Becoming immersed in its community is one of the most transformative parts of the college experience at the University of Maryland at College Park. Whether donning Maryland colors, shouting the ‘Victory Song’ at football games, or pulling an all-nighter at the library, the college journey isn’t taken alone. For students at the university’s Catholic Student Center, finding their sense of community is enriched through shared faith and values.
On Aug. 28, the feast of St. Augustine, a Mass was celebrated for the Catholic Terps, followed by a welcome barbecue to kick off the 2024-25 academic year. In his homily at the Mass, Father Conrad Murphy, the chaplain at the Catholic Student Center, described St. Augustine’s passion for the Lord, offering students a chance to reflect on their personal desires.
“We all experience desire in one way or another. We do so many things because we’re craving something, longing for something. We want success and popularity, our work results, and more. It’s in all of us! We all crave something, and St. Augustine did, too,” he said.
With more than 200 students in attendance, Father Murphy acknowledged that people tend to associate religion with rules rather than desire.
“Rules are important; they help structure our lives and help us hear God so we can put aside the nonsense we’re compiling into a place to listen to, but if we stay at that level, we’ll never grasp it. We need to have a desire within us,” he stressed. “Our problem is that we usually focus on things that cannot satisfy that desire. We long for love. Often, we think that means lust, and so we pursue that, and again, it’s not enough for us; it leaves us emptier.”
St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church. He is widely recognized for his autobiography, “Confessions,” which gives readers powerful insights into his soul.
In “Confessions,” St. Augustine wrote, “Late how I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late I have loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. You called, you shouted, you broke through my deafness, you flashed, you shone, you expelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath, and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
Father Murphy highlighted this quote in his homily, saying that religion is not here to kill people’s desire but to channel it so they can discover God, the one who matters the most. “St. Augustine met with that ‘someone’ who satisfied his longings. He put aside his deepest glory and honor,” the chaplain said, adding, “God can speak to the deepest parts of your heart and always does so. We usually don’t hear it because we’re too noisy and focused on other things. You can meet that person too. He’s the one we’re here to meet. He is the reason for all of this.”
Outside the chapel, the sounds of sizzling burgers and hot dogs mixed with the chatter of dozens of Catholic Terps alumni as they prepared dinner for the current students. Some graduated as recently as the spring, while others turned the tassel over a decade ago. No matter the year, previous Terps flocked to give something back to the community that supported their faith journeys.
For Baltimore seminarian Connor Guidera of the class of 2022, the center was a defining factor in his vocation. “The Catholic Student Center at Maryland provided me with the first intentional community of young Catholics I’ve ever had. That provided a good foundation for me to get to know the Lord in a deep way. I think that’s where my vocation came from,” he said, smiling. “I encountered the Lord’s love and wanted to give my life to Him. The desire was planted in my heart for the priesthood. I felt like that’s how the Lord was calling me to respond to His love.”
As the night went on, the number of students doubled to more than 400. Laughter rang throughout the air as old friends reconnected from summer break and new friends got to know each other. Games of volleyball and spike ball played out until the sun went down, and students sported new Catholic Terp tees.
Kayla Cartagirone, a University of Maryland senior who serves as the president of the Catholic Student Center, was in her element the entire time. One of her roles is to walk with her peers and see that the center’s ministry flourishes. The Catholic Student Center offers numerous opportunities for students to delve into their faith, from Bible studies to men’s and women’s groups to spiritual direction and even social outings such as game nights.
“All of these things allow us to look at our lives through the lens of Christ,” Cartagirone said. “This place is so important for college students, because you’re figuring out who you are and what you want with your life. It’s just a formative time, and I think it’s so easy to make bad decisions or go down the wrong path. It’s crucial to know the Lord and allow Him to lead you.”
With one full year of college under his belt, sophomore Dominic Ervin recalled the ‘it’ factor that led him to the Catholic Student Center as a freshman. “I felt like there was something greater for me, and I had this longing to not only be a part of this community, but also to grow in my relationship with Jesus,” he said.
(Elizabeth Polo is a journalism student at the University of Maryland and is a contributing writer for the Catholic Standard.)
