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University Ministry FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

University Ministry service painting

What times are Mass offered? 

Mass is offered Monday - Friday and Sunday. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday Mass is at noon, on Tuesday and Thursday Mass is at 12:45 p.m. Our Sunday student liturgy is held at 8:00 p.m. 

Where is Mass held? 

All of our masses are held in the St. Ignatius Chapel in the Commerce and Finance Building.

What kind of programs does University Ministry offer? 

University Ministry has a plethora of programs from retreats, service opportunities, justice programs, small faith sharing groups, and service immersion trips

Do I have to be Christian/Catholic to be a part of University Ministry? 

No. Our purpose in University Ministry is to serve students of all faiths, and no faiths. Our programming is for everyone! Being a Catholic, Mercy & Jesuit Institution we are inspired by the religious traditions and charisms of our sponsors, but the heart of our programming is to provide space for all people to engage in conversation about spirituality and faith. 

What if I am not sure what I believe? 

If you’re open to engaging questions of meaning, purpose, faith, and spirituality, and you’re curious about how other people approach those questions, then University Ministry programming is a great place to start. 

What is a Jesuit? 

The Jesuits are a religious community called the Society of Jesus made up of Roman Catholic men. They are grounded in love for Christ and animated by the spiritual vision of their founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, to help others and seek God in all things. As members of a worldwide society within the Catholic Church, the Jesuits are committed to the service of faith and the promotion of justice.

What is a Mercy? 

The Sisters of Mercy, are an international community of Roman Catholic women who dedicate their lives to the Gospel of Jesus and take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service. Inspired by the life of Jesus and by the founder Catherine McAuley, the Sisters of Mercy envision a just world for people who are economically poor, sick and uneducated. They commit their lives to God and their resources to serve, advocate and pray for those in need around the world.

 Who is St. Ignatius of Loyola? 

Ignatius was born in the Basque region of Spain in 1491, the youngest son of a minor nobleman. A soldier and courtier in Spain, he was driven by a desire for fame, honor and nobility. While defending a castle in Pamplona against a French siege, however, he was struck by a cannonball that shattered his leg and left him bedridden for months. Out of boredom during his recovery, he turned to the only books available in the castle’s limited library – the life of Christ and the lives of the saints. This resulted in a deep desire to serve God. Ignatius began to travel widely – begging, preaching and caring for the poor and the sick. Along the way, he recorded his spiritual insights and methods of prayer in a manual that later became the Spiritual Exercises. This handbook provides the paradigm for a spirituality and pedagogy that Jesuits and their lay colleagues continue to use to this day.

Who is Catherine McAuley? 

Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1778. In 1824 she used her inheritance from an Irish couple she had served for twenty years to build a large House of Mercy where she and other lay women would shelter homeless women, reach out to the sick and dying and educate poor girls. The House on Baggot Street opened in 1827. To give these efforts greater stability, Catherine and her co-workers founded a new religious congregation. On 12 December 1831, she and two others professed their vows as the first Sisters of Mercy. Before her death on 11 November 1841, Catherine founded convents and works of mercy throughout Ireland and England.

Spirituality Resources

Jesuit Spirituality Resources

Midwest Province of the Jesuits - 

Ignatian Spirituality - 

The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) - 

The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities - 

Mercy Spirituality Resources

The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas - 

Mercy Spirituality -

Conference of Mercy Higher Education -