Senior Reflections: Finding Strength Through a Community of Faith

As my four years at Elon are coming to a close, I have been doing a great amount of reflection on the importance of the different communities of which I have been a part during my Elon experience. My college career has been unforgettable and the majority of that has been in thanks to our Catholic Campus Ministry. I was fortunate enough to have a suite-mate freshmen year who was Catholic and "dragged" me to Mass the second or third week of school, but even with that I needed something more than attending Mass on Sundays. Participating in the Fall Beach Retreat of my first year was the catalyst for my growth in the faith.

It wasn't really the location or the time spent on the retreat that made me feel a need to be a part of this community; God needed to show me how welcoming, supportive, and loving this group of people are. Looking back, I probably would have only gone through the motions of church each Sunday had it not been for that initial retreat.

My first beach retreat was also the first time I had ever felt accepted into a group of Catholics who are strong in their faith. People who did not know anything about me, befriended me without question. They didn't know what my Catholic background was or the struggles that I had experienced. It was amazing to see their immediate acceptance and bravery to share stories and speak about their love and struggles with God. This new support system gave me strength and courage to love others through God's will and providence.

For a long time, I have struggled to understand how people find their faith in one specific event when I have not been able to identify one of my own. Now I no longer believe that people need one outstanding occurrence, but rather they need a strong community to be able to trust and feel comfortable in their fellowship to share their own faith stories. I found that community here at Elon in Catholic Campus Ministry, and without them, I would not be the person I am today.