Newman Society President Patrick Reilly was recently hosted on Vatican Insider with Joan Lewis, on EWTN Catholic Radio. During this segment of the interview, they discussed a number of topics, including what inspired Reilly to begin The Cardinal Newman Society and why he chose Cardinal John Henry Newman as a patron for the organization.
Reilly discussed the timeliness of Newman’s canonization, especially in light of the Saint’s lifelong fight against liberalism in religion and the many challenges facing Catholic institutions today.
Joan commented: “Few colleges today closely resemble his- and this is the title of something he wrote- ‘Idea of a University.’ If anything comes close to Newman’s vision today it would have to be those faithful Catholic colleges recommended in the Newman Guide… These are models for the renewal of Catholic education, largely according to Newman’s vision and their continued effort towards bringing his ideas to fruition are a blessing to the entire Church.”
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/Lewis-1-730x458-1.png458730Cardinal Newman Society Staffhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngCardinal Newman Society Staff2019-11-04 09:06:002020-05-26 12:25:45EWTN: Vatican Insider Interview, Part 1
Three weeks ago, my family and a group of Cardinal Newman Society pilgrims were newly arrived in Rome — and what a contradiction we seemed!
The whole world was watching the Vatican, anxious to know whether the Amazon Synod would preserve or rupture Catholic tradition.
And yet there we were at the center of it all, full of joy and excitement, eager to celebrate the canonization of the great educator and convert, Cardinal John Henry Newman — much like the Americans who, 140 years earlier, had come to Rome to celebrate Newman’s elevation to cardinal and represent the jubilant Catholics back home.
Now we prepare for the Feast of All Saints, celebrating the greatest of all promises given by Jesus to believers, amid so much unbelief across the West.
While in Rome, I reflected on this irony with our pilgrims. I realized something very important: the timing of Newman’s canonization amid the ugly synod was just right, because Newman is just right for these times.
Specifically, it seems to me that Saint John Henry’s devotion to both teaching and defending truth, together with his beloved manner of “heart speaking to heart,” provide a powerful response to those who imagine that tending to the practicalities and particularities of pastoral care must be somehow opposed to upholding the timeless truths and traditions of our faith.
Some have even warned of schism over this error, but Newman’s example could help heal the rift — or if not, then at least the unassailable reason and precision of his many writings provide a mighty defense of doctrine. In this sense, our newly declared saint promises to be more a “doctor” of the Church than we might have anticipated.
Pope Francis has called the Church a “field hospital,” and today indeed there are many wounded — in part because of the Holy Father’s own inexplicable harshness toward those who would preserve ritual and reverence while embracing the reason that is married to faith. Today’s wounded also include young people — to whom Saint John Henry devoted his educational efforts — who have been greatly harmed by the lack of a strong Christian formation and by dissent, abuse and betrayal from within and without the Church.
After his conversion, Newman saw no conflict between his popularity as a pastor and his battle for truth. Despite being one of the Church’s greatest intellectuals and theologians, the Saint’s focus was always on the immediate concerns and controversies of the people under his care. His primary interest was the authentic formation of the souls right in front of him, always speaking heart to heart, always speaking truth. He was both a loving pastor and a champion of orthodoxy.
His life’s work, Newman said, was the fight against relativism — what he called “liberalism in religion.” He insisted on the unity of faith and reason, the intellect and morality, subjective and objective reality. He proposed faithful Catholic education, precisely because he wished to “reunite” the faculties of conscience and intellect that “man had put asunder” by original sin.
With this heart of an educator, Saint John Henry Newman was devoted to truth and to bringing others to the truth. That is what the word today so greatly needs!
Newman was also, at times, prophetic about the challenges we face today. Already in 19th century Europe, Newman saw the makings of what would be the “age of infidelity,” when the Church would be confronted by a culture unlike anything it had ever seen before: a culture that simply does not tolerate religious belief, except as a private matter. Newman also predicted increased scrutiny of Catholics by secularists, who eagerly seek evidence of hypocrisy. The sins of our priests, he predicted, would become a spectacle to the news media and disbelievers.
