Posts by A. Serrani
Life, faith unpacked on the Camino
Fr. Eduardo Rivera is the Campus Chaplain for the University of St. Thomas – Houston (UST). When he agreed to go on the study abroad trip to walk the Camino de Santiago, he knew he would be accompanying a few students and professors, but he didn’t know how the experience would become a metaphor for life – with opportunities for spiritual growth, building community, and finding humor during tough moments.
Before walking the Camino, Fr. Eduardo thought about what to bring and what to leave behind – physically and spiritually. He encouraged all the UST pilgrims to reflect on the baggage they would carry with them because 14+ miles per day is a long way to walk when you’re carrying everything with you, and it’s a long time to be alone with your thoughts and prayers. By the end of the 80-mile trek, Fr. Eduardo and his fellow pilgrims had found new lessons to take home.
In this episode, Fr. Eduardo shares his own experiences as a pilgrim on the Camino and his unique position as the chaplain to see the growth among the other members of the UST group.
Fr. Eduardo’s story about prayer and discernment.
Dalia’s Episode about finding support and encouragement on the Camino.
Reaching people like me w/ Ricky Vazquez
On this episode of MAX Music, recording artist and worship leader Ricky Vazquez performs two original songs, “Runaway” and “All Is Not Lost.” He shares his journey of faith - from starting to sing at church for the attention of a girl to bilingually leading worship nationwide. Ricky talks about how we all sometimes feel like a "runaway" when it comes to God and how, when tragedy hits in the darkest ways, hope in God is not completely lost.
Sharing about his song “Runaway,” Ricky explains how he was constantly running back and forth from going to church and not. As he grew up, he saw that the times that he felt the most distant from God is when God was the closest to him. No matter how often he fell away, God was always consistent.
Leaning on God’s faithfulness has been a big part of Ricky’s songwriting and ministry as a Christian musician. When his community was facing an unimaginable tragedy, he found himself pouring his feelings into a new song which became “All Is Not Lost.” It is a powerful reminder that God promised to be with us in our suffering and that even in the darkest of dark, God can meet us there.
How time away changed my perspective
This is Dalia Sifuentes, a nursing student at University of St. Thomas – Houston. After months of a packed schedule, she wanted to take some time away so she could focus on her relationship with Christ and others, so she signed up to walk the Camino de Santiago. She couldn’t believe what she came away with and how it will affect her life moving forward.
Dalia is a busy person. Her classes and clinical schedule for nursing school are demanding. On top of that, she is involved in clubs and activities that fill even more of her time. With all she had to do, she found herself never leaving time to focus on what really mattered. So when she had the chance to get away on a study abroad trip to the Camino, she knew it was the perfect chance to reset.
Dalia wanted to use the trip to focus on her relationship with Christ. She knew she would have plenty of opportunities during the long pilgrimage walks to reflect and pray. What she wasn’t expecting was how her interactions with other pilgrims - from UST and around the world - would help her know herself in an even deeper way. Without tasks to complete or the pattern of busyness and stress, she had to face what was at the core of poor relationships and learn to love herself and others more profoundly when she came home.
The Beauty of the Journey
This is Dr. Trisha Ruiz. She is the Senior Director of Veteran Services at the University of St. Thomas – Houston. In this episode of MAX Stories, she shares how walking the Camino de Santiago forced her to be aware of the beauty of the journey, even when - or maybe especially when - there’s a little pain along the way.
Trisha is a planner. But when she decided to walk the Camino, she just wanted to experience what was to come without doing her usual research and meticulous scheduling. She didn’t know exactly what to expect, so she turned to silent prayer during the hours and days with plenty of time in solitude. The physical and emotional suffering was a lot. Halfway through the trip, it nearly broke her. She leaned on her experience as a veteran and a yoga instructor to help her embrace the pain instead of trying to escape. She knew that living in the moment each step of the Camino was the best way to get to the end.
When the walk was over, she realized the experience had strengthened her. She even thought that the beauty of the journey was more important than the destination.
Hear more on our challenge to make time for silence.
Seek and You Will Find w/ Sarah Kroger
For Sarah Kroger, music was part of life from the beginning, but it wasn't always easy for her to share her musical gifts with the world. When she faced bullying in middle school, she thought she had shut that part of herself away for good.
But then another singer helped her encounter God through music, and she knew God was calling her to bring her talents out again. Now, she is a full-time worship leader and songwriter.
Despite her full-time career in Christian music, Sarah found herself with more questions than answers in her faith. She felt anxiety about where the questions would lead. The honesty and vulnerability of the songs written during this period of wrestling, and the way Sarah tells her own story, are a powerful testament to faith that’s not afraid of the difficult questions that can come from trying to know our mysterious God. As Sarah puts it, God is so much bigger than the box we place Him in.
On this episode of MAX Music, Sarah Kroger performs her original songs “Still Yours” and “No Filter,” and shares more about the meaning behind each one.
