F our years ago, when I was asked if I wanted to attend a retreat called Carolina Awakening 8 with UNC-Chapel Hill students, I had no idea what to expect. I was told that Awakening was a powerful Catholic collegiate retreat experience held at many campuses throughout the country. So being the eager first-year that I was, I accepted the invitation without fully knowing what I was getting myself into. However, from that weekend on, my faith had been awakened! I had an incredible weekend getting to know other students, many of whom I still see and keep in touch. I was able to spend time away from campus and focus on myself and, more importantly, my relationship with Christ. I felt uplifted and renewed. The plan had been set in motion - Elon CCM was going to bring this new retreat experience to Elon. For the last three years, our leadership team worked tirelessly to plan Elon Awakening 1 (EA1). We partnered with students from UNC - Chapel Hill, NC State University, and Duke University as they accepted Elon students on their own Awakening retreats, allowing us to gain the experience and leadership necessary to run our own. Eventually, we picked our retreat theme and spent hours upon hours in meetings. Our team continued to pour our hearts and our sweat into this effort, and we were blessed to finally hold EA1 the weekend of November 9-11. This weekend - when students had the chance to disconnect from the craziness of campus life, turn off their phones, dive deeper into their faith, listen to talks by their fellow classmates, and meet new people, all while being surrounded by a strong community - was wonderful and thrilling. As a senior now, being able to bring Awakening to Elon and leave the legacy of this retreat fills my heart with so much hope and joy. And knowing that others will be able to experience this retreat in future years is an immeasurable feeling. By Amanda Corso, Class of 2019 3 7 7 Several Catholic Campus Ministry alumni share what they have been up to since graduation. First-year student Ellie Gaudin shares how she found a community through faith at Elon. Catholic Campus Ministry celebrated a week of events at Elon in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. 2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT INSIDE L i v e . L o v e . G r o w . S e r v e . Campus Ministry FALL ISSUE 2018 CCM on SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/ElonCatholic instagram.com/ElonCCM twitter.com/ElonCCM flickr.com/ElonCCM youtube.com/ElonCCM SUNDAY MASS TIMES: 10:00am - Numen Lumen Pavilion 5:00pm - Elon Community Church TUESDAY: 8:30pm - Holt Chapel FRIDAY: 12:10pm - Numen Lumen Pavilion WORSHIP SCHEDULE Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life Numen Lumen Pavilion Mailing Address: Elon Catholic Campus Ministry Campus Box 2960 Elon, NC 27244 Phone: 336-278-7355 Fax: 336-278-7439 www.elon.edu/ccm
Transcript
Four years ago, when I was asked if I wanted to attend a retreat called Carolina
Awakening 8 with UNC-Chapel Hill students, I had no idea what to expect. I was told that Awakening was a powerful Catholic collegiate retreat experience held at many campuses throughout the country. So being the eager first-year that I was, I accepted the invitation without fully knowing what I was getting myself into. However, from that weekend on, my faith had been awakened! I had an incredible weekend getting to know other students, many of whom I still see and keep in touch. I was able to spend time away from campus and focus on myself and, more importantly, my relationship with Christ. I felt uplifted and renewed. The plan had been set in motion - Elon CCM was going to bring this new retreat experience to Elon. For the last three years, our leadership team worked tirelessly to plan Elon Awakening 1 (EA1). We partnered with students from UNC - Chapel Hill, NC
State University, and Duke University as they accepted Elon students on their own Awakening retreats, allowing us to gain the experience and leadership necessary to run our own. Eventually, we picked our retreat theme and spent hours upon hours in meetings. Our team continued to pour our hearts and our sweat into this effort, and we were blessed to finally hold EA1 the weekend of November 9-11. This weekend - when students had the chance to disconnect from the craziness of campus life, turn off their phones, dive deeper into their faith, listen to talks by their fellow classmates, and meet new people, all while being surrounded by a strong community - was wonderful and thrilling. As a senior now, being able to bring Awakening to Elon and leave the legacy of this retreat fills my heart with so much hope and joy. And knowing that others will be able to experience this retreat in future years is an immeasurable feeling.