That’s surely where we are today — and yet, truly, Newman’s canonization was also a happy moment! One of the Church’s greatest intellectuals and a beloved convert is certainly in heaven. Saint John Henry Newman encourages and inspires the Church at a time when it is under sustained assault.
Sainthood itself refreshes our hope in the mercy of God and the promise of heaven. It is a great blessing to know that a dutiful and faithful man has received God’s great mercy and the reward of heaven.
By his canonization, Newman has become even more capable, by his example and because of our prayers for intercession, to help us once again follow the Kindly Light of Christ. Saint John Henry Newman, pray for us!
(This article is adapted from comments delivered in Rome on the day of Saint John Henry Newman’s canonization, Oct. 13, 2019.)
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3351-scaled.jpg19202560Patrick Reillyhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngPatrick Reilly2019-10-31 03:14:322020-05-26 12:26:20St. John Henry Newman’s Battle for the Church Continues
It was more than 20 years ago, when Sean Kay graduated from a faithful Catholic college—and today the presidents, board members and top financial officers of some of the nation’s highest ranked colleges and universities look to him for guidance.
Kay is a partner at PwC, the brand name of PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the largest professional services firms in the world. As the firm’s national endowment leader, Kay meets with chief executives about the “risks and issues that are impacting their industries” as they consider investment options.
“When I have a really challenging conversation—even if it’s on a technical, business matter—I find that I’m drawing upon experiences that I gained during my undergraduate years,” says Kay, who is a 1997 graduate of Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., a faithful Catholic college recommended in The Newman Guide. “I’m able to use those skills much more frequently than the ones I learned in graduate school.”
“Graduate school gave me the credentials, but it is my undergraduate Catholic, liberal arts experience that allows me to be successful in what I’m doing today,” Kay explains. He benefitted from Christendom’s strong core curriculum and majored in English and economics.
His clients “don’t want to talk about debits and credits,” Kay explains. Instead, he articulates the big picture: the concerns that he sees in the marketplace, and how these issues are affecting his clients’ peer institutions.
PwC employs more than 250,000 people worldwide, but Kay is part of the four percent of employees who have been named a partner. PwC doesn’t sell any products, and so Kay’s national clients are paying for his expertise, which he says comes with “knowledge and experience”—and is built upon the foundation he received at Christendom College.
“For the first time in my life as an undergraduate student, I met people who so badly wanted to do the right thing,” says Kay, remembering groups of students who would pray the rosary together or go out in groups for dates. “Faith was critically important to everyday life.”
Students can take their Catholic, liberal arts experience and use it for building a career and raising a family, he said. “We can be great examples out in the marketplace and out in the world,” and we don’t need to “hide our talents,” says Kay, who married a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and now has ten children.
The Kay Family. Photo via Sean Kay.
Another key element of Kay’s time at Christendom was a mentorship that helped propel him into his career. The late Dr. Philip Crotty, who was a College board member, met with Kay individually about four times a year and asked him, “What would you like to do after graduation?”
“As a member of the Board, I found it extremely impressive that Dr. Crotty would go and meet with a student that he had never met before,” says Kay. Dr. Crotty pointed out graduate schools that emphasize the value of a liberal arts foundation, such as Northeastern University. It was there that Kay earned his Master’s in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting.
“I was incredibly blessed” through the mentorship with Dr. Crotty, a dedicated Catholic and generous philanthropist, says Kay. The two ended up becoming close friends and met frequently throughout the rest of Dr. Crotty’s life.
Today, Kay is following in Dr. Crotty’s footsteps. He is a supporter of faithful Catholic education and a board member at The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, N.H., which is also recommended in The Newman Guide.
“I love that graduate who has a Catholic, liberal arts perspective, because that individual has a discipline associated with seeking the truth,” says Kay. “They have a set of skills around having a view, articulating that view and defending that view.”