Produced by MAX Studios, University of St. Thomas-Houston
From Cancer to Camino
This is Dr. Jo Meier-Marquis, Tenured Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of St. Thomas-Houston (UST). A cancer diagnosis nearly prevented her from joining the UST pilgrimage to walk “The Camino.” But by spring of 2024, she had finished her treatment and got the okay from her doctors. Going from cancer to the Camino hadn’t been her original plan, but her passion for study abroad helped her overcome her nagging reservations.
If you watched our previous episode in this series, you know the Camino is not a regular hike. Pilgrims walk up to 14 miles a day, so Jo was understandably nervous about the physical demands after her cancer treatments. But she found support in her fellow UST pilgrims, shared conversations and reflections, and the daily Masses. She also found that the time for peace and reflection on the long walks was renewing for her spirit.
The Camino is a challenge for every pilgrim, and Jo had to face her own unique obstacles both mentally and physically. She chose to face her reservations and anxieties, and she found a reward in the peace and calm of her walks in Spain and since she’s come home to America.
How the Catholic Church Shaped Modern Education
Do you know how our educational system came to be? And did you know that the Catholic Church played a key role in its existence? Modern Catholic education traces its roots back centuries.
To help us understand, we talked to Kyle Washut, President of Wyoming Catholic College, about how the Catholic Church has formed our understanding of education in the west. He explains the history of Catholic thinkers emphasizing both learning about God in traditional learning and also learning about him in the natural world He created. Then he takes us through the history of some of the most important teachers in the history of the Catholic Church and how we can still see their ideas in modern Catholic education.
Next, we talk to Dr. Helena Orellana, a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at the Institute for Psychological Science at Divine Mercy University, about the role mental health plays in our education system today. She explains how important it is to understand who we are as people, and how we learn. Dr. Orellana also shares how our capacity for attention, reflection, and curiosity is what allows us to learn.
Both were visiting for the Cardinal Newman Society Leaders Summit at the University of St. Thomas - Houston in June 2024.
What is it like to walk the Camino?
This is Dr. Ulyses Balderas. He is an Associate Professor at the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas – Houston. He's also expert in creating amazing study abroad experiences for students to learn in other cultures. In late spring 2024, he led a group of students to walk the Camino pilgrimage.
The Camino de Santiago - or the Way of St. James - or simply The Camino is not your ordinary hike. It involves walking about 15 miles each day, contemplating the steps of St. James on your way to his burial site in Spain - a pilgrimage that’s been popular since the Middle Ages. Now, it is a network of routes across Europe which meet at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Beyond the physical exertion it takes for the pilgrimage, spiritual fruits await for those willing to walk the walk.
Explaining the reason behind the trip, Dr. Balderas stresses the importance of stepping away from life’s routines and reflecting upon where you're headed. He shares stories from the trip about how the group embraced the challenges that came with such an intense physical journey. He also talked about how they learned from each other - adults and students alike - as they went.
Anger, Venting, and Prayer
This is Edgardo Giron. He is a Chemical Engineering major at the University of St. Thomas – Houston. When he was in middle school, his world was turned upside down when his father was deported. Edgardo was angry at God. And it was perfectly understandable. His family was broken, and he felt devastated. His story shows us how sometimes anger and prayer go together.
The next years for Edgardo challenged his faith and he held himself back from living his faith in many ways, but it also gave him a path to find a way back. He stayed in communication with God throughout the trials of his life, even when all he had to share in his prayer was anger.
Eventually, a community of faith that he didn’t even know was there helped Edgardo re-connect with his faith. Seeing how other people faced their challenges helped him come to terms with his own. He saw the happiness of the people in that faith community and realized he wanted it for himself. And he leaned on that habit of communicating with God formed in the hardest times of his life to build a new routine of prayer because he already knew that God would be there no matter what he was feeling.
Check out Fr. Eduardo’s episode of MAX Stories.
Is College Still Worth It?
Is it still worth it to go to college?
That is an important point of discernment in anybody's life and it is an important question that does not have an easy answer.
To help with that discernment process, we talked to Kevin Murphy, the Vice President for Marketing and Communications for The Cardinal Newman Society at the Cardinal Newman Leaders Summit on the University of St. Thomas campus in June 2024.
Kevin shared a simple and insightful framework to help us think about whether college is worth it, not only for our own journeys or the young people we know, but also in the broader context of God's call for our lives.
We also talk to Mark Brumley, the President and CEO of Ignatius Press about some of the key things to think about for those who are specifically looking at a Catholic institution.
Ultimately, the decision to go to college or not is deeply personal and should be made with careful thought about each person's individual goals, values, and circumstances. Seeking guidance from trusted sources and reflecting on God's call for our lives can help us make informed choices that lead to the future we're looking for in this world.
For more insight about deciding if a Catholic college is right for you, check out The Cardinal Newman Society's Newman Guide.