By Amanda Corso, Class of 2019
3 7 7Several Catholic Campus Ministry
alumni share what they have been up to since
graduation.
First-year student Ellie Gaudin shares
how she found a community through
faith at Elon.
Catholic Campus Ministry celebrated a week of events at
Elon in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.
2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T I N S I D E
L
ive
.
L o v e . G r o w . S
erv
e.
Campus Ministry
FALL ISSUE2018
CCM on SOCIAL MEDIAfacebook.com/ElonCatholic
instagram.com/ElonCCM
twitter.com/ElonCCM
flickr.com/ElonCCM
youtube.com/ElonCCM
SUNDAY MASS TIMES:10:00am - Numen Lumen Pavilion5:00pm - Elon Community Church
TUESDAY:8:30pm - Holt Chapel
FRIDAY:12:10pm - Numen Lumen Pavilion
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life
Numen Lumen Pavilion
Mailing Address:Elon Catholic Campus Ministry
Campus Box 2960Elon, NC 27244
Phone: 336-278-7355Fax: 336-278-7439
www.elon.edu/ccm
Elon Catholic Campus Ministry2
Catholic Campus Ministry
CCM SERVANT LEADERS:Emily Keller, President
Maya AboutanosBrittany Barton
Maddie GallHannah Feldhues
Mikey LeeMary Leupold
Catherine LoGrandeHeather NelsonAndrew Novinski
Chris PottorffFernando PuigEmily Trainor
Marina ThorntonLeah Vail
John Walkowski
ADVISORY BOARD:Cynthia Touloupas, Chair, P’13
Dcn. Bob Bridwell, ‘71Kristen Burke, ‘18
Jon DooleyRussell and Melanie Feather,
P’15,’17,’19Greg and Sandy Janis, P’20
Kevin KrasinskiMatthew Krause, ‘16
Michael and Colleen LoGrande, P’21
Tracy McCool, ‘11Samantha Murray, ‘15
Ralph and Mandy Nelson, P’20Jacqueline Serany, ‘12
Robert and Elizabeth Siletzky
DIOCESE OF RALEIGH STAFF:Campus Minister and Associate
Chaplain for Catholic LifeFr. Peter C. Tremblay, OFM Conv.
The Awakening community is full of amazing people who genuinely love you. That was the nicest thing about the weekend - the people who were passionate about following God that I could learn from, and I also appreciated how much they cared for me.- Cameron Wilson, Class of 2021
It was everything that I thought I wanted and everything I never knew I needed. - Amy Moore, Class of 2022
Regardless of your spiritual background or your current relationship with Christ, this retreat will impact you in powerful ways. Not only did it make me feel God’s love, but the love of people around me and the love I have for myself.- Morgan Paul, Class of 2020
I was able to experience God’s love in a whole new way that I never could have imagined I would go through in one weekend. I was welcomed in by everyone and learned so much about my faith and how I can dive deeper into my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am so glad I went on this retreat and cannot recommend it enough to others! - Olivia Jung, Class of 2019
www.elon.edu/ccm 3
For the first time, Elon Catholic Campus Ministry held “Francis Week” on the Elon campus. In celebration and
recognition of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, who founded the Franciscan order to which our Father Peter Tremblay belongs, CCM held a variety of events throughout the week of October 21-27. The week began with the Franciscan tradition of Blessing of Animals on the lawn of the Newman Center (Holland House). All the furry creatures present and those who were with us through cell phone pictures were blessed with holy water. Immediately following the blessing, CCM celebrated our annual Liturgy on the Lawn. Students came to receive the Eucharist in a beautiful outside setting, of which Saint Francis would have approved! Next, we focused on Saint Francis’s love of community. On Tuesday, CCM held a First-Year Dinner at the Newman Center, welcoming several first-year students and providing them a delicious, homemade Bolognese sauce with pasta. Later, on Friday, CCM joined with the Hillel Jewish community at their Shabbat dinner. Our students not only shared a meal but also teachings and prayers from their respective religious traditions. On Thursday of Francis Week, CCM partnered with the Elon Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society to bring a viewing of the recent documentary by the pope who took on Saint Francis’s name. Shown at Elon’s Turner Theater, “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” focused on the themes of advocacy for the poor and immigrants, stewardship of the environment, and peace among the world’s religions. Finally, to close out the week, CCM opened up applications to serve on our Spring Break service trips. This upcoming spring, students will serve in Jamaica at an orphanage with Mustard Seed, and they will also partner with the Fuller Center to rebuild homes lost in the flooding caused by Hurricane Florence in New Bern, NC. What a wonderful way, as Saint Francis said, to “Preach the Gospel; if necessary, use words.”