“That skill set is so far superior to someone who has four years of business, or some very specific, technical experience,” Kay explains.
From his perspective as a graduate, donor and parent, Kay is eager to promote the value of faithful Catholic education. “I am a big believer in this core group of schools that is committed to orthodoxy.”
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/Kay-Sean-and-Christendom-2.png458730Kelly Salomonhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngKelly Salomon2019-10-29 21:12:002020-05-26 12:26:39Big Business Advisor Is ‘Big Believer’ in Faithful Catholic Education
A new study by the Pew Research Center shows that less than half of American millennials—those young adults from age 23 to 38—call themselves Christians. This is the second recent study that should wake up Catholics to the very serious dangers of our secular culture and the urgent need to renew faithful Catholic education.
The other recent Pew study found that only 26% of self-professed Catholics under the age of 40 believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
These results are devastating! But sadly, they are not shocking. Our culture has rapidly fallen into that “age of infidelity” that Saint John Henry Newman predicted, and too may Catholic institutions have been complicit in the slide from faith and tradition.
It’s a clear generational decline. The Pew study shows that the Silent Generation currently identifies as 84% Christian; the Baby Boomers, 76%; and Generation X, 67%.
Now we find ourselves with young adults who are only 49% Christian, which raises the question: Where do we go from here? If the trend continues, the current youth of our country will be less than 36% Christian as adults.
Catholic parents, educators, and bishops must together renew our commitment to the Catholic formation of young people. The statistics are clear: if you go with the flow of secular society, there is a good chance that your child will lose his faith.
Public schools are controlled by governments that are no longer neutral to the faith, and they certainly do not provide formation in the most important things a child must learn and do. Lukewarm Catholic schools are a scandal, doing more harm by their example than they do by teaching some degree of values that are acceptable to the non-Catholics they strive to recruit. The Catholic faith simply cannot be taught as an add-on to life — not believably, anyhow — or it will quickly be discarded by students when confronted by reality.
The same goes for secular colleges — and the large number of secularized Catholic colleges. They actively push progressive agendas that are anti-Christian, chipping away at the faith and hope of young people.
Perhaps even worse than what students are learning in the classroom may be the hedonistic lifestyle on many Catholic college campuses. The drinking and hook-up culture is well-documented and well-ignored by many Catholic leaders and parents alike.
On the other hand, the best Catholic education shows students the unison of faith and reason, not only in studies but in life. It forms young people in mind, body and soul. They receive a solid grounding in Catholic thought, prayer, sacrament and morality. A faithful education includes participation in beautiful and reverent liturgy and authentic Christian community.
If this sounds out of reach, take a look at the Catholic schools and colleges that are getting it right. Take a look at Catholic homeschoolers, who give their children so much that is lacking from our schools, without any benefit of the resources that are wasted on poor schooling. The stakes are too great to not provide our children with a faithful Catholic education!
Of course, there is no guarantee that any student will keep the faith after graduation, especially in this toxic culture. But we must give them the very best chance of keeping it, and they cannot keep what we fail to teach them. With the souls of our young people at stake, it is essential to do everything that we can, and pray for God to lead them on the path to heaven.
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/church-1644171_1280.jpg8531280Patrick Reillyhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngPatrick Reilly2019-10-25 16:22:002020-05-26 12:27:07We Are Losing Young Catholics
Amid new challenges to priestly celibacy at the Vatican’s Amazon Synod and from other corners of the Church, the graduates of faithful Catholic education—by their deep formation and understanding of Church tradition—are well-prepared to dispel errors and misconceptions about this important discipline of Catholic priests.
One such graduate is Father Gary Selin, S.T.D., author of Priestly Celibacy: Theological Foundations and formation advisor and assistant professor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Colo. He argues that celibacy “allows the priest to give himself more freely to the Church in imitation of Christ.”
A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif., which is recommended in The Newman Guide, Fr. Selin says the College helped him “acquire the virtues necessary in becoming a disciple before learning to be a leader.”
