Paul Ponders: Celebrating the Half-Century of St. Teresa's

Christ became present in a new way here on this Earth on April 25, 1974, when the first Mass was celebrated at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso, IN, with a focus on supporting Valparaiso University.

So 2024 marks its 50th Anniversary, an occasion that gives me so much to celebrate as I consider what role it has had in my life over the past 15 years, including my 4 years at ValpU and the years beyond it.

I was especially eager to participate in the 50th Anniversary celebration on Sunday, August 25, 2024. In accordance with the custom of an annual outdoor Mass, this special Mass was held under a large tent on the lawn west of the Harre Union on the ValpU campus. One of the most special aspects was that the readings proclaimed at Mass were the same set of readings proclaimed at the first Mass I attended at St. Teresa's, the day after I arrived on campus to begin my time as a student there.

The overarching theme is about making a commitment to serve God, as Joshua declares boldly in the first reading from Joshua 24 and St. Peter declares in John 6, after many disciples turn away from Jesus and He asks if the Twelve also want to leave.

St. Teresa's is truly blessed that Father Kevin served as the priest there for 19 years, and the homily he gave on August 23, 2009, is one reason why. At the start of a new year, Father Kevin encouraged us to be committed to our relationship with God.

Besides the homily, I was truly invigorated by the powerful sense of community I felt at St. Teresa's. The parishioners there truly showed how much they loved God by offering to support and affirm students like me. In a rather challenging time of transitioning away from home, that sense of community gave me such a strong morale boost. I knew that St. Teresa's was a place I wanted to make part of my college experience.

Indeed, attending Mass at St. Teresa's confirmed what I experienced in Confirmation, that faith would be an important part of life, and I wouldn't consider anything else but to get involved in a Church community.

During my 4 years at ValpU, St. Teresa's provided a great sense of community, both with fellow students, and also with the community at large. I tended to attend 8 AM Mass, which was a chance for me to step away from the environment with hundreds of people my age and be in a place with a larger range of ages, from senior citizens to families with young children.

A microcosm of the sense of community that St. Teresa's fostered is my relationship with Dan and Ann Ruggaber. Attending Mass for the first time at St. Teresa's was one of the best decisions I made in my life, and it was followed by signing up for the Adopt-a-Student program following that Mass. We started off having a great relationship, and it has continued 15 years later.

I also recall the sense of community I experienced through retreats, like Kairos and the Wilderness Retreat at Shades State Park. There was also the mission/service trip to St. Augustine Mission in Nebraska, a sister parish of St. Teresa's. I was glad to be part of the first group of students who went there. Like so much of my St. Teresa's experience, going to St. Augustine affirmed and inspired me in so many ways.

There are also the meals served after the 9 PM Mass that was geared for students. Right before the end of the first semester, there was a special dinner event held after 5 PM evening Mass. It provided such joy to my heart and a great morale boost in the midst of all that was happening at the end of the semester to gather with fellow students for Mass, and then have a spectacular dinner afterwards. One year, I remember many of the community members who were helping serve tell me that they would be praying for me in the week of semester tests. I really appreciated hearing that over and over, because it underscored how the community members were present to support and affirm us.

In December 2010, that special Advent Mass and Dinner was the occasion for dedicating the Ministry Life Center. Bishop Melczek came in a snowstorm to celebrate Mass and then offer a dedication and blessing. I remember walking around in the addition when it was a construction site a few months prior, and it was so special to be there for the celebration of a space that would continue to foster community. One example was how people spent all night hanging out during one of the biggest snow events in Chicagoland history at the start of February 2011.

I have so many good memories of St. Teresa's, and it's been a delight to continue remaining connected. When the student-geared evening Mass moved to an earlier time after I graduated, I reached out to the lady who oversees the meals and arranged with her to come and help prepare and serve them. I'm glad that has been one way I've been able to be back at St. Teresa's.

It was definitely a special time to be back in Valparaiso at the 50th Anniversary Mass on August 25, 2024, the 15th anniversary of the day I started my college classes, and to hear the same readings from the first Mass I attended at St. Teresa's in 2009. Bishop McClory is a thoughtful cleric, and the homily he gave that day was one great example. He said that making a commitment to God is something we do constantly.

Furthermore, he remarked on the idea that the Mass was held in a tent, a reminder of tent revivals. He referred to the recent National Eucharistic Congress, which is part of the multi-year National Eucharistic Revival, an initiative to re-engage the Church to increase in faith grounded in the Eucharist. St. Teresa's has certainly done so much over the 50 years to boost the faith of those in its and community, and beyond, when considering the alumni who go forth from Valparaiso.

I'm eager to make my commitment to God, fully aware of the marvels He has done, especially during the 50 years of the ministry St. Teresa's has offered in His name, and from what I have experienced in the 15 years since I first attended Mass at St. Teresa's.