Blessing of Animals
CCM/Hillel Dinner
Liturgy on the Lawn
Documentary Showing
Catholic Campus Ministry at Elon University is incredibly grateful for the generous financial support we have received over the past year. We rely on our donors as our primary revenue source to fund our programs, events, supplies, and personnel. The following list recognizes all donors who made a financial gift to Catholic Campus Ministry during the Elon fiscal year from June 1, 2017 - May 31, 2018. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please send any questions to T Huynh-Duc at [email protected].
Annual Report of Giving2017-2018
Thank you.
Elon Catholic Campus Ministry4
Dr. Georges Aboutanos and Dr. Angela AboutanosDr. and Mrs. John CantoMr. and Mrs. Jerome Free, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. James HartmanMr. John HoofnagleMr. Declan Maguire and Ms. Lisa CapodiciMr. and Mrs. Ralph MendozaMr. and Mrs. Edmond Moriarty IIIMr. and Mrs. Stephen PeckMr. and Mrs. Russell SmithMr. and Mrs. Brian ToweyMr. and Mrs. Michael Vail
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel BaranikMr. and Mrs. Bradstreet BartonMs. Elizabeth BennettMr. and Mrs. John CaseyDr. and Mrs. Martin DeFrancescoMr. and Mrs. Michael Dellapa IIIMr. and Mrs. Charles HooverMr. and Mrs. Trung Huynh-DucMs. Martha KrallMs. Joanne LanaDr. Richard Letvak and Dr. Susan LetvakMr. and Mrs. Michael LoGrandeMr. Humberto Mendoza and Ms. Luz Lourdes Moreno
Mr. and Mrs. Bogdan NowakMr. and Mrs. Frank PetrellaMr. and Mrs. Dale PhippsMr. and Mrs. Thomas RobardsSchwab Charitable FundFr. Peter Tremblay, OFM Conv.Dr. Jack TumaszDr. Anthony Weaver and Dr. Lauren HaldemanMr. and Mrs. Daniel Whalen
St. Marianne Cope Circle ($500 - $999)
St. Maximilian Kolbe Circle ($1,000 - $1,499)
The Servant Leadership Circle* ($25,000 +)Mr. and Mrs. Ralph DarlingThe Flatley Foundation
St. Francis of Assisi Circle* ($10,000 - $24,999)Mr. and Mrs. Steven KlingerFidelity Charitable Gift Fund
St. Clare of Assisi Circle* ($5,000 - $9,999)Julia M. Cullen Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Robert SiletzkyMr. Joseph Podgorski, Jr. and Ms. Margaret SullivanMr. and Mrs. John Trainor
St. Anthony of Padua Circle* ($2,500 - $4,999)Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community - Burlington, NCMr. Richard GolecMr. and Mrs. Greg JanisDr. Michael Touloupas and Dr. Cynthia TouloupasVanguard Charitable Endowment Program
St. Bonaventure Circle* ($1,500 - $2,499)Mr. Thomas CafassoMr. and Mrs. Thomas D’AbroscaMr. and Mrs. Russell FeatherMr. and Mrs. Neil JinkinsMs. Margaret KeenanMr. and Mrs. Ronald KellerMr. Thomas Lee and Ms. Michalene JohnsonDr. and Mrs. Christopher LeupoldMr. and Mrs. Ralph NelsonMr. and Mrs. Thomas OnanMr. and Mrs. Ron PetnuchMr. and Mrs. Michael Simon* Parent, alumni, faculty, and staff donors who have made gifts of $1,500 or more (not including Offertory collections) are recognized by Elon as members of The Elon Society, the university’s premier donor recognition society for annual giving
