VT Catholic Campus Ministry 2026 Issue 1

Catholic Campus Ministry at VIRGINIA TECH 2026 : Issue 1 2026 : Issue 1

Spring Newsletter

Follow Us: @catholichokie www.catholichokie.org

Contact Us: 203 Otey Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540) 951-0032

From the Chaplain

Happy Easter! I pray the Lord has blessed you and your family in this season of resurrection. Our Newman House has been filled with joyful celebrations these past few months. This spring semester has been marked with extra gifts of cold and snow, but also the invitation to enter into Lent and join Christ on the walk to Calvary. Our staff was amazed at how many came to Ash Wednesday, and we’ve seen so many students coming to our liturgies, stopping in for prayer, joining Bible studies, and building friendships with one another. We have seen large numbers of students in our OCIA classes, and our Easter Vigil saw a record number of students receiving sacraments. While sometimes feeling worn out, I have been energized by the witness of faith and Easter joy among our students. Even in the days after Easter, new faces appear at our Masses and at the Newman House seeking out the sacraments. Easter invites us to approach the great mysteries of salvation with wonder, awe, and ultimately joy! We walk the difficult road of Lent and find ourselves alongside Jesus; he offers us the chance to help carry his cross through our prayer, penances, and almsgiving. We are brought near to him on the road to Calvary in our triduum liturgies, and he fulfills his work for our redemption on Easter. We remembered the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, grieved on Good Friday at our Lord’s passion, and then we were amazed all over again at the empty tomb on Easter morning. One other great way in which our Newman Community enters into Lent is by our Alternative Spring Break trips. Just two weeks prior to Holy Week, our Catholic Hokies could be found on seven different trips to serve in different communities in need. This too is part of our Lenten journey and our Easter joy! The resurrection of Christ sends us out to serve. As Pope Leo said in Dilexi Te , his Apostolic Exhortation, our service of others and of the poor is in response to the love that Christ shows to us. Our Easter joy and our service to others are inseparable, and I am proud our Newman community is responding in love and charity. May the joy of Easter and the love of Christ be yours!

Servant Leaders Ben Rubinich, Student Campus Minister Ashley Clark, Asst. Student Campus Minister Hugh Grennan, Music Minister Rachel Fries, Community Minister Nolan Conroy, New Evangelization Minister Ashley Glynn, Liturgy Minister Angela Drapac, Outreach Minister Nish De Leon, Communications Minister Keira Salvanera, Christian Formation Minister Attisyn Kruse, Service and Justice Minister

FOCUS Team

Prayerfully,

James Lutz, Team Director Andrew DeCelle, Veteran Missionary Madelyn Bauer, Second Year Missionary Nicholas Pluemer , Second Year Missionary Lourdes Navarro , First Year Missionary

Father Tom Yehl, Y.A.

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13 Years of Mission 13 Years of Mission Andrew DeCelle, Veteran FOCUS Missionary Andrew DeCelle, Veteran FOCUS Missionary My first fall in Blacksburg in 2013, I showed up as a one-year-out-of-college missionary with Youth Apostles who was trying to play as many intramural sports on campus as I could in order to build relationships with the men in the community. By October I invited seven freshman men I met (through playing soccer and flag football) into the first Bible study I led at Virginia Tech, and the men in that Bible study are a large part of why I am still a missionary today. My wife, Carmen, and I went on to become part of the first FOCUS Missionary team at Tech. In 2021 we discerned I would serve in a remote role with FOCUS to allow our growing family to root ourselves

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permanently in Blacksburg. By 2024 I felt the pull to work on campus at Tech once again with our in-person FOCUS team. It has been a huge blessing to not only re-establish relationships with the students and staff at Virginia Tech, but also to be able to bring our family of seven to daily and Sunday Masses on campus, Sunday Suppers, and Newman Volleyball League games, being a witness to students what the vocation of marriage as a Catholic family looks like. That fall of 2013 has come up many times since I returned to campus. I am blessed to see many of those members of my original Bible study pursuing and living out vocations to consecrated life, the priesthood, and marriage. In the summer of 2024, I attended the lifetime consecrated commitment of Austin Mee to Youth Apostles (mentioned later in this newsletter). Last summer, Father Jordan Evans was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Arlington. I was able to not only witness his ordination but also attend his first Mass alongside two more Alumni from the Bible study, Alex Hamilton and Peter Lee, who each attended alongside their wife and kids. Finally, Deacon Jim Harbour will be ordained as a Youth Apostles priest in the Diocese of Arlington this June. It has truly been a blessing to have the privilege of meeting these men as freshmen and seeing them find the Lord’s call in their lives on different timelines and in different ways, leading to where they are now. It has given me a new perspective on the reality of spiritual multiplication, how even one ‘yes’ can impact the lives of others around you, and how having peers who are alongside you for the journey can inspire, encourage, and challenge you in ways that lead you to do the same for the younger generations! While I get asked by many students about that first Bible study, I think the impact of having a full team of FOCUS missionaries has been the fruits borne from the leadership of the students we walk with in our Bible studies and discipleship! Before we had FOCUS, there were about 10 student-led Bible studies that had around 50 students regularly attending throughout the year. Having a team of five missionaries work with our student leaders has enabled us to support nearly 70 student-led Bible studies this year. We have now reached a much higher number of participants (over 500 who have come to a study), and we have been able to walk with and coach students to lead Bible studies in different areas on campus including Greek life, athletic teams, and Corps of Cadets. I am grateful to have been able to work with so many incredible Hokies over the past 13 years and feel so blessed that my family is able to be part of our mission and that I can continue keeping up with what our Hokie alumni are doing to serve Christ and his Church!

