those who need it most.”
As a group, the organization has also attended Catholic Social Services’ Day of Service. This Columbus wide event places volunteers at different worksites in order to aid those in need of service.
Junior Sara Ireland expressed these service opportunists as just one of the reasons she is involved with the group.
“I have always been an active member of the Catholic Church but have never been given the opportunity to be apart of a younger community of faith,” she said. “CSO appealed to me not only for masses on campus, but for the sense of community it provides to students that are searching for a new way to worship and grow in faith.”
The group stresses that all students, regardless of religion or denomination, are welcome to join for the worship on Sunday evenings. Any questions or inquiries about the group or their events should be directed to Scott Partika at spartika@capital.edu.
kshlakma@capital.edu
