“It was undoubtedly a cool experience, participating in the ‘Serve with Francis Day’,” said baseball senior Eric Scamardella. “Getting a chance to give back to the community is always an opportunity that we take on with pride, knowing that we are making a difference. In this case, doing it in preparation for the Pope’s visit alongside my teammates made it a special experience.”

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Greta Haussmann

With all of this excitement in the air, I have been reminding myself to look past the frenzy and focus on preparing myself for the Holy Father’s visit. Most of my preparation has been focused on my demeanor, while some preparation has taken the form of service. Regarding my demeanor: I decided to take time to reflect upon the things that I love most about our Holy Father, and what came to mind were his simplicity, his graciousness, and his humility. I have chosen to take time in prayer and in my actions to work on cultivating simplicity, graciousness, and humility in my life. Regarding service, I have pledged to #WalkWithFrancis by committing time to service. During student leader training, I had the opportunity to participate in a day of service with Centennial Village staff in the Brookland community by helping facilitate a “Community Day” at a local park.

Serving in this capacity was a fruitful experience and it reminded me of the value of community and outreach; but I also know that Pope Francis calls Christians to something deeper than one-time service. Pope Francis says, “To be Christian is to do what Jesus did — serve. To be Christian isn’t about appearances or social conduct, it isn’t putting a bit of makeup on the soul so that it’s a little more beautiful.” It is important for us to remember that as Christians we are called to continuous service. However, it is equally important to remember that we are called to authenticity in our lives of service. Pope Francis is calling us to be genuine with our fellow Christians in our words and actions — he is calling us to serve as we are, not as we believe we ought to be.

As a student leader on the Catholic University campus I feel called to live a life of service, rather than making service an isolated event. Furthermore, I find Pope Francis’s words regarding what it means to be Christian quite relevant to serving as a student leader — being a leader is not about being perfect, once again, it is about being authentic. Pope Francis has taught me the importance of being a genuine witness as a student leader here at CUA. As we continue to prepare for the papal visit, I challenge you to live a life of authentic service and leadership.

— Greta Haussmann is a junior at The Catholic University of America majoring in theology and religious studies, and media studies.

Linda Plitt Donaldson

In Sollicitudo rei Socialis Pope John Paul II used the example of the “nonviolent demonstrations [of the poor] to present their needs and rights to oftentimes corrupt and inefficient authorities” as a “positive sign …[of a] growing … solidarity.” And now Pope Francis is putting hope in the power of community organizing to restore dignity to the poor and to care for our common home.

In 1970, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops passed a resolution to start the Campaign for Human Development to address the structural causes of poverty by supporting the self-help efforts of communities to fight for and defend their right to live and flourish in a manner consistent with their dignity. For 45 years CCHD has been standing in solidarity with low-income communities in their efforts to demand justice and create economic opportunities that offer living-wage jobs.

The PICO National Network, founded by Jesuit priest Rev. John Bauman in 1972, has organized a #TellthePope campaign to highlight for the Pope the profound economic and racial challenges being experienced by families and communities in the United States. Through their Year of Encounter campaign, PICO is challenging communities to engage in “radical encounters of inclusion and to organize for workers’ rights.” At the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, they hope to convey the message to Pope Francis that poverty and racism are critical issues in the United States that ravage families and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Social workers have long been involved in organizing. They have organized and fought for the rights of children, women, workers, people of color, and people who are poor. The profession includes social justice giants such as Dorothy Height, Whitney Young, and Ron Dellums and lesser-known organizing heroes such as Diana Ming Chan and Antonia Pantoja.

Social workers continue to be engaged in organizing for social justice on a range of issues. For example, Elizabeth Alex is the lead organizer for Casa de Maryland, fighting for the rights of immigrants. Hannah Kane is organizing for the rights of workers with the DC Employment Justice Center. Adam Schneider is fighting for the rights of people who are homeless with Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore.

The social work profession is largely known for the clinical and direct services it provides to vulnerable and marginalized populations. Yet, the profession also has a legacy of community organizing and social reform that enables it to address both immediate needs and structural causes of poverty and human suffering. Catholics refer to that as walking with two feet of love in action. This is what Pope Francis is calling all of us to do, and the social work profession walks tall and proud with him in our shared vision of justice, mercy, and compassion in the world.

– Linda Plitt Donaldson is an associate professor at The Catholic University of America National Catholic School of Social Service.

President John Garvey joined students at the Franciscan Monastery on Serve with Francis Day.

Approximately 530 people spent the day serving at locations such as Carroll Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Catholic University’s community garden, Archbishop Carroll High School, and the Franciscan Monastery, where University President John Garvey helped with work in the garden.

