Common questions about the faith
​& happenings of St. jpii n.c.

 What can I gain from
​coming to the
St. John Paul II
Newman Center?

If you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing.  And if you’re thinking, that’s a slogan for Crest WhiteStrips (Trademark, no copyright infringement intended), you’d be right. It is a Crest slogan that says if you are not consciously and consistently putting forth effort to make your teeth white, you are inevitably making them yellower. Not because you’re trying to or because that is your purpose, but just by the natural wear and tear of the world.  The same argument can be posed with your faith and personal relationship with Christ. If you are not consciously and consistently putting forth effort to encourage that relationship by make your faith whiter, or stronger, then you are inevitably making it yellower, or weaker, not because you are trying to or because that is your purpose, but just by the natural wear and tear of the world.  College is going to pull you in many different directions, most of them being away from God.  However, God has placed the St. John Paul II Newman Center in your life.  As you look through this website, you will see all the opportunities the Newman Center has for you to grow stronger in your faith and to establish or deepen your personal relationship with Christ.  During this crucial time in our lives as we set the foundations for the rest of our lives, how can we leave out Jesus? He desires to be included, and actually He is the reason we are here so let Him in and discover His immense love for you and the plan He has for your life.​

What is adoration?

As Catholics, we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist when the priest says the words of consecration at mass. “This is my body that has been given up for you.” In Eucharistic adoration, that same host that has been consecrated (aka is really Jesus) is exposed for us in a monstrance (what holds the Eucharist).  Spending time with Jesus is crucial in an authentic and effective Christian life.  So just like I could call up my friend and talk to her over the phone or I could meet up face to face with her and talk, going to Eucharistic adoration is that face to face interaction with Jesus.  And if Jesus Christ comes and stays all the way from Heaven to hide in a piece of Bread for me there must be a very important reason. Come and discover it.​

what do I do in adoration?

​Anything! (Well, not anything.) Silent adoration is your time with Jesus. Talk to Him, listen to Him, read your bible, listen to Him, pray the rosary, listen to Him, read another spiritual book, listen to Him, just sit in front of the Lord and listen to Him. Tell him your fears and concerns.

Why do I need adoration?

Jesus wants to be a part of your life. More than that, He wants to be the center of your life because He knows what will make you happy. He knows the plan that will bring you joy and peace.  He wants to tell you that plan. He wants to help you in every area of your life. Any stress, worry, anxiety, or fear, He wants to help you through.  The only way He can do that is if you bring it to Him.   Jesus celebrates with you through the good and helps you through the challenging.  Simply, we need adoration because we need Jesus, and adoration is one of the closest encounters with Jesus we can have on this side of eternity. ​

what is confession

Confession, reconciliation, penance, all refer to the sacrament involving us sitting either face to face or behind a screen with a priest, telling our sins, and the priest forgives every one of them.  We all sin.  There are areas in all of our lives where we fall short.  God knows this and offers us the sacrament of reconciliation as a way to forgive us of those sins in order to return to a closer union with Him.   
​

What’s this “Koinonia”
​all about?

Catholicism is boring, outdated, and going extinct SAID NO ONE WHO EVER WENT ON KOINONIA. It is so easy to feel this way about our faith when you think you’re the only Catholic within miles and the only college student who doesn’t want to get involved with the “typical college scene.”  Being an authentic, active Catholic is certainly not a “typical college” decision, nor the most comfortable, but as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “we are not made for comfort, we are made for greatness.”  Koinonia presents the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and get to know God in a new or different way.  Giving God a weekend to take a healthy look at your life and what areas of it are not helping you grow closer to Him is uncomfortable. It’s not typical. It’s not Normal. (Pun intended.) However, it is rewarding. It is eternally beneficial.  Koinonia brings peace, joy, hope, and love.
 
Koinonia is a Greek word that means community. More specifically, it explains the intimate sharing of life and love first between the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), secondly between the Holy Trinity and us, and thirdly between us as a community of believers. Koinonia as a retreat allows you to the opportunity to learn more about and grow deeper in these three unions. We get to learn more about our faith, the uniqueness and impressiveness of Catholicism. We get to grow deeper in a personal relationship with God.  Lastly, we get to know other Catholic college students (they exist!) that share our beliefs and values.  Lasting friendships are made through a weekend of a community focused on God.