When asked about his time at the College, Fr. Selin recounts how he was “impressed with the way that the students gravitated toward the chapel for Holy Mass and personal prayer.” He also remembers a fire that once surrounded the campus and how the flames “stopped in their tracks” after one of the College chaplains “blessed a hillside with the Blessed Sacrament.”
Newman Society: Priestly celibacy is one of the topics being discussed at the current Synod in Rome. Why did you decide a few years ago to write a book on this topic, and why do you think priestly celibacy is important?
Fr. Gary Selin, S.T.D.
Fr. Gary Selin: During my seminarian days, I heard Cardinal Francis Stafford give a talk about priestly celibacy, in which he argued that priestly celibacy is more than a mere ecclesial law that can be changed. Rather, it is integral to the priesthood and intrinsically related to the Eucharist. Through my research, I discovered that the principal reason for celibacy is that it perfects the configuration of the priest with Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. Celibacy consequently allows the priest to give himself more freely to the Church in imitation of Christ.
Priestly celibacy is important, because it reminds us that we are created ultimately for God alone. There is an interesting interplay between celibacy and marriage in reference to our journey toward heaven. That is, the celibate priest serves as a reminder that marriage is not the end-all, but a sacrament through which people can grow in holiness. Married people are to help each other get to heaven. There are plenty of opportunities to grow spiritually in marriage, as it requires much sacrifice. On the other hand, spouses can remind the celibate priest that he is called to live a life of sacrificial service, and not one of a comfortable bachelor. Married couples have inspired me through their sacrificial love for each other, in imitation of Christ’s love for His Church (Ephesians 5:25).
Newman Society: How did Thomas Aquinas College help foster your vocation to the priesthood?
Fr. Gary Selin: At the college, I found myself within a strong community of students where friendships developed organically and deeply. We were united in our desire to deepen our understanding of the truth. I found that all the streamlets of truth led to a unified vision. The overall structure and dynamism of the curriculum led to contemplation of Divine Wisdom, the Triune God. Of course, God’s grace was present during the whole time.
I was also impressed with the way that the students gravitated toward the chapel for Holy Mass and personal prayer. The many hours that I spent in prayer in that chapel helped me see how Jesus Christ is the Truth, the source of the wisdom that we discovered through our studies and on our knees in prayer.
The atmosphere of friendliness and joy on campus helped me see more clearly that God desires our happiness and beatitude.
These experiences, along with serving Mass, having holy priest chaplains on campus, and my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, helped me be more convinced that God had given to me a vocation to the ministerial priesthood.
Newman Society: Do you have any particularly impactful memories or stories from your experience at the College?
Fr. Gary Selin: In the fall semester of 1985, a large number of students consecrated ourselves to Our Lady at the Marian grotto. I think that it was the next day that a huge fire exploded on the mountains surrounding the campus. We were not able to leave the campus, because all roads were cut off by the fire. It was quite frightening. Many of us did what we could to fight back the flames. One of our priest chaplains blessed a hillside with the Blessed Sacrament, and the flames stopped in their tracks. The campus was saved from destruction, although everything around us was burnt. I felt strongly God’s presence during that time.
I treasure the memories of the many wonderful hours in the classroom, as I learned from the sources of wisdom of the great books that formed our Western civilization, under the guidance of our well-formed tutors of the college. These excellent conversations continued over meals, during walks, and into late night in the dormitories. One can never put a price tag on these conversations that made life worth living.
One regular visitor to the campus remarked how the students at the college were always joyful. I think that this was due to the good spirit among the faculty and students, rooted in Christ as the source of all joy. The sunny southern California days certainly helped as well!
Newman Society: How does your own formation help you in the formation of seminarians?
Fr. Gary Selin: St. John Berchmans once said, “My penance is community life.” Indeed, common life in the seminary can be difficult, but the blessings of forming and building a community overcomes the challenges. But my role as a mentor of seminarians demands of me a constant spirit of charity and self-forgetfulness. My time at the College helped me begin to acquire the virtues necessary in becoming a disciple before learning to be a leader. I am very grateful to the College for giving me the environment in which I was able to grow in those virtues. In my seminary formation work, I try to be a servant-leader, following the words of Jesus in His discourse at the Last Supper. In order for me to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit in the work of forming future priests, I must learn to serve and not to be served.
