By David Karas | Correspondent

Whether it is living away from home for the first time or adjusting to more difficult courses, resisting negative temptations or beginning to discern a vocation, young adults undergo powerful transitions during their years in college.

It is during that time in a person’s life when they slowly come to understand more about themselves and forge powerful relationships with others Through the course of such growth, many find themselves in need of support or guidance.

That’s where campus ministry programs come into play.

On college and university campuses across the country – including five in the Diocese of Trenton – clergy and lay ministers foster an environment geared towards faith development and cultivation, a critical component of self-growth.

“When students first arrive (in college) they are typically homesick and looking for like-minded friends, and they join campus ministry to meet others like themselves,” said Father Erin Brown, chaplain at The College of New Jersey, Ewing. “It is an alternative to the party scene…we are basically a parish on campus.”

Father Brown’s program features Masses on weekends – with more than 250 students in attendance on a regular basis – as well as services during the week and a host of group meetings for Bible study, men’s and women’s groups and retreats. “The students are encouraged to take leadership positions and responsibility for their ministry,” he said. “We prepare them to be tomorrow’s parish leaders when they leave college.”

And Father Brown is not alone in this mission. Counterparts on the campuses of Princeton University; Rider University, Lawrenceville; Georgian Court University, Lakewood; and Monmouth University, West Long Branch host similar ministerial environments for students to help cultivate their faith while pursuing their degrees.

But beyond providing concrete opportunities for gatherings or faith development, these chaplains and directors also provide a source of comfort and support for students.

“Campus ministry addresses the students as whole human beings,” said Jeff Schaffer, director of the program at Georgian Court. “We are interested in their spiritual lives, helping them to appropriate the faith in a deeper way.”

Schaffer, who has a background in campus ministry at institutions across the country, said that college-aged students are often confronted with questions of identity and vocation, and that a minister can be a vital resource in helping them to articulate who they are and who they want to become.

“Schools that don’t have a program specifically for college students miss out, in that college students are at a particular stage in their lives,” he said. “They have particular needs and ways of looking at the world. If it is not something that is geared specifically towards them, I think any ministry is not going to be as effective.”

Father Richard Tomlinson, who recently became chaplain at Monmouth University, echoed Schaffer’s sentiments.

“College students face challenges both in their studies and in their personal lives. They are struggling to acquire training for a vocation, (and) they also need to decide what that vocation may be!” Father Tomlinson said. “They are also struggling to establish a more mature relationship with their families and friends. They are going through a lot of transitions, and sometimes doubt and confusion.”

He said that a campus ministry program provides a place to meet friends and share such experiences, all grounded in a common faith.

In part, because of the familiarity of the Catholic faith to many students, some approach chaplains or other spiritual mentors within their campus environment for support or advice.

“Certainly chaplains have to give advice on all kinds of matters…spiritual, professional and personal,” he said. “Indeed, our spiritual life should have an impact on all our other relationships.”

Father Tomlinson also said that chaplains also walk a fine line in terms of the advice they give.

“We don’t have all the answers; sometimes we simply need to listen and sympathize,” he said.

“In spiritual matters–for example, in questions about someone’s prayer life–I try to give firm and clear guidelines,” he explained. “But you also need to have respect for individuals and the circumstances of their lives.”

Understanding the unique approach each individual takes to their faith, he says, is something chaplains tend to be familiar with.

“God is calling each of us in a unique way,” he said. “So you need to encourage students to assume responsibility for their relationships to God and others, in dialogue with the tradition and teachings of the Church.”