Father Peter and students at the 2018 Mass on the Grass
Elon Catholic Campus Ministry Giving Circles
www.elon.edu/ccm 5
St. Joseph of Cupertino Circle ($250 - $499)
Guardian Angels Society ($1 - $249)Ms. Maya AboutanosMr. Elisson AdrienMs. Grace AhleringMs. Christen AquinoDr. and Mrs. Joseph AugustDr. Stephen Bailey and Dr. Elizabeth BaileyMr. and Mrs. John BarclayMs. Brittany BartonMr. and Mrs. Joseph BaummerMs. Elizabeth BilkaDr. Connie Ledoux BookMr. and Mrs. Harold BreindelMr. and Mrs. Robert BridwellMr. and Mrs. Robert BuchholzMs. Brooke BuffingtonMr. and Mrs. Kevin BurkeMs. Kristen BurkeMs. Raquel BurnsMr. and Mrs. Timothy BuzbyMr. and Mrs. Thomas Caffrey
Mr. Craig CampbellMs. Elizabeth CantoMr. Daniel CastilloMs. Sarah ChadwellMr. and Mrs. James ClarkDr. Lee Ann Clements and Mr. Jeffrey ClementsMs. Rachel CockrellMr. and Mrs. Gregory ConnlyMr. Patrick CooneyMr. and Mrs. Wallace CooneyMs. Margaret CornejoMs. Amanda CorsoMs. Theresa CostaMs. Kara CowdrickDr. Kwadwo Dakwa and Mrs. Lorean Thelwell-DakwaMs. Kelsey DavisMs. Stephanie DebordMr. Brian DudiakMs. Barbara Dunning
Mr. Lucas DurrMs. Tiffany EhmigMrs. Mary EplettMr. Ray EvelandMr. and Mrs. Anthony Fedor IIMs. Hannah FeldhuesMr. and Mrs. William FeldhuesMr. Stephen Ferguson and Ms. Kim LilienthalMs. Caroline FernandezDr. and Mrs. Stephen FolgerMs. Sydney ForsythMr. and Mrs. Louis FortunatoMr. and Mrs. John FrayMs. Emma FrittsDr. and Mrs. Lee FruehMs. Melissa GaisserMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey GallMs. Madeline GallMr. and Mrs. Salvatore GalvanoMs. Patti GibbonsMs. Jennifer GonzalezMr. and Mrs. Jose Gonzalez, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. John Gornto, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. John Gornto, Sr.Graham Holdings CompanyMr. and Mrs. Marcelo GuerraMr. and Mrs. Charles GwinnettMs. Ashley HalinskiMr. and Mrs. Daniel HalinskiMr. and Mrs. Austin HallMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey HallMr. and Mrs. Ryan HarringtonMr. and Mrs. Kevin HeilmanMr. and Mrs. Christopher HelmsMr. and Mrs. Sean Herlihy
Ms. Amy HermanMs. Maria HernandezMr. and Mrs. Ernest HeymannMr. and Mrs. Richard HillMs. Catherine HinkenMr. and Mrs. Phil HoganMr. and Mrs. Fred HrinukMr. Zachary HrinukMs. Rachel IngersollMr. Matthew JegierMs. Jerita JohnsonMs. Kayleigh JohnsonMs. Jacqueline Johnson KingMr. and Mrs. David KammenMr. Eugene Kellaher and Mrs. Moira ReidMr. and Mrs. Brian KellerMs. Emily KellerMr. and Mrs. George KempfMr. and Mrs. Paul KenneyMr. and Mrs. David KimockMr. John KinaneMs. Katherine KlingerMr. and Mrs. James Knuff, Jr.Ms. and Mrs. Franklin KoontsMs. Allison KornackiMr. Matthew KrauseMr. and Mrs. John KrienerMr. and Mrs. Mark LandschootDr. Karen Lankisch and Mr. Paul LankischMs. Michalene LeeMs. Kristin LeesmanMs. Kira LetvakMs. Mary LeupoldMs. Madeleine Leupold