The day of service was part of the Office of Campus Ministry’s programming tied to Pope Francis’s Sept. 23 visit to the University’s campus. Under the theme “Walk with Francis: Joy of the Gospel,” Campus Ministry is inviting members of the CUA community to “Walk with Francis” through events related to prayer, learning, and service. The events are tied to the Archdiocese of Washington’s #WalkwithFrancis initiative, which encourages D.C.-area residents to take a pledge to follow the example of Pope Francis by serving in their community however they can.

Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on Sept. 23 on the East Portico of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. During the Mass, Pope Francis will canonize American missionary Blessed Junípero Serra. The congregation will assemble in the area surrounding the steps of the Basilica, including the 3.6-acre University Mall.

The Mass, which took place in the Great Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, is held annually at the opening of the school year. This year’s celebrant was Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington and University chancellor, who asked God to invoke the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the University community to strengthen and guide students, faculty, and staff throughout the 2015-16 academic year.

In anticipation of Pope Francis’s upcoming visit to the Basilica and the University, Cardinal Wuerl encouraged students to prepare themselves spiritually by working to make a difference in their community.

Faculty members dressed in full academic regalia attend this year’s Mass of the Holy Spirit.

“Pope Francis challenges us to be ‘missionary disciples,’” he said. “We are not bystanders but rather participants in the great human endeavor to make of this world a better place.

“There is a sense in which each one of us has to make that call and anointing in the Holy Spirit our own,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “This is what Pope Francis asks us to do. We are challenged to take the love and mercy of God and share it with others.”

The cardinal encouraged students to use this upcoming academic year to continue spiritual formation and to ask God’s help in living their faith.

“Here at this university, in addition to preparing for a job and a means to a paycheck, we should also accept that we have a deeper calling — to do our part to help make the world just a little better,” he said. “We come together to ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit because we dare to believe we really can make a difference. We are capable of renewing the face of the earth, or at least trying — at least, doing our part with the help of God.”

Following the homily, Cardinal Wuerl conferred the Canonical Mission — the authorization to teach in the name of the Church — to William Daniel of the School of Canon Law.

In his remarks after Mass, University President John Garvey advised students to live the virtue of constancy in their academic, spiritual, and personal lives.

Members of the University community, including Jeanne Garvey, bring up the gifts during the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

“When the alarm goes off at 6 a.m., constancy is the virtue that gets you out of bed in time for Mass, because you are a Christian striving to grow in holiness,” President Garvey said. “It’s the virtue that keeps you in the library when your friends call it a night because you are a scholar determined to excel in your field. It is the virtue that gives you the conviction to opt-out of the hookup culture, because you are a child of God made for love far greater than that.”

Garvey encouraged students to follow Pope Francis’s example of constancy by taking small, concrete steps to follow Christ. Garvey encouraged students to participate in the Archdiocese of Washington’s #WalkwithFrancis initiative by making concrete commitments to pray, serve, and act. Garvey also pledged to participate in the initiative and said he would serve at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Brookland.

“If we call ourselves Christians, we must affirm that fact in our actions,” Garvey said. “This is constancy.”

Following Mass, all students who pledged to participate in the initiative received blue wristbands marked #WalkwithFrancis. In his closing remarks, Cardinal Wuerl noted that if everyone wears the bracelets during the papal Mass on Sept. 23, it will be a visual reminder of the University’s commitment to service and prayer.

President Garvey Pledges to Walk with Francis at Mass of the Holy Spirit from CUA Video on Vimeo.

The events are tied to the Archdiocese of Washington’s #WalkwithFrancis initiative, which encourages D.C.-area residents to take a pledge to follow the example of Pope Francis by serving in their community however they can.

Below are details about the events.

Pray

Tuesday, Sept. 8
8 p.m., The House, Caldwell Hall
House Mass with veneration of a relic of Blessed Junípero Serra
The veneration of a relic is an act of faith that honors the memory of the saint whose intercession is implored.

Tuesday, Sept. 15
5:10 p.m., Caldwell Chapel
Our Lady of Sorrows Mass
This Mass will be offered in Spanish and will include veneration of a relic of Junípero Serra.

Tuesday, Sept. 22
5:10 p.m., Caldwell Chapel
Votive Mass for Our Lady of Mercy
This Mass will be offered in Spanish and will include veneration of a relic of Junípero Serra.

Throughout September
University Prayer Cards
Before Pope Francis’s visit, Campus Ministry will distribute University Pope Francis prayer cards. The Pope Francis Five Finger Prayer serves as a guide for personal prayer before the visit.

