By Denton Josey, Page Editor
Diversity is something the university strives for, so the meeting on Wednesday night for Catholic students was not out of the ordinary.
Organized by Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of spiritual formation, the meeting gave students from Catholic backgrounds a chance to meet each other and have a discussion.
The meeting started at 6 p.m. and snacks were available in the Hilton Room of the Campus Center. Very few of the 18 people in attendance knew each other, but shared many of the same experiences during their time at ACU.
One of the reasons Barnard held the meeting was to hear the concerns Catholic students had. Barnard began the meeting by telling his own history with Catholicism.
In 1980, Barnard had a chance to meet Pope John Paul II and be blessed by him in the Vatican.
Later, Barnard earned his master’s degree from Saint Mary’s University, a catholic university in San Antonio and remembers the feelings he had as a Church of Christ student at a Catholic university. As a result, he said he has always been aware of a Catholic student’s experience in a Church of Christ school.
Barnard said he wants to reach out to the students and meet with them because he understands the differences between the faith they have grown up with and the practices of the Church of Christ. Catholicism is a “significantly different tradition” from the Church of Christ, Barnard said, and several years ago there was a small group Chapel for Catholic students.
The meeting on Wednesday was in part to find out if there is a desire to have a Chapel setting like that again.
At the end of the meeting, students met each other and discussed having a small group Chapel on Thursdays. They also talked about the local churches they attend and carpool options.
Barnard said he decided to have the 45-minute meeting after reading a post on a myACU forum that asked about where Catholic churches in town were located. He then sent out an e-mail to the 160 students who listed Catholicism as their religious background.
Kacee Junco, senior psychology major from Katy, was one who responded to Barnard’s email.
Raised Catholic, Junco attends Holy Family Catholic Church in Abilene. She decided on ACU after a lot of prayer and feeling that God wanted her to be at ACU. Still, she has longed for community with Catholic students.
“I have been wanting something on campus since I got here-I miss having a group of people I can share what it meant to go to mass with,” Junco said.
Junco said it has been challenging going to ACU at times because of the different beliefs people have, but has been good for her.
“I have grown over the course here more than I would have anywhere else. I have had to find answers to questions people have about Catholicism.”