“The Louisville ASB was a powerful opportunity to encounter the heart of Jesus in the poor and most vulnerable. By setting aside one week to focus on completely giving of myself and my gifts for the sake of others, I experienced who I have been created to be: a man in service of others. I got the chance to step out of my busy, often monotonous, daily schedule to focus on simply bringing Christ to those in need. For one, it was awesome ASBs ASBs Each year Hokies participate in Alternative Spring Break trips (ASBs), serving both domestically and abroad during spring break. These experiences give students the opportunity to put their faith in action by serving others, living in solidarity with the community they serve, and deepening their faith life. Below are two students’ personal experiences:

to know I was able to meet these people’s physical needs, whether feeding the homeless, helping build community gardens for immigrant families, or teaching English as a Second Language to refugees from Africa. Even more, however, it was amazing to know that I also provided food for their souls and became a ray of hope in their day. This is truly what I loved about ASB–being able to meet those we serve on a personal level as well as being for them an encounter with Jesus Christ. Additionally, encountering their joyful appreciation of our small acts of charity was such a beautiful thing to experience. Doing this with a small group of friends also makes a big difference. Working and living so closely with these people allowed me to create new friendships and deepen existing ones. Yes, this happened in serving and praying together, but also in the little moments like driving to pick up Aldi cream puffs, sharing meals, and making fun of our drivers for missing turns. Finally, ASB was an opportunity to grow in personal

relationship with Jesus. There were plenty of opportunities for personal and group prayer, Adoration, and Mass. Also, as I said earlier, serving those in need also helped me to realize just how awesome his merciful and loving heart is to share and give to others.” - Ben Rubinich, Student Campus Minister

Abington: completed yard and house work at elder community, taught religion class at St. Anne’s, and built a planter box for the Jubilee Retreat Center Dominican Republic: taught catechesis to local children, worked on the water treatment facility, and delivered donations to local communities Emmitsburg: assisted at family homes doing yard work, painting, weeding; did farm work including reconstructing fences, chopping wood, and hammering; and befriended locals Louisa: volunteered at community thrift store and built new decks, porches, and ramps Louisville: served at food pantries, worked with refugee families, and created viable plots for families to farm on Philadelphia: s erved meals at homeless shelter, worked at a literacy center, and helped at a free clothing store associated with the St. Francis Inn Mound Bayou: completed y ard work, painting, and volunteered at a food pantry Trips at a Glance

“I never had a clear picture in my mind of what college spring break was supposed to look like, besides lounging around on the beach with friends. Coming to Newman last year showed me that my spring break could be a faith-filled and service-oriented week while hanging out with awesome friends. I was able to serve in Louisville, Kentucky last year, and this year I got to go to Emmitsburg, Maryland. We stayed in the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and served over 15 households in the surrounding area, especially working on farms and in yards. Besides the service work, we also had ample free time for fun and games like “Body Body” in Mother Seton’s house mixed with “hitting the quan” intermittently. However, the spiritual aspect of the week was the focal point for me, especially on the days where we were out in the 80 degree direct sunshine, and I was questioning myself, ‘Why did I ever agree to this?’ After a couple hours of weeding, I was asked to clean up the rose bush trimmings, which in my mind was the absolute last thing I wanted to do: I had previously cleaned up some rose bushes, and I had over a dozen little stab wounds all over my arms and legs. I agreed anyway, and as expected, I kept pricking myself. During that task, I thought it would be the low point of the day for me in our evening reflection. However, when I looked at the time and realized it was 3 p.m., I was reminded of Jesus’ Passion and how he accepted the crown of thorns without complaint. I realized how God was allowing me to physically experience a part of his suffering, even if it was the most miniscule amount, and found joy in it. ASB allowed me to step into his Passion where I could accept this small suffering and even be grateful that I had the privilege of uniting it with the Lord’s. Overall, ASB was an incredible experience with such awesome memories, and I would encourage everyone to try it out. You will definitely make new friends deepen existing friendships, and most importantly, grow in your relationship with Jesus!” - Felicity Wolf

Everyday Service Not only do our students serve on week-long spring break trips, but our ministry also provides daily opportunities for service through our Newman Service Squad. Hear about it from student Madie Clarke: “The Service Squad at Newman gives me the opportunity to bring other Catholic Hokies out into local communities to share our faith through service projects. It is an opportunity to go outside of our comfort zone, and truly encounter those living in poverty or experiencing hardship and to accompany them in faith. Being able to serve, even in small ways, has opened my eyes to the struggles of others and taught me more about being Catholic. Volunteering in the Blacksburg and Christiansburg communities shows another side of our mission: to evangelize, live out Christ’s teaching, and share the love of Christ with others through our actions. In college, it’s so easy to focus on myself, on my goals, and on my schedule. Serving has helped me to think of others more, to care for the needs of others, and to give my free time to those in need. Spending time with local kids, doing yardwork for local churches, and having dinner with homeless folk have been some of the most impactful and influential aspects of my college experience so far.”

