Friar Gerry Waterman is a chaplain at Syracuse University. Since the end of the Covid shutdowns, there has been significant growth in the number of students participating in Catholic Campus Ministry at the University. When asked how much it’s grown, Friar Gerry has one word: “Exponentially.”
“First of all, I think they’re thirsting and hungry for Jesus,” Friar Gerry said. “But they’re also hungry to belong to something bigger than themselves. They’ve become to feel comfortable here and comfortable going out to be evangelizers, inviting their friends. That’s how our numbers are growing. My students are going out there and shaking the bushes. Here’s what they say to me: ‘we’ve found a good thing at the Catholic Center, and we want others to enjoy it as much as we do.’
Due to the need for additional space, a new chapel is under construction, made possible by a generous gift from a Syracuse alumnus. The new St. Thomas More Chapel is being built adjacent to the current Catholic Center and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. (View the progress of the construction at https://sucatholic.org/facility-venue/)
There is a weekly community night on Thursdays, with Mass at 7pm followed by dinner. On the last Thursday of the month, students prepare sandwiches to be distributed for lunch the following day at the Assumption Food Pantry. The Franciscans staff Assumption Parish in Syracuse, where Friar Gerry lives.
“It’s a great service opportunity for the students,” Friar Gerry said. “The kids make baloney and cheese sandwiches that night that we deliver to Assumption the very next day. I invite students who have a free hour to join me in the delivery.
“The last time we did it we had we had too many students, if there can be such a thing. “They were finished making 620 sandwiches in 10 minutes. So I need more space for that. They’re inviting their friends, fraternity brothers, and everybody else to come join us because they out there saying this is an awesome thing. I’ve talked to them about how our faith is empty unless it has works. You have to do something and show your faith.
“I just love that we’ve grown so much. But even more that the students have made it possible because of their hard work. And again, I think it’s their love for Jesus.”
(The above is an excerpt from an article in The Saint Anthony Messenger.)