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/SJV-Seminary-Chapel-Denver-1.jpg13652048Cardinal Newman Society Staffhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngCardinal Newman Society Staff2019-10-22 16:27:002020-05-26 12:27:43Faithful College Graduate Defends Celibacy for Priests
Editor’s Note: On October 15, 2019, a reception was hosted in honor of The Cardinal Newman Society and the canonization of St. John Henry Newman at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome. Dignitaries present included ambassadors to the Holy See from England (Sally Axworthy), Honduras (Carlos Avila Molina) and South Korea (Joseph Lee Baek Man); Joan Lewis, EWTN Rome Correspondent; and Kent Hill, co-founder of the Religious Freedom Institute.
“Tonight we’re gathered to honor the Cardinal Newman Society,” said U.S. Ambassador Callista Gingrich. “Named in honor of Saint John Henry Newman, the Cardinal Newman Society supports education that is true to the teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church.”
Ambassador Gingrich also recognized Major General Patrick Brady, one of America’s most decorated living veterans, who was present at the event. She thanked him for his service and said that it “speaks well of the Cardinal Newman Society to have someone like General Brady as a member.”
In her remarks, Ambassador Gingrich reflected on how St. John Henry Newman was a devoted teacher and “lifelong advocate for education, reason, and the discovery of truth.” Newman’s legacy is “preserved through organizations like the Cardinal Newman Society, which work diligently to promote Saint Newman’s vision for Catholic schools and colleges in the United States and around the world,” she continued.
Newman Society President Patrick Reilly also made the following remarks at the special event:
Thank you, Ambassador Gingrich and Mr. Gingrich, for graciously welcoming us to Rome.
We are Catholic pilgrims from the United States, under the sponsorship of The Cardinal Newman Society, which promotes and defends faithful Catholic education at all levels—elementary, secondary, and higher education.
We are delighted to be here to celebrate the canonization of Saint John Henry Newman, who championed faithful Catholic education and had a wonderful relationship with American Catholics during his lifetime.
It was 140 years ago, when many Americans came here to Rome to celebrate Newman’s elevation to cardinal. Today we are grateful to once again represent American Catholics in celebrating Cardinal Newman, upon his canonization and together with our Ambassador to the Holy See.
Ambassador Gingrich, as you know, Catholic education is important to America. It prepares young people to be valuable and virtuous citizens. And for Catholic families, it is much more. It is our means of teaching our faith and forming young people for sainthood.
But Catholic education today faces increasing attacks on the freedom of Catholic educators to teach and witness to the Catholic faith. Religious freedom is a natural freedom, and it is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
I hope therefore that you will convey to President Trump and his Administration our gratitude for standing strong in defense of religious freedom. We applaud President Trump’s recent address to the United Nations, as well as Attorney General William Barr’s address last Friday, defending religious freedom. We also applaud the Administration’s strong stand before the U.S. Supreme Court against forcing the redefinition of human sexuality, even to the point of violating the religious freedom of authentic Catholic education.
Thank you Ambassador Gingrich! It is a great honor and privilege for us to be welcomed into your home.
May God bless America. Thank you!
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/Ambassador-event-e1571260034224-730x458-1.jpg360730Cardinal Newman Society Staffhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngCardinal Newman Society Staff2019-10-16 03:34:122020-05-26 12:29:01U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Honors Newman Society in Rome
Rome Reports recently featured The Cardinal Newman Society’s pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of St. John Henry Newman. You can read the transcript at RomeReports.com or watch the full video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN9SzI1sW9g
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/Rome-Reports-video-730x458-1.png458730Cardinal Newman Society Staffhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngCardinal Newman Society Staff2019-10-13 16:34:002020-05-26 12:29:22Video: Newman Society’s Pilgrimage for Patron’s Canonization
As students get settled in during these first few weeks on campus, new Catholic college presidents are adjusting too. I recently spoke to three who stand out in their commitment to faithful Catholic education.