Mr. and Mrs. Alan MacQueenMr. Andrew MarangolaMr. and Mrs. Fred MarescaMs. Katherine MarsMr. and Mrs. Nicholas MartinMs. Tricia McCarthyMr. and Mrs. Daniel McCoolMr. and Mrs. Steven McCordMs. Riley McCrossanMr. Michael McGill and Ms. Debra BarnesMr. Thomas McGuireMs. Maryann MennellaMr. Robert Metzler and Mrs. Mary Louise CarnevaleDr. Lori MinasianMr. and Mrs. Luis MinietMr. and Mrs. James MobleyMs. Denise MoncurMr. and Mrs. James MoodyMr. and Mrs. Elias MozloomMr. and Mrs. Andrew MurrayMs. Samantha MurrayDr. and Mrs. Christian MusicMr. and Mrs. Philip NelsonMs. Heather NelsonMr. and Mrs. William NovakMr. and Mrs. Gregory NovinskiMs. Bailey NumbersMr. and Mrs. Nicholas OchsnerMs. Sinead O’DohertyMr. Matthew OertelDr. and Mrs. Eric OristianMs. Kristianne OristianMr. and Mrs. Samuele Pardini
(continued on next page)
The annual Kick-Off Barbecue held at the Newman Center
Students enjoy ice cream tacos at Front Porch Friday
Students catch up at the End-of-Year Cookout
Mr. and Mrs. Paul BargstedtMs. Diane BaroneMs. Patricia BilkaMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey BlumbMs. Leah BreindelMr. and Mrs. Sean BrookinsMr. and Mrs. James Canty IIIMr. and Mrs. Richard ClementMr. and Mrs. Robert CornejoMr. and Mrs. Frank CorsoMr. and Mrs. Dominic D’AmbrosioDr. and Mrs. Jonathan DooleyErnst & YoungFM Global FoundationMs. Teresa FrazierMr. and Mrs. Jim GardnerMr. and Mrs. David GruskyDr. and Mrs. Timothy HallDr. Maria Iruela and Mr. Jeffry Fritts Mr. and Mrs. Bert KleinMr. and Mrs. Philip KostkaMr. and Mrs. Kevin KrasinskiMr. and Mrs. Peter Kuveke
Kuveke Living TrustMs. Carol Ann LisantiMr. and Mrs. Dennis LutesMr. and Mrs. Stephen McFarlinDr. Kimberly Mercurio and Mr. James MercurioMr. and Mrs. Michael MurrenMr. and Mrs. James PajkMr. and Mrs. Eugene PasztorMr. and Mrs. David PeoplesMr. and Mrs. Kenneth PorroMr. and Mrs. Donald ReillyMs. Jacqueline SeranyMr. J. Robert SmeatonMs. Genevieve StreetMr. and Mrs. David TamayoMr. and Mrs. Scott ThorntonDr. and Mrs. Matthew ValleMr. and Mrs. David WalkowskiWilliam E & Juliana P O’Neill Family FoundationMr. and Mrs. Bryan Wright
Elon Catholic Campus Ministry6
Would you like to sponsor a program or activity for our students? If you are interested in funding a Wish List item, please contact Fr. Peter at [email protected] or 336-278-7355. Thank you for helping us build up Catholic Life at Elon!
