Campus Ministry Services
Canisius Campus Ministry is available to assist everyone connected with our campus - students, faculty, administrators, staff and alumni.
The Canisius Mission and Identity as a Catholic Jesuit School
The work of Campus Ministry is only one aspect of Canisius' mission and identity. However, Campus Ministry does engage in a number of programs and services which promote and support the mission and identity of Canisius as a Catholic and Jesuit school.
Mass Schedule
On class days, Mass is celebrated in the chapel at 12:05 p.m. Mass is also celebrated on Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m.
On Sundays, in the fall and spring semesters, Mass is celebrated at 11:45 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Eucharistic Adoration is held in the Chapel on Wednesdays from 8-9 p.m. Adoration is also held on First Fridays following the 12:05 p.m. mass.
On special Holy days, Mass is celebrated at additional times as posted.
Sacraments
The Catholic Church believes that normally sacraments should be celebrated in one’s local parish community. However, the church does allow for baptisms and marriages to be celebrated in our chapel in certain circumstances. About 50 weddings and 10 baptisms are celebrated on campus each year. Click here to learn about many of the rules and procedures concerning weddings on campus. Once a year, the bishop comes to campus to perform baptisms and confirmation for students and others who want to receive these sacraments. Campus Ministry prepares candidates through RCIA and Confirmation Preparation Sessions.
Prayer Requests
Campus Ministry circulates (via e-mail and campus mail) various community requests that are made for prayers – sometimes for a member of the Canisius community or for someone in their family. If you would like to receive these requests or have a request for prayers, please call 2420.
Mass Cards
In the Catholic Church, it has been a long-standing practice to request a Mass be said in honor of someone who has died or someone who is ill or has some other special need. The Campus Ministry office arranges for a Mass to be said and provides Mass cards for the family of the deceased or the person who is ill. There is no charge for this service. However, there is a customary offering of $5 per Mass.
Lunch, Prayer, and Sharing (LPS)
The LPS group meets Wednesdays, from noon to 1 p.m., in Old Main 219. Participants are invited to bring their lunch and share their experiences and prayers based on a topic from scripture. All are welcome. For more information, please contact Sue Fischer at ext. 2425 or fischers@canisius.edu.
Pastoral Counseling/Spiritual Direction
The Campus Ministry staff is available to meet with faculty and staff to help them deal with personal or spiritual issues. You can stop by the office or call ext. 2420 for an appointment or to talk with someone by phone.
Retreats
Retreats are an important part of Jesuit Spirituality. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, developed the “Spiritual Exercises” which are an organized 30-day experience of prayer. Since most people cannot devote 30 days to a silent retreat, Ignatius proposed many adaptations of the Spiritual Exercises. For the last 450 years, Jesuits have been offering people various opportunities to make retreats, sometimes for a weekend or a week or at home over a period of time. Sometimes these retreats are done with a group of people and sometimes through individual spiritual direction. Full descriptions of our retreats for students are found here or from Sue Fischer at ext. 2425. For information on individual spiritual direction, contact Father Tom Colgan at colgant@canisius.edu or at ext. 2488.
Campus Ministry also offers the following retreats, especially for faculty and staff.
- Pre-Holiday Week of Retreat at Home
- Lenten At Home Retreat
- Weekend or week-long individually directed silent retreat
- The full 30-day Spiritual Exercises
Retreats with Students
Over the years, a number of faculty and staff members have participated in retreats (i.e. Kairos retreats) as both participants and leaders. To learn more about our retreats contact Sue Fischer at fischers@canisius.edu or ext. 2425 or click here.
Community Days
Faculty and staff, along with family members, may also participate in our annual Community Days. The 2009-2010 Community Days will be held on September 26, November 21, and in April 24. These days are organized around a variety of local social service agencies and their needs. For more information about service opportunities or to volunteer contact Joe Van Volkenburg at vanvolkj@canisius.edu or x2875 or click here.
Service Trips for Students
- Winter Service Week to New York City, New Orleans, Erie, PA and rural West Virginia will take place during the months of December and January between semesters. Contact Sarah Signorino at signoris@canisius.edu or ext. 2424 for more information.
- Alternative Spring Break to the rural parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, and other states. Contact Sarah Signorino at signoris@canisius.edu or ext. 2424 for more information.
- International Service-Immersion experiences to El Salvador, Mexico, Jamaica, India, and Poland which are typically two weeks long and involve extensive preparation before and after the trips. Contact Lu Firestone at firestol@canisius.edu or ext. 2422 for more information.