Learn

Saturday, Sept. 12
7 p.m., Hartke Theatre
“Joy of Loving” multimedia dance-drama
In this performance, Nrityalaya, a traditional Indian dance company, will showcase Mother Teresa’s legacy of love and compassion for the needy, mercy to the “poorest of the poor,” and devotion to education. Tickets are required.

Wednesday, Sept. 16
10 p.m., The Cellar, Caldwell Hall
Pope Trivia Night
Students will be quizzed about how much they know about Pope Francis. Free food will be available at the event.

Thursday, Sept. 17
3:45 p.m., Monsignor Stephen P. Happel Room, Caldwell Hall
Junípero Serra: Apostle of California
Rev. John T. Ford, C.S.C., professor and coordinator of Hispanic and Latino programs in the School of Theology and Religious Studies, will discuss Serra’s life and the founding of California missions.

Thursday, Sept. 17
5 p.m., Caldwell Auditorium
Follow Francis’s Footsteps: The Pope’s Guide to Modern Life
Faculty from Catholic University will address questions about Pope Francis and the Catholic Church, exploring topics such as poverty, peace, theology, and encyclicals.

Sunday, Sept. 20
6:30 p.m., St. Vincent’s Chapel
Documentary and Discussion: The Francis Effect
Followed by Mass
Rev. Thomas M. Rosica, C.S.B., CEO of Canada’s Catholic TV channel Salt + Light, and Sebastian Gomes, producer for Salt + Light, will lead a discussion and share their documentary The Francis Effect, which takes a critical and in-depth look at how an ancient institution is rapidly changing under the leadership and vision of Pope Francis. Father Rosica will preach at the Mass that will take place at 9 p.m. in St. Vincent’s Chapel.

Serve

Sunday, Sept. 13
9 a.m., Caldwell Auditorium
Serve with Francis Day
This day provides an opportunity for members of the CUA community to serve at sites throughout Brookland and other D.C. neighborhoods. More information can be found here.

Throughout September
Service Opportunities
There are several opportunities throughout September for students to participate in weekly service events. A full listing of service opportunities can be found here.

Throughout September
Office of Campus Ministry, Caldwell Hall
#WalkwithFrancis T-Shirts
Campus Ministry will be selling Walk with Francis T-shirts to commemorate Pope Francis’s upcoming visit to Catholic University, and to raise money to help support CUA’s mission trips.

The campaign encourages D.C.-area residents to take a pledge to follow the example of Pope Francis by serving in their community however they can. Participants can then share their pledge on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms by using the hashtag #WalkwithFrancis. Those who pledge are also invited to “call out” others on social media to take the pledge.

The pledges will be gathered via social media and on WalkWithFrancis.org. Thousands of the pledges will be compiled into a book that Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington and chancellor of Catholic University, will present as a gift to the Holy Father during his visit.

For more information on the archdiocese’s campaign or to make a pledge, go to WalkwithFrancis.org.

Want to share how you #WalkwithFrancis? Send us a photo via email or tag your submissions #WalkwithFrancis on Twitter or Instagram. If you are a member of the CUA community, please also send a few short sentences describing the type of service you do (for the Church, in the neighborhood, anywhere) and what #WalkwithFrancis means to you. We will feature some submissions on CUA’s website and social media.

See what other CUA students, alumni, faculty, and staff are doing to walk with Francis by serving their community.

Below, Jackie Sardina, a 2015 graduate from Yorba Linda, Calif., with degrees in theology and philosophy and a music minor, reflects on a mission trip to Costa Rica with other CUA students in May. The trip was sponsored by CUA’s Office of Campus Ministry. Sardina also has committed to a year of service in Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo, a volunteer and retreat group immersion program.

Want to share how you #WalkwithFrancis? Send us a photo via email hidden; JavaScript is requiredor tag your submissions #WalkwithFrancis on Twitter or Instagram. Please also send a few short sentences describing the type of service you do (for the Church, in the neighborhood, anywhere!) and what #WalkwithFrancis means to you and we will feature submissions on CUA’s website and social media.

Below, Mary Lastowka, a senior politics major and Spanish minor, reflects on the work she and other students completed during a mission trip to Belize. The trip was sponsored by CUA’s Office of Campus Ministry.

Want to share how you have been #WalkwithFrancis? Send us a photo via email hidden; JavaScript is requiredor tag your submissions #WalkwithFrancis on Twitter or Instagram. Please also send a few short sentences describing the type of service you do (for the Church, in the neighborhood, anywhere!) and what #WalkwithFrancis means to you and we will feature submissions on CUA’s website and social media.