“The Kingdom of God is already…and not yet!” I graduated from the CSTM about three years ago and I can still clearly hear Neto Valiente’s voice in my head and see him scribbling images of the Kingdom on a chalkboard in one of the classrooms in Simboli Hall. I have been serving as a campus minister at Marian University, a Franciscan college in Indianapolis, Indiana since I graduated. My primary responsibility as Campus Minister for Catholic Social Concerns and Service is to oversee local, domestic, and international service and immersion opportunities for undergraduate students, and I so often find myself pulling resources and information from my time at the CSTM.
One of my favorite parts of my role at Marian University is educating in justice. Several times each week, I spend time in formation sessions with various student leaders in preparation for experiences like our Alternative Break Program or our Rising Social Justice Retreat. We spend time reflecting on scripture as a community, unpacking Church history, and applying Catholic social teaching to local and current issues of justice. It is during these moments that I really see my education come to life—my intellectual, human, spiritual, and pastoral formation are so deeply interconnected and emerge freely in my work.
My professors gave me more tools needed to dive into and interpret scripture and to lead students in their interpretations of the Word. They empowered me by providing a greater understanding of the Catholic Church, which has allowed me to lead vibrant discussions with students. This academic endeavor opened my mind and challenged me to ask more questions, always in the hopes to grow closer to God and to guide my students closer to God as well.
I loved being a student at the CSTM because my experience did not stop at an academic level; I learned that studying theology, or talking about God, could not replace talking to God. It was in asking questions about the Church and its history that I was able to explore my role in the Church as an educated lay woman. This exploration and continuous process of self-reflection was enhanced by my community of colleagues, classmates, and educators—people who were eager to dive into faith sharing and theological reflection. My prayer life boomed as the opportunities for communal participation encouraged me to see the movements of the Spirit in my life and in the work to which I was being called.
During my second year, I participated in an immersion to El Salvador. This immersion was one of the many experiences in which I was able to synthesize my studies in a community of people who valued prayer and yearned to learn more about issues of justice. Our days consisted of listening to stories from local communities, reflecting on the work of theologians like Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P. and Jon Sobrino, S.J., (we even briefly met with him!), and calling on God in the face of injustices. This immersion directly correlates to the work I do at Marian University today: walking with students in unpacking liberation theology, communal encounter and prayer, and working for justice. Participating in this experience at the CSTM was a humbling reminder to dedicate myself to a lifetime of listening, praying, and learning.
My assistantship and contextual education also invited me to integrate my personal and academic formation. These professional positions gave me the ability to apply what I had learned—to serve as a minister and educator and provide formation to others. I observed and practiced practical skills like conflict management and various administrative skills (such as institutional procedures for accompanying students off campus for service opportunities and retreat preparation). My pastoral formation challenged me to explore program development and the formation of young minds—it provided the resources I needed to succeed in my work today.
To say I am grateful for my time as a student at the CSTM is an understatement. I grew intellectually, personally, spiritually, and professionally; I became a part of an unbelievable community of professors, mentors, and friends working to participate in the Kingdom of God that is “already…and not yet.” What a gift it is to be co-workers in this vineyard.