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/Fr.-Dave-Pivonka-e1588957257888.jpg240400Kelly Salomonhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngKelly Salomon2019-10-10 16:59:002020-05-26 12:29:43Catholic Identity Top Priority for New College Presidents
Today Dr. Andrew Swafford teaches students the same theology course that inspired him to convert to the Catholic Church years ago. He and his wife, founder of Emotional Virtue Ministries, are grateful for their life-changing experiences at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan.
They both graduated from the Newman Guide-recommended college and say that their experience at Benedictine transformed their “entire vision for the future — most especially dating, marriage, and raising children.” The couple recently welcomed their fifth child.
Sarah is a popular national speaker to teens and young adults on “Emotional Virtue,” dating and relationships, and interior confidence. Her ministry had its beginnings at Benedictine College and has since impacted the lives of countless young people.
We are grateful to the Swaffords for telling their story of the faithful Catholic education that they received.
Newman Society: Dr. Swafford, can you share about your conversion experience while a student at Benedictine College?
Dr. Andrew Swafford
Dr. Swafford: I came to Benedictine as a student for one reason, namely, to play football. My first season went well—I made the travel roster as a freshman, as well as the more limited 48-man playoff roster, though I certainly could tell even at that point something was missing.
In May after my freshman season, we played an exhibition game in Paris, France. At the time, I really didn’t want to go—I wanted to get home to Ohio in order to train for the upcoming season (that was my frame of reference then). In the game, however, I broke my fibula in France. My world was crushed.
Earlier that semester I had happened to have had two theology classes with Dr. [Edward] Sri that spring (just before I broke my leg). I was intrigued intellectually, but not ready to change my life yet. Over the summer (after my broken leg), what had intrigued me intellectually began to move from my head to my heart.
When we came back to school, I went out to lunch with Dr. Sri. I had all sorts of questions for him. Over this conversation, he suggested I consider adding his class called “Christian Moral Life,” which at the time was full, but he thought he could get me in. I had decided to redshirt that upcoming football season, after not having been able to train all summer. Consequently, I had more time and went ahead and added the class, bringing my course load up to 20 hours.
That class singlehandedly changed my life. I thought it would be about “rules” of the Church and the Bible; I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was about freedom, friendship, virtue, happiness—all of sudden I could see why I wasn’t happy.
About this time, I also got involved with FOCUS and noticed that those guys had a certain stability, joy and peace I didn’t have—and it was because they knew Jesus. By the end of that fall semester of my sophomore year, I was ready to go all-in with Jesus and the Catholic faith. That set me on the journey I’m on today. In fact, I now teach the same class that changed my life so many years ago—”Christian Moral Life”!
Sarah transferred into Benedictine the following year. I look back fondly at God’s work in preparing me to meet her, since she only knew me “post-conversion.”
Newman Society: Sarah, why did you decide to transfer to Benedictine College? How has your education impacted you?
Sarah Swafford
Sarah Swafford: I went to play basketball at a Catholic college in Iowa, and I came to find out that not all Catholic colleges are created equal. I longed for authentic Catholic fellowship and an environment in which I could go deeper in my faith, both in prayer and fellowship as well as intellectually.
At Benedictine, I discovered the riches of real Catholic friendship, with both women and men. And I received my deepest spiritual and intellectual formation here and really found my mission in life—to know Jesus and bring others to him.
The fact that my husband and I both had this common formation has been so important. We’ve always been on the exact same page, which has paid massive dividends in terms of raising our kids, but also for our marriage and ministering together to others, such as our current Benedictine students.
Newman Society: Sarah, your work on “emotional virtue” has become a very popular resource for young people. How did working at Benedictine College help shape this work?
