Tips, based on recent college students’ experiences
Did you know St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier were college roommates? No doubt their holy friendship helped lead them to sainthood.
Whether there’s already a Catholic community in your dorm or if you feel called to evangelize others, the dorm is a great place to share God’s love. Seize the opportunities, and you, too, can grow in holiness in your dorm.
Here are tips on how you can do this, based on recent college students’ experiences.
Join or Start a Small Group
Sts. Francis and Ignatius shared their faith in community by praying the Spiritual Exercises together. If your dorm doesn’t have any existing small groups, prayer groups or Bible studies, consider starting one.
It can be as formal or informal as you’d like. Pick a spiritual reading or a book of the Bible and invite people to discuss it. Or spend 15-20 minutes praying the Rosary or lectio divina, a form of meditation on Scripture, together at night. Bring snacks or tea and use this time to unwind and offer your busy life to the Lord.
Jude Healey is a senior at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Last year, he led a Marian consecration small group with other men in his dorm every Sunday.
Together, they discussed the readings, and they attended Mass and received blessings on the day of their consecration.
“It was an amazing experience growing in community with some of the guys in the dorm,” he said. “That was honestly one of my favorite parts, just being able to sit down with those guys and talk about those readings and hang out.”
Sloan Jacobs, a sophomore at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, said her women’s small group was “one of the highlights” of her freshman year.
“I definitely found camaraderie there and people who would help me remember my triumphs and the good things the Lord has done in my life, but also people who would call me out if I started getting spiritually lazy, which we all did for each other,” Jacobs said. “I really did feel like I found sisters I could talk to about literally anything and everything in these women.”
Decorate With Sacred Art
Not only will sacred art remind you of the Lord’s presence throughout the day, it will also be a conversation piece for people who might not know about the faith. If people ask questions, don’t be afraid to tell them about it.
Sidney Borland, a junior at New York University, said she kept an image of Mary and the Child Jesus in her room. “It’s a welcoming and beautiful image of a mother looking at her son, and that shows people the love of the Church, whether they know it or not,” she said.
Have a Priest Blessing
A priestly blessing is also important.
“With dorm rooms, you’re living in a building and there’s a lot of entry points and a lot of hurting people, and the devil loves to use that and feed off of that,” Borland said. “Having that blessing of protection and inviting Christ into that space is very important.”
It’s also a good practice to keep holy water in your room to bless yourself in your comings and goings and receive extra graces throughout the day.
Talk to People About Jesus
Let conversation about Christ come up naturally.
As St. Francis of Assisi is often attributed as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.”
If people can see your witness as a Christian and are open to it, they will ask you questions.
“Many only talk about their faith during a Bible study or a church group. While these groups are good, small talk in the lobby or other communal areas can be just as beneficial in growing the faith as the larger groups,” said Nathan Fish, a sophomore at Hillsdale College.
Bring People to Church
If your school’s chapel, Catholic center or local parish has Mass, adoration or other events, simply ask people, Catholic or otherwise, to come along. You never know what seeds it might plant.
Healey said he recommends going to Catholic events with people to strengthen friendships and grow in faith.
“Once you start going to Mass, join FOCUS or St. Paul’s Outreach with some of those friends, that’s when those friendships can become more intentional,” he said.
“I know of friend groups that go to Mass every day or start their own personal apostolate, and those are really fruitful ways to get to know people.”