Houston Sisters direct campus living-learning program HOUSTON, TX (10-20-2007) - For the Franciscan Sisters in Houston, August 2007 marked a new beginning. The community moved into a new residence, Clare Hall, on the University of St. Thomas campus, and began to direct the Augustine Hall Living-Learning Community program for their next door neighbors, the students of Augustine Hall. The idea of the Living-Learning Community is to integrate faith, academics and life. The Sisters coordinate the activities, lead weekly meetings and discussion, join the students in preparing a weekly community meal, open their chapel for times of community prayer and adoration, and plan Eucharistic liturgies for and with the students. (For more information, open this pdf file, "Come And See What Brown Can Do For You.") Sister Paula Jean Miller, FSE, Director
of Catholic Studies, is the director
of the program. She shares her thoughts on this new mission
in the following article: Clare
Hall + Augustine Hall = Surprise! When UST's Franciscan Sisters said "yes" to the direction of the new program for Augustine Hall we had no real idea of what lay ahead of us. A residential community with the purpose of integrating faith, academics, and life sounded like a "good Franciscan thing to do" and we rolled up our sleeves to set about designing a program with Academic Affairs, working out policies and procedures with Student Affairs, and interviewing possible staff members with Residence Life. Over the summer applications arrived and interviews began until, in mid-August, the apartments were occupied by nine college women and ten college men.
What's next? We're never sure . . . because
the Augustine Hall Living-Learning Community is a "work in process."
But one thing we do know - it's been a life-changing choice!
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Perhaps the most amazing part of the process
was how quickly the group "jelled" and formed themselves into a happy
community who just love to be together. It must have been an omen when
we invited anyone who wasn't going home for Labor Day weekend to join
us for a BBQ, and almost everyone stayed! Academically, the residents
are energetically exploring philosophy and theology with Basilian Fathers
Giampietro and Pilsner, and then applying the principles they learn to
practical situations in Thursday night discussions "sandwiched" between
their community dinner and their liturgy with Father Callam. Service
learning through Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and
Campus Ministry provide new experiences and opportunities to develop
compassion and skills to help and lead others. Perhaps the most exciting
event for everyone was the "dress up night" for the Houston Symphony
and the privileged time spent with Maestro Hans Graf and composer Kevin
Puts. This excursion will be complemented on October 27th by the opportunity
to get "down and dirty" when the group discovers Buffalo Bayou with Sister
Damien Marie.
