St. John Baptiste de la Salle, priest, founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, educational reformer and patron saint of teachers, once wrote: "Be convinced that, provided you are willing, you can do more with the help of God's grace than you imagine!" This certainly has been proven in my life as Catholic Campus Minister and Associate Chaplain for Catholic life at Elon University for the past 11 years. As I prepare to leave my post here (on August 1st) and begin another chapter of my life as Catholic Chaplain at Syracuse University (Go Orange), I am struggling for the words to share. How do you encapsulate 11 wonderful years of life-giving ministry into a few words? The truth is, you only feebly try.
If there is one word which could possibly summarize my experiences here, it would be "gratitude." I am so very grateful to my Franciscan Province of Our Lady of the Angels and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh for providing me this opportunity so many years ago, not long after Elon College emerged as a formidable university. I was willing "to bloom where I was planted," so to speak, to offer my gifts, my talents and my very self to the students, faculty and staff at Elon University, and God and God's grace did the rest. From celebrating Sunday Masses in the Parish House of the Elon Community Church, outgrowing it within a year and moving into the "big church" on the corner of Williamson and Haggard... students clamoring for a Eucharistic Chapel and a Newman Center on campus and realizing each of these within four years, with the help of the university and some generous benefactors... to watching the Catholic student population explode on campus and witnessing them "pray" at Masses, retreats, service projects, dinners, and "play" in Intramurals as the "Roman Cathletes" with bowling, flag football, soccer, basketball, and others... enjoying theological discussions and "spirits" with 21-and-over students in the "Upper Room" of The Oak House... working hand-in-hand with my very awesome CCM staff, leadership council and student leaders... catching up with countless alumni here during Homecoming weekends... moving into the university's new, dynamic multi-faith center, the Numen Lumen Pavilion, and working collaboratively with my university chaplain colleagues... and celebrating CCM's Silver Jubilee on Family Weekend in 2014!
It is so VERY apparent to me that the Holy Spirit has been working overtime in what is known as "the bubble" here at Elon. I have been so fortunate, extremely blessed and eternally grateful to ride this roller coaster for 11 glorious years! My memories of the people and faces at Elon will not soon be forgotten, especially those who touched my life in a very special way from the start: Chaplain Emeritus Richard McBride, President Leo Lambert, Associate Director T Huynh-Duc, ECC Pastors Dan Kuhn and Randy Orwig, Dr J. Earl Danieley, Rene Summers, our Peer Ministers, just to name a few; nor will I ever take for granted the experiences and memories shared with so many wonderful students, parents, families, and local friars and friends through the years! Rest assured that I will continue to ride this roller coaster with a wide smile each and every time I celebrate the marriages of our alumni or baptize their babies or come back to see how much more the university has expanded! LONG LIVE ELON! You, our beautiful, idyllic campus, the oaks and even the squirrels are permanently imprinted on the fabric of my life and never will or can be erased!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
With prayerful love always,
- Fr. Gerry
