Pastoral Care and Team
St. Mary’s professional campus ministers work together with Marianist religious and priests in liturgy, music, faith formation, retreats and outreach initiatives.
All ministry areas have assigned students who assist with the organization of programs and events. The Ministry Assistants Program, Peer Ministry Program and the Social Media Ministry Team are student ministry teams that engage commuters and campus residents through a diversity of faith-based activities, both online and in person.
Chaplaincy Services
St. Mary’s University has numerous chaplains who support the pastoral concerns of the St. Mary’s campus community. These chaplains promote the pastoral, spiritual and liturgical life of the community in the content of the Roman Catholic and Marianist traditions.
Services provided by the members of the chaplaincy include assisting or presiding over campus liturgies, Marianist feast and community liturgies as well as major University events such as Baccalaureate or alumni events.
They may oversee services for weddings, work closely with other members of University Ministry for times of crisis, provide spiritual support for Confirmations and other faith celebrations and provide invocations for meetings and events as needed.
Spiritual Retreats
University Ministry fosters personal growth in community following the example of Marianist communities throughout the world, with a tradition that encourages each person to invest in quiet time for prayer and meditation that will help us to keep the most important things in mind on a regular basis.
Our retreat ministry offers different experiences throughout the year: a busy-person personal retreat format, one-day reflections on campus, overnight and weekend retreats off campus. To nurture the interior life is one of the most challenging but also most rewarding practice during college years.
Rattler Awakening
This Cursillo-based retreat invites students to explore their faith lives in the context of a caring community. Student staff organize the retreat, together with members of the Pastoral Team, to offer presentations, small group sharing, prayer moments and opportunities for personal reflection.
Participants explore the love of God, the crucial interplay of faith in our daily lives, the virtues of the Christian life, and the importance of community. Students who attend the retreat are welcome back to serve as volunteer staff to foster a healthy sense of self-worth, feeling affirmed by others, and a deep sense of the love of God.
This retreat was very much needed. It was so much more of what I expected. I felt hopeful and loved. And for the first time in a lot of time, I did not feel alone in my faith. Rattler Awakening gave me hope, gave me a family, and a new beginning.”
Rattler Awakening 2022 Participant
Messengers of Faith and Hope
Since 2013, this four-day residential program, designed for leadership development of young adults together with the ministers who serve with them, includes highly recognized resources from the local area. Our main goal is to promote a Culture of Encounter through prayer, reflection, dialogue and celebrations in light of the USCCB document on Hispanic Ministry titled Mission and Encuentro. An important outcome is that students involved in campus ministry will eventually become active in their local parishes and continue building lives of service to God and others long after graduation.
Messengers of Faith and Hope gives participants the opportunity to learn how to promote an integral holistic formation of Hispanic young adults in Catholic campus ministries. This includes growing in faith, expressing individual religiousness, discussing the distinctive traits of our cultures, cooperating with community services, and promoting a high level of academic excellence along with constant reflection about vocational discernment.
Volunteer Ministry
All ministry areas have assigned students who assist with the organization of programs and events. Students are welcome to join the Ministry Assistants Program, Peer Ministry Program and the Social Media Ministry Team which engage commuters and campus residents through a diversity of faith-based activities, both online and in person. Students who have previous ministry experience are welcome to volunteer with University Ministry. Serve as a greeter, lector, music minister and many other roles.
Residence Hall Ministry
We provide outreach to our students in University housing through Faith and Life Communities, programming, seasonal prayer services and special events. Our “ministry of presence” foments personal growth within a community setting, following the model of Blessed Father Chaminade, founder of The Marianists.
Residence Hall Ministry is a collaborative effort between University Ministry and the Residence Life staff. We share a common concern for the needs of our students in University housing.
Chapel Choir
The Chapel Choir strives to provide an avenue for effective and prayerful worship for our St. Mary’s faith community through music!
The choir meets online for rehearsals twice a week to rehearse the music for the upcoming Sunday and any other special liturgies. Choir members take turns to sing at Sunday Mass as cantors for the Responsorial Psalm.
Interfaith Collaboration
University Ministry supports the faith journey of all students, faculty and staff regardless of faith tradition. We welcome ideas of how to improve our interfaith collaboration on campus.
An interfaith prayer room is available for students to use for prayer or quiet meditation. This room can be reserved by contacting the University Ministry office.
Usually, in the early part of the fall semester, an Interfaith Fair is held in the University Quad to introduce students to the various faith communities in San Antonio.
Interfaith Prayer Rooms
Founders Hall, First floor
Treadway Hall, First floor
Open 7 am. to 10 p.m.
Hispanic Faith and Culture
St. Mary’s University has a culturally diverse community, with a large portion of the student population that is Hispanic. University Ministry has established a ministry outreach for Hispanic students to assist them adjust to college life and learn more about one’s culture and faith.
Hispanic Ministry organizes different programs to experience diverse faith expressions, celebrate cultural heritage, foster service and encourage intellectual pursuits. Following the Marianist charism, this unique ministry outreach supports the spiritual development of young Hispanics that will enable them to become active leaders in their faith communities.
Latin Nights
Join us to celebrate our cultural diversity! Through Latin Nights twice a semester, we help promote Hispanic cultural diversity in a fun and interactive way with different musical genres, dance, Latin-styled refreshments and fellowship.
Confirmation
This sacrament is for those who have been baptized and received the sacrament of Eucharist in the Catholic Church. The sacrament of Confirmation celebrates the fullness of the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord sent upon the apostles at Pentecost. It is a sacrament that celebrates God’s special strengths and gifts in those who have been baptized.
Administration of the Sacrament is preceded by a series of classes. Students preparing for Confirmation must also freely choose to be confirmed, attend Mass regularly, and practice the precepts of the faith. This class is open to current St. Mary’s students, faculty, staff and alumni. Persons under the age of 18 are encouraged to receive Confirmation through their home parish.
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
RCIA is for anyone who is not currently Catholic, but would like to find out what Catholics believe. You can receive the sacrament of Eucharist and Confirmation after being previously baptized in a different faith tradition or baptized Catholic. Likewise, RCIA is also appropriate for anyone who has never been baptized.
Administration of the Sacraments is preceded by a series of classes. This class is open to current St. Mary’s students, faculty, staff and alumni. Persons under the age of 18 are encouraged to receive Confirmation through their home parish.
Visit Us
University Ministry
St. Mary’s University
Center for Life Directions
Contact Us
210-436-3213
university.ministry@stmarytx.edu