Sarah Swafford: My ministry certainly has its roots in the formation I received as an undergraduate at Benedictine, but it really was birthed in my time as a Resident Hall Director—where I was the “dorm mom,” so to speak, of a 142 freshman women. Watching them transition from high school to college, I kept giving the same advice over and over again.
Eventually, one of the girls suggested I give a talk on “all this”—namely, the repeated advice I kept giving. To my surprise, some 300 women showed up that night, and in truth, my ministry took a life of its own from there. Men and women were hungry, and they latched on to the idea of someone guiding them through the waters of dating and life with social media. Drawing from my formation at Benedictine, I see myself as just paying it forward.
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BenedictineCollege-1.jpg12962346Cardinal Newman Society Staffhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngCardinal Newman Society Staff2019-10-01 18:35:002022-08-25 12:39:41Swaffords ‘Paying it Forward’ After Faithful Catholic Education
More than one million people on six continents have heard about the virtue of chastity, because of the wonderful Chastity Project, led by Jason and Crystalina Evert.
The catalyst for the entire ministry? Jason’s experience at a faithful Catholic college.
“Franciscan University of Steubenville prepared me for the ministry God entrusted us with and opened the doors for the ministry to become possible,” says Evert.
“I don’t know where I’d be today, or if our ministry would even exist, if I hadn’t attended Franciscan University,” he continues. Franciscan is a faithful Catholic college recommended in The Newman Guide.
The Chastity Project is all about helping young people see that “chastity is the virtue that frees us to love.” The Project educates young people about the truth of human sexuality and tackles topics like dating, birth control, homosexuality and pornography.
Evert and his wife have given more than 3,000 talks to high school and college students about the virtue of chastity, but he still remembers his first talk, during a spring break mission trip in college. After that, one thing was clear: “I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life,” says Evert.
During college, Evert was active with leading mission trips, retreats off campus and sidewalk counseling outside of abortion clinics. The catalyst for Evert’s ministry “wasn’t just what I was learning in theology class, but was also through the ministry work that Franciscan University made possible” for students.
Students hear the truth “with their ears in the classroom, they see it with their eyes on campus and they are given opportunities to deliver it with their words through missionary work,” explains Evert. “There were many ways that the authentic faith was being presented on campus.”
He remembers going to Eucharistic Adoration around 1:00 in the morning on a weekend and seeing one of his theology professors in the chapel. “That was more memorable than anything I learned in his class, and I learned a great deal in his class!” says Evert. The witness of seeing your “teacher sitting at the feet of the Master” is powerful.
At Franciscan University, “faith wasn’t just something that you learned,” he continues. “At a normal state university and many Catholic universities, you need to go out of your way to find Godly students. At solid universities like those recommended in The Newman Guide, you have to go out of your way to find students who aren’t pursuing God.”
Today, Evert is seeing some of the fruits of the 21 years he’s devoted to this ministry: young men and women who filled out chastity commitment cards as teens and saved them for their spouses, men who have broken free from pornography and are living out their marriage vows, and families who have stopped contracepting and are filled with joy as they build their families. But Evert’s not slowing down. He has written 15 books and is currently working on another to teach young men about love, relationships and especially dating.
Through his work with Crystalina to help young people, Evert is often asked for college search advice as he travels the country. “College is a big investment. To spend four years of your life and your life’s savings to debate with a disbelieving professor may not be the best investment,” he advises.
Attending Franciscan University was “one of the best decisions I ever made in my life,” says Evert. “I knew that was where God wanted me to be.”
“At every high school we go to, we encourage the guidance counselors to use The Newman Guide to help students find their college,” Evert says.
“It’s one thing to receive an hour-long chastity talk, but if you have a guidance counselor who can point you to the right university for the four years, that’s going to do more good than one motivational speech.”
https://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/je.jpg6831024Kelly Salomonhttps://cardinalnewmansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/CNS-logo-2C-450-tag2.pngKelly Salomon2019-09-26 18:07:002022-02-24 21:52:07Jason Evert: Faithful College ‘Opened Doors’ for Chastity Ministry
