(LifeSiteNews) — In today’s world, the “college lifestyle” and holiness are seldom used in the same sentence. It’s sadly all too common that when young people go off to college, their faith is watered by a barrage of problematic ideologies in an environment not unlike the rocky ground that chokes the seed, as Our Lord speaks of in Scripture (Matthew 13).
But one college chaplain is combating this trend of Catholics leaving the Church – one student at a time. Fr. Christopher Vaccaro is the chaplain and director of the Catholic campus ministry at the University of Mary Washington, a small secular college nestled in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. Fr. Vaccaro models his priesthood and chaplaincy on the philosophy of St. John Bosco, whose interactions, teaching, and ministry to boys in Italy in the 1800s shaped countless young lives into models of holiness. Fr. Vaccaro faithfully employs Bosco’s “preventive method” — based on reason, religion, and kindness — at the University of Mary Washington, and there are fantastic results to show for it.
In a day where religious formation is severely lacking in the Church, and young people are more and more disconnected from God and each other, the fact that conversions and reversions are happening year after year on this campus is an underrated feat. LifeSiteNews showcases this Catholic Campus Ministry on this week’s Good News Friday in hopes of bringing our readers much hope. Amid the darkness and sin of the college campus lifestyle, a ray of light has been shone and dozens of young people are living lives for Christ as true disciples. The secret to all of this? As Bosco said, “It’s not enough to love the young; they must know that they are loved.” This ministry is grounded in authentic love and rooted in true community and deep prayer. That is the method of ministering to the young that has changed hearts and minds for this campus and serves as a model for other ministries hoping to do the same.