College students share their faith through the Newman Club

Photo courtesy of FOCUS National

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Students from the Saint George Newman Club and Southern Utah University attend FOCUS, national conference in Orlando, Fla., from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.

ST. GEORGE - Newman Clubs connect with students in a way that ignites their passion for God and challenges their thinking with the kind of fresh, relevant, risk-taking that is good for their soul.

"Our faith calls us to "work for the common good," said Teresa Mendez, Dixie College Newman Club advisor in Saint George. "We constantly grow in faith and strength to follow in Christ's footsteps and the students on our campus have grown by sharing of themselves. We always provide listening ears to whatever vocation seems to fit their desires and gifts."

Teresa and Carlos Mendez, a husband and wife team, would like to invite all Catholic students at Dixie College to join the Newman Club in Saint George. Presently there are only 10 members. They have been meeting for two years, and they meet every Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the McDonald building room 104. The first year the students met after Mass on Sunday at Saint George Parish.

"It is our goal to have all the Catholics on campus know and recognize each other and have a place on campus to call their own," said Teresa. "We want them to make friends with each other and share their faith. We are putting a lot of effort into having the Catholics come forward and feel comfortable with us in the Newman Club. I know there are more Catholics on campus who have not yet joined us. Dixie is a four-year college, so the students have four years to bond."

Each Sunday the members attend Mass at St. George Parish, and every month they have a party celebrating those whose birthdays that fall in that month. "The students in the Newman Club are all from Utah except one, who is from Nevada," Teresa said.

Two students from the Newman Club and three students from Southern Utah University in Cedar City were able to attend FOCUS, a biannual national conference in Orlando, Fla., from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3. They brought in 2010 with 4,000 other college students from across the nation.

"FOCUS is a fellowship of Catholic university students, a college campus outreach program focused on bringing college students to Christ through Bible studies and personal relationships over the holidays in Orlando," said Teresa.

This year's conference featured live music from Christian recording artists, Eucharistic adoration, breakout sessions, a comedian and a variety of speakers. The college students were inspired by speakers Franciscan Father Benedict Groeschel, founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and host of "Sunday Night Live With Father Groeschel," on EWTN; Archbishop of Denver Charles Chaput, and FOCUS founder Curtis Martin; and Matthew Kelly, author and speaker, whose message of living God's will by becoming the best version of yourself.

"It was a blessing for these students to be able to go to this conference," said Teresa. "We held a bake sale at the parish to help them raise funds, and the parishioners were extremely supportive."