$3,294 Sponsorship for six students to attend SEEK national Catholic conference in January
$2,500 Stipends for student Music Interns to provide excellent worship music
$1,000 Catholic Speaker Fund
$600 Recognition Dinner for Graduating Seniors
$600 New Servant Leadership Team Retreat and Training before Spring Semester
$400 Local Food and Shelter Projects for one year
$400 Printing of Promotional Materials for new and prospective students
$300 Holland House Hospitality (Food and snacks for students at Newman Center)
$250 One Monthly Sunday Supper after Masses
$250 Lenten Soup and Bread Meals
2017-2018 FINANCIAL REPORTAnnual Operating Income $ 274,875.04
Annual Operating Expenses $ 277,383.06
Education and Leadership$18,917.14
Service/Social Justice
$28,394.09
Miscellaneous$796.59
Office/Plant$6,591.40
Building a Catholic Community$45,883.81
Liturgical$46,811.99
Advancement and Communications
$43,956.90Administration
$42,867.67
Diocese of Raleigh$70,000.00
Offertory Collections$24,049.30
Elon University(SGA Allocation)
$5,650.00
Retreat Income $3,480.00
Other$487.00
Parents/Alumni/Friends
$171,208.74
Spiritual Formation$43,163.47
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth ParisiMr. and Mrs. Daniel PavlickMs. Katie PetnuchMr. and Mrs. Scott PetrieMr. Christopher PottorffMr. and Mrs. Timothy PottorffMr. and Mrs. Derek PowersMr. and Mrs. Patrick PreudhommeMr. and Mrs. Craig PrincipiMr. Fernando PuigMs. Melissa PurgertMr. Charles RacioppoDr. and Mrs. James RafaelMr. and Mrs. Allan RappleyeaMs. Halie ReedMr. and Mrs. Michael ReinhartMr. and Mrs. James RhodesMr. and Mrs. Michael RiedlMs. Erin RobertsonMs. Kristin RuffeMr. and Mrs. Robert RundleMs. Carrie RyanMr. and Mrs. John RyanMr. and Mrs. Robert RyanFr. Andrew Santamauro, OFM Conv.Ms. Joanne Saulnier
Dr. Jodean Schmiederer and Mr. Michael SchmiedererMr. and Mrs. Michael SchubertMs. Lauren SchultzMr. and Mrs. Richard SchultzMs. Ellen ScireMs. Chelsea SemeraroMr. and Mrs. Daniel SeranyMr. and Mrs. Paul SharkeyMr. Brian SharnskyMr. and Mrs. Steven SiddalMs. Jessica SimermeyerMr. and Mrs. John SimermeyerMr. and Mrs. John SimmonsMs. Katie SimonMr. and Mrs. John SomervilleMr. and Mrs. Justin SposatoMr. and Mrs. Dennis StinehelferMr. and Mrs. Edward Sulva, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Peter SwordMs. Marina ThorntonMr. and Mrs. Steven ThramannMr. and Mrs. Andrew TomkoMs. Emily TrainorMs. Jean TremblayMrs. Marian TumaszMr. Daniel UrsuMs. Carole Vail
Ms. Leah VailMs. Maria VailMr. and Mrs. Eugene Van NoteMr. and Mrs. Michael VatterMr. John WalkowskiMr. Joseph WalshMr. and Mrs. Terry WardMr. and Mrs. Michael WelbyMr. Christian Wensel and Ms. Vicky RossiMr. and Mrs. Gary WestMs. Renee WilhideMs. Rachel WilsonMr. and Mrs. Thomas WinkelMs. Lauren WisniewskiMr. and Mrs. Jay YatesMs. Rachel YatesMr. and Mrs. David ZavagnoDr. Charles Zezza and Dr. Diane ZezzaMr. and Mrs. Donald Zimmer, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Mark ZimpelmanMr. and Mrs. Matthew ZimpelmanMr. and Mrs. S. Peter ZiomekMr. and Mrs. Paul Zitelli, Jr.
