By Victoria Fassett
Campus Minister
UNL Newman Center
The Newman Center’s mission statement is “Forging college students into saints, fully alive in Christ”—throughout the year there are so many amazing stories of how students encounter the Lord, but as the summer begins, and I think back on the year, Clair’s story stands out for the continued effect that it’s had on Newman and the people in her life, namely Isabella. Here’s how Clair tells it:
The summer going into my sophomore year, I started to think about my faith more. I’m from a non-denominational background and believed in God, but didn’t know exactly where I belonged. I had this feeling there was more for me, but I didn’t know where to look or how to go about it. That all changed the second week of August.
It was sorority recruitment week and I was sitting outside on our front lawn, when three missionaries from the Newman Center walked by my house. I had never met them before and didn’t know they were missionaries, but they had a joy that I couldn’t explain.
After they introduced themselves, the first question Max, one of the missionaries, asked was, “Hey, do you have any questions about your faith?” I perked up and said, “Well, as a matter of fact, I do!” Julia and I exchanged numbers and she let me know she was leading a Bible study at my Pi Phi sorority.
These Wednesday night Bible studies turned out to be a breath of fresh air. I always felt at peace and relaxed, never feeling weird or out of place for not being Catholic. It was a safe place for me to talk about God and learn how scripture relates to our lives. In short, I loved it.
Sophie, another Pi Phi, and Julia really took me under their wing and invited me to this Catholic Conference called SEEK. I was really unsure about going, but during the first day, there was a sister that spoke and said, “the human heart is not supposed to be filled with hate.” Ten minutes later, I heard it again in my head. Every time I heard it, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
A missionary came up and asked if anything resonated with me in the last talk. I told him and he said, “Yeah, Clair, that is literally the Holy Spirit.” Later that night, Sophie got up to go to confession and invited me to come and something in me thought, “why not?”
Not being Catholic, I was directed to a prayer team with two missionaries I had never met, but who changed my life. It was so clear as they were praying that Jesus was speaking directly to me through them. They were able to speak truth into my life in a way I didn’t know how to ask for and left me feeling very encouraged in my walk with the Lord. After leaving these two wonderful people, I ran to Sophie and said for the first time ever: “Sophie! Sophie! God is real! God is real! God is real!”
I always knew God was real, but it was the first time I had ever said it with belief and conviction behind my words.
Two months later, I was baptized by Father Alec Sasse at the Easter Vigil, with Julia as my sponsor. Fast forward a year later and I was at the Easter Vigil again, this time sponsoring my best friend Isabella as she was baptized. Looking back and seeing how many people within the Newman Center community helped me with my journey is so inspiring that I hope I am that same outlet for somebody.
I remember telling Sophie after SEEK, “You know Sophie, I never felt like I was lost until I experienced the weekend I just had. I cannot see my life in any other way now or even going back to how I once was.”
Life now had a whole new meaning because God was the center of my life. I will forever be thankful to the community of the Newman Center for being that inviting hand I needed. It was the push that I will thank God for, for the rest of my life.
