Father Zachary Swantek and members of the Aquinas Institute, Princeton University’s Catholic campus ministry, welcomed Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., for the celebration of Mass Feb. 25, the Second Sunday of Lent.
Along with Father Swantek, Father Joe Thomas, assistant chaplain, concelebrated the Mass.
PHOTO GALLERY: Bishop’s Mass at Aquinas Institute
Part of Bishop O’Connell’s Lenten schedule has included visiting college Catholic campus ministries. On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, he celebrated Mass for the Catholic students of Monmouth University, West Long Branch.
In his homily, the Bishop reflected on the day’s Readings, first of which told the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son “at God’s command without hesitation.”
Because of Abraham’s faithfulness, God rewards Abraham by sparing his son.
“Abraham’s faith resulted in his becoming the father of the chosen people of God,” he said.
The Second Reading tells of God’s willingness to sacrifice his son, “something that does happen, that shows the absolute love of God for us,” Bishop O’Connell said. The Gospel presented the story of the Transfiguration where Jesus was with three disciples — Peter, James and John — as well as Moses the law giver and Elijah the prophet.
“Remember, Jesus had just predicted his own death and invited the disciples to pick up their cross and follow him,” Bishop O’Connell said. “But the cross leads to glory and the transfiguration was a glimpse of glory for the followers of Jesus.
Bishop O’Connell urged the college students to remember that during Lent, God invites his people to make sacrifices and to grow in holiness and “he shows the depth of his love in return.”
Father Swantek, who has served as chaplain of Aquinas Institute since 2020, reflected on how he oversees a “large and active Catholic community” with more than 400 students who have participated in various offerings during the academic year. Some of them include small group Bible studies, that are led by students in the dorms. This year there are 22 trained students leading Bible studies.
Also, spiritual direction and formation in which Father Swantek meets with more than 50 students each month for spiritual direction and one-on-one formation; seminars, in which there are about seven seminars offered each semester on theological, spiritual and philosophical topics such as credibility of the Gospels, friendship and the Fathers of the Church, the drama of love and the Eucharistic poetry of St. Thomas Aquinas. There is also a Greek New Testament reading group as well as a theology reading group. Students ca also participate in service in which they visit St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, to participate in the Loaves and Fishes program and liturgical offerings, including two Masses on Sundays, daily Mass and Confession, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament twice a week and students singing in the Aquinas Schola Cantorum at Sunday Mass and Tuesday Night Compline. Students can also serve as lectors and altar servers.
Lenten offerings, Father Swantek noted included small group Bible studies with more than 100 students participating; a three-day retreat during the first weekend of Lent and praying the Stations of the Cross each Friday.
“Lent has always been one of my favorite seasons because of its intensity,” Father Swantek said. “It is a special time in which Jesus invites us to cut out the superfluous and all that robs us of our dignity and joy so that we can more fully open ourselves up to God’s love and mercy.
“It is a great season of healing in which our hearts are purified as we grow in intimacy with Our Lord,” he said.
Arthur Acuna, who graduated from Princeton in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biological engineering, currently works as the student outreach coordinator for Aquinas Institute.
“I was involved as a student all four years as an undergraduate,” he said, noting he first became involved as a freshman as a way to learn more about his Catholic faith.
“Over the years that desire to learn turned into a desire to share that same faith with others,” he said. “I believe that campus ministry is such a needed presence in any college community because college is hard
“When things get difficult, students need to be reminded that they are made for more than just grades and resumes” Acuna said. “They’re made for heaven. They’re made for a relationship with Jesus.”
Acuna said it was meaningful to have Bishop O’Connell celebrate Mass for the Aquinas Institute community.
“For many of our students, it was their first time meeting the Bishop in person and to have him visit our campus was yet another reminder that something very beautiful is happening in the Catholic community at Princeton,” he said, adding that he was moved to hear the Bishop speak on how St. Peter tries to preserve the experience of the Transfiguration by making three tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses but instead, commanded by the Father, to listen to his son.
“Listening to Jesus is very difficult sometimes,” Acuna acknowledged, and that’s “due to the loudness of our own will.
“But when we learn to abide by his words and how he desires to speak to us, we let him ‘make a tent’ in our hearts. And I think that’s so beautiful.”