Hap Durkin, development director for the Catholic Campus Ministry Association, participated in an email interview with The Catholic Spirit about CCMA, a national association based in Cincinnati, Ohio, for Catholic campus ministers who serve at Catholic and non-Catholic colleges and universities. Its mission is to be the voice of the church and empower campus ministers through formation, networking and resources.
CCMA will host a meet and greet reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, in the atrium of the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minneapolis. Campus ministers, Catholic business professionals, clergy and others may attend. RSVP to Durkin at Durkin@ccmanet.org or (513) 842-0167.
What’s the purpose of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association’s visit to Minneapolis? Does the organization routinely make visits to cities around the country?
We will be visiting the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to attend our board meetings hosted by our board chair, Laurie Svatek, and St. Catherine University. We will also be hosting a meet and greet reception to share our impact.
CCMA’s executive board meets twice per year at sites across the country. CCMA events are also routinely held in different cities, at hotels or Catholic campus ministry sites at colleges and universities.
What’s the single greatest challenge to Catholic campus ministry today, and to the students it seeks to serve?
There are 11 million students on campuses today and 5 million are Catholic. CCMA needs to have a stronger presence on these campuses to serve all 5 million.
How are Catholic campus ministers working to address this challenge?
1. Increasing membership in CCMA.
2. Increasing attendance at our Development and Director’s Institute.
3. Partnering with other groups that do the same thing we do.
4. Working closely with the bishops and adhering to their strategic plan.
As we look to the future, do you see different issues or topics coming to the forefront in the next 10 to 20 years that will be vital for Catholic campus ministry to address?
The “new evangelization,” the call for vocations, additional Catholic services for students [are among the issues.] Are students religious or spiritual? — we need to help them find that out.
How can parents and the general Catholic community help to promote the work of Catholic campus ministry?
Parents and the larger, general Catholic community may help promote the work of Catholic campus ministry by encouraging their students to participate in their university’s Catholic campus ministry programs and by supporting that ministry.
Parents and parishioners could attend ministry events and volunteer their time and talent.
