Posts by A. Serrani
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.
Prayer isn’t “one-size-fits-all”
This is Fr. Eduardo Rivera. He is the Campus Chaplain at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. His experiences learning to pray at home and growing through discerning the priesthood taught him what prayer is all about.
Becoming a priest is intense. In Fr. Eduardo’s experience, prayer was his life line when discernment and adjustment to religious life felt overwhelming and lonely.
And that intensity wasn't all bad. He realized that when he stepped away from the distractions of the world to focus on prayer, he found his prayer unique style. But it wasn’t immediate... it took practice.
He realized that quiet time with just him and God was the most effective way for him to pray. His routine for meditation might not be your preferred method of prayer, but who knows, maybe it is exactly what you have been needing.
Thinking about the various ways to pray, check this out for 10 new ways to pray.
Check out the Catholic daily readings from Scripture.
Betrayal and Silence
After a devastating athletic injury, Kamryn felt betrayed by God. In the silence of her prayer through betrayal, while resting in her desolation, she found hope as God spoke to her.
This is Kamryn Spell. She is a student and athlete at the University of St. Thomas – Houston. Find out what “word” came to her in prayer and how it led her to trust in God's plan for her life - even if it meant going to school.
When Tradition is the Biggest Innovation
When thinking about innovation in education, we often imagine sleek, modern classrooms filled with smart boards and the latest technology. You wouldn’t be wrong to think that. However, when Dr. Alexis Kutarna and the faculty of Cathedral High School in Houston, Texas think about innovation, they look back and pull from the wealth of tradition behind Catholic education, and aim to do something different. They are not focused on educating their students to simply find a career. While they they do prepare them to do so, they supremely focus on educating the whole person, preparing their students to be good citizens, good Catholics and good people.
In this conversation, Dr. Richard Ludwick, President of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, talks to Dr. Alexis Kutarna, Principal of Cathedral High School in Houston, about the link between tradition and innovation to learn how they apply Catholic Tradition in a modern educational context and why every student should learn how to sing.
Prayer in war and tragedy
Chris knows adversity ... and strength. He has seen people tragically bottom out while witnessing others live with courage. All these experiences have shaped him, and through prayer in tragedy and war, he has realized what’s most important.
This is Christopher Zeglin. He is the Associate Vice President of Marketing at University of St. Thomas-Houston. A United States Navy Veteran, Christopher talks about his time working in anti-terrorism, the tragic loss of his mother and brother, and the one thing that remained constant. Hear his story of heartbreak, strength, and perseverance.
Be Not Afraid
In this episode of our series looking back at World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, we follow Magdalena Escoto. For her, going to World Youth Day was the perfect end to her college career, but she was not prepared for how gathering with Catholic Youth from around the globe would change her.
Magdalena talks about the highs and lows of the pilgrimage. Hear about her experience of extreme discomfort walking to the Vigil Mass, the doubts and fears she carried with her about her future, and how the words of hope from Pope Francis gave her sense of confidence in her future that she didn't realize she needed.
We Were Made for Greatness
Annie Nguyen had high expectations going into World Youth Day 2023! Now, looking back a year later, not only were those expectations met, they were exceeded!
Today Annie tells the story of how a chance encounter with a girl from Australia helped her see that not every souvenir is material. She remembers how a talk by Bishop Robert Barron helped her consider her priorities and how they do and do not lead her to God. And she shares how the witness of over 1 million youth from around the world made her reevaluate her own relationship with prayer and how recommitting to prayer changed her life!
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