(Evelyn, Madie, Brady, and Sy from left to right)

From Freshman to Fisher of Men

Our Bible Study numbers continue to grow each semester as new students answer the call to evangelize their peers. One of those students is freshman Piero del Castillo.

“My experience in FOCUS Bible studies has been great. I appreciate the organization and structure that I have been led through so far. I also greatly enjoy the friends I have made through my Bible study, since we are able to make time to actually talk about life and the faith. I really benefit from every meeting because I can see ways in which God is inviting me to be better and to accept his love and graces.

(Isaac, Piero, Kalib, and Matthew from left to right)

I wanted to start my own Bible study in order to serve others more in my life. When my Bible study leader asked me if I would be interested in leading one, I told him yes because I thought it would be super fun. For me this just felt like the next step.

It has been amazing and fulfilling being able to lead. The thought and hope of impacting even one person’s life through my study brings me joy and makes the time I put into each meeting more than worth it. I also didn’t realize how much I would learn by prepping for each study. Hearing what stood out to other people from the passages helps open my eyes to something I may not have realized about it. I have also, by God’s grace, gotten more formation through leading others in this way.”

Alumni Corner: Alumni Corner: Austin Mee Austin Mee Alumni Corner: Austin Mee Growing up I had limited experiences of being evangelized by anyone, but I was catechized well. I knew a lot about who God was but, in fact, did not know God in relationship. During my freshman year at VT, I made friends with the right people at the Newman House. Several people including Chris Hitzelberger, Fr. David Sharland, and Andrew DeCelle really poured into me and built a firm foundation of encountering Christ through events and trips organized by the CCM and fostering that relationship in a variety of daily and weekly ways. I can’t imagine what life would be like without these men in my life and excellent peers around me. Eventually after graduating, I ended up needing to figure out a lot of things without being surrounded by the same friends. My long-time dating relationship ended unexpectedly and threw me into a crisis of no longer having the plan for my life figured out. In retrospect, I see this as God working powerfully to give me a chance to discern a vocation other than marriage. I was able to explore feelings that I could possibly be called to the consecrated life. I started exploring with both Youth Apostles and the Capuchins. In time I found a great love for serving young people and decided to quit my engineering job to try out the Consecrated Life in Youth Apostles for at least a year. I ended up never looking back, having found a great peace about my life in both the beauty and the warts of my community. I made my lifetime vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience the summer of 2024 and had been mainly doing work as a youth minister in the New River Valley. However, this year my life is one of an evangelizer of high schoolers at Bishop O’Connell in Arlington. My life is deeply rooted in daily prayer and community life with my brothers. But I spend my apostolic efforts most days roaming the O’Connell cafeteria, helping to lead retreats, and otherwise being in position to walk with young people wherever they are. I know at least 400 students by name but really pour into a select group I see great potential in. The plan is to witness to them that life is more than sports, money, and grades…that God not only loves them but likes them, and his plan for them can be scary but will be full of peace and joy. I love my life and thank God that CCM played such a crucial role in discovering it. Class of 2017

Fr. Tom Yehl, Y.A. Chaplain chaplain@catholichokie.org Chris Hitzelberger

Director of Campus Ministry director@catholichokie.org Kingdoms, Railroads, and Relationships: Chris Hitzelberger One of my joys is getting to spend time with a small group of students playing board games. It is a great opportunity to spend time with others and enjoy some good, holy leisure. I am sometimes asked to give board game recommendations. I tend to like games that are easy to teach, that don't take too long to play, and while they have some strategy, they don't require a ton of thinking. Here are three games you might enjoy: King Domino: This game came out about 10 years ago and has some similarities to dominos–you are laying down tiles and matching one of the ends. But instead of numbers, you are connecting different land types (forest, water, etc.). The goal is to build a 5 by 5 square with large areas of the same type of land. You compete with other players, selecting tiles and trying to make the best kingdom. It’s a great game for families too, as it is accessible to kids as young as 6. Ticket to Ride: This is an older game, and it has several different versions, but the original is a classic! You are building lines of trains across the USA, connecting cities. The longer the connection, the more points! It has some nice strategy to it, fast game play, and builds tension well as you race to complete your trains before the game ends. First to Worst: This is a newer game and great for those who like social games. One person gets five cards with different words on them (eg: Breakfast, Roller coasters, Horror movies, etc). They secretly rate them First to Worst. Then, the rest of the group has to try to guess how the first person rated the five cards. It’s a great game to get to know people and also to see how well you know your spouse–also very fun to play with kids!

There are tons of great games out there, and I would love to hear your recommendations! Scan the code to let us know what games you love. And the next time you are in Blacksburg, stop by the Newman House for a board game!

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