Guardian Angels Society ($1 - $249)
Kara Cowdrick, Class of 2010
Kara lives in the Metro Atlanta area, where she teaches fifth grade at Charles Brant Chesney Elementary School. This past year, she completed her doctoral program through Mercer University (and fittingly graduated during Teacher Appreciation Week)! Kara also serves on her school’s leadership team, mentors new teachers, and coordinates the Chesney Champion Bookmobile to share books with Chesney students during summer vacations. She was recently honored by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution with the AJC Celebrating Teachers Award. “Out of all of my Elon experiences, I treasure my Elon community the most. We created lifelong memories and learned about what is really important. Thank you, Elon CCM.”
Photo credit: Keith Farner, gwinnettdailypost.com
www.elon.edu/ccm 7
Hello, my name is Ellie! I am from Chattanooga, TN, and I am a first-year at Elon University. When I came to Elon, I
was nervous about going to a school away from all my friends and family. Because of that, one of the first things I did when I got onto campus was try to find a group that I could call family while I was so far away from my home. One of the first groups that I turned to was Catholic Campus Ministry, and that has made all the difference for my first semester at college. Since that first day when I showed up for the Open House at the Holland House, I have felt like a part of the organization. After only meeting me once, people were reaching out to get to know me and inviting me to come to events that CCM hosted. I attended both retreats that CCM has offered this semester, and through those retreats I have made some of my best friends here on campus. When I went on Beach Retreat this year, I didn’t really know anyone, but I am so glad that I went because not only did I have fun the whole time and meet tons of incredible people, but I also grew so much in my faith. Elon’s Awakening retreat
was also just as incredible as Beach Retreat because I found more than just friends, I found family through that retreat, and my relationship with God has never been as close as during that weekend. Another reason I have loved Catholic Campus Ministry is they have Mass, Reconciliation, and small group reflection every week so that students can connect with one another and grow in faith together. All these opportunities have not only helped me build community through my faith, but also a stronger relationship with God. Since that fateful day of the Open House, I continue to attend as many CCM events as I possibly can because I know that I will always be welcomed as a friend.
ExperiencesBy Ellie Gaudin, Class of 2022
irst-Year
Finding Community through Faith
Ellie and the group at the 2018 CCM Beach Retreat
Erin (Bradley) Somerville, Class of 2011
Erin lives near Detroit with her husband, John and their 1-year-old son, Johnny. She is beyond grateful for her vocation as a wife and mom and enjoys her work in fundraising for a Catholic girls’ high school. “I was incredibly blessed by CCM while I was at Elon. The Lord gave me some amazing friendships
that continue today. I was able to grow tremendously in my Catholic faith and develop my leadership skills through my involvement with retreats, the CCM Servant Leadership Team and mission trips. I am grateful that I can give back a little bit every year to help support a community that has given me so much!”
Matt Krause, Class of 2016
Matt was recently named as the new radio play-by-play broadcaster for University of North Carolina Women’s Basketball on the Tar Heel Sports Network. He also hosts the Sylvia Hatchell Show, a weekly chat with Carolina’s 33rd-year Hall of Fame coach that will air starting in February. Don’t worry, Elon, Matt will
still serve as the radio color analyst for Elon Football! “My favorite CCM memories include serving on the student leadership team and finding a home with like-minded students while building community and faith in the process. I still remain involved by serving on CCM’s Advisory Board.”
Grace Ahlering, Class of 2016
Grace lives in Chicago and is in her third year at a PR firm. She has so many fond CCM memories of beach retreats, evenings at the Newman Center, going to various speakers and the strong friendships she formed through CCM. In Chicago, a friend introduced Grace to Young Catholic Professionals, a national network that connects young Catholics who are building their careers and encourages them to grow in faith together. Through YCP, Grace attends monthly events featuring seasoned professionals who share their testimonies of how they find ways to live their Catholic values in the workplace. “The support network and friendships I have gained from YCP are the result of so many answered prayers. I tell my Elon friends all the time that the community I have found through my parish and YCP really is like ‘CCM for Adults.’ I urge all CCM alumni to look into YCP and see if there’s a chapter in their post-grad cities!”
