Dominican volunteer serves Newman Center

Intermountain Catholic

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Paul Wizniuk, Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center assistant campus minister, answers questions for Leydi Rivera and Rocio Valle, St. Catherine parishioners. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Paul Wizniuk is the Dominican volunteer and will serve for one year as assistant campus minister at Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center. He will leave in July.

Wizniuk graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., in May 2011, with a degree in theology.

"I was studying abroad in Costa Rica last spring and trying to decide what I was going to do," said Wizniuk. "I had planned to move home to work when I saw a posting for the Dominican volunteer position. I was initially attracted to a peace and justice advocacy position, but this was something I could see myself doing. I went to Mass, prayed about it and felt a calling to come to Utah. It was the most clear experience I’ve ever had of God saying, ‘This is where I’m sending you if you choose to accept my will.’"

Wizniuk works with Jon Dalton, St. Catherine Newman Center campus minister. "In a broad sense, Jon and I are ministers to the college students at the University of Utah, Westminster College and Salt Lake Community College," said Wizniuk. "We are here to help facilitate growth in the college students’ spiritual journey. That is played out in many different ways."

Youth Ministry at the Newman Center offers college students summer retreats, new student retreats, campus ministry leadership team retreats, reflective retreats throughout the year and an alternative spring break.

"We work to build a community and offer opportunities for students to get involved, grow deeper in their Catholic faith or explore it if they are not a part of it," Wizniuk said. "Our goal is to build a deeper faith by acting it out through service."

Wizniuk was involved in campus ministry when he was in college and said it is different to be in his position. "It’s a new experience. I like the opportunity to help the students have the programs and events they want," he said.

"Paul is all about service," said Dalton. "He is very committed to ensuring that the students are not only receiving service opportunities, but getting the chance to learn more about how to live their faith through service and corporal works of mercy. All these things work together in the context of an adult faith life. His biggest strength is his vision and his incredible ability to see a need and to empower the students to put into action a plan to meet that need.

"He has organized projects with Catholic Community Services and weekly interfaith service projects partnering with Calvary Baptist Church working with homeless people in Pioneer Park," said Dalton. "His passion is his charism of mercy and his ability to engage that through his ministry at St. Catherine."

Within the year, Wizniuk has put together many projects, including a planned alternative spring break to Guatemala.

"We have a chance to travel to Guatemala and serve indigenous Mayan people in their rural villages," said Wizniuk. "We are offering a trip for Westminster students and University of Utah students, and we will be pairing with an organization that will connect us to the indigenous organization Asociación de Mujeres del Áltiplano, or the Association of High-Plains Women."

The people in the villages the students will visit usually cook over open fires, which cause upper respiratory diseases, Wizniuk said. The program the students will be part of provides stoves that cut cooking time by more than 66 percent and significantly decrease the amount of wood needed, reducing deforestation, he added; the smoke is piped outside through a chimney, which will decrease upper respiratory diseases.

About 30 students from the youth ministry attend the Newman Center for Mass, prayer or social and service events on a weekly basis. The students also pray the rosary on campus every week day.