CSB+SJU has grown my faith in every way

I am not Catholic. In fact I am not even Christian. But I do have a deep love of the exploration of faith, of deepening my knowledge of religion and of both helping others and being helped in my own spiritual journey. And that is one of the main reasons why I chose St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict. I strongly believe that these institutions are some of the best places in the world to be exploring faith and religion, whether you are Catholic, Christian or anything else.

Both of our schools were founded on the principles of the rule of St. Benedict and the Benedictine Values, a set of guidelines to live by that are admirable regardless of your faith. Our schools are built on Moderation, Awareness of God, Hospitality, Community, Respect, Peace, Stability, Justice, Respect and most importantly for this essay, listening with the ear of the heart. A strong religion is one whose ancient traditions exist within modern morality and can coexist and learn from other ways of thinking. St. John’s and St. Ben’s have shown me that the Catholic Church certainly can be if one chooses to listen for it.

I will admit, this is a much more pro-catholic stance than I normally take, having grown up fairly opposed to the Church. In general, however, this school has given me a much more positive view of Catholicism by exposing me to an education beyond the middle school level that the average believer achieves. Deeper religious thinking reveals a much wider diversity of thought and behavior to be compatible with the beliefs and doctrines of the Church. Additionally, I have gained a greater understanding of what I personally believe and how that interacts with Catholicism and those who profess it. None of that deeper thinking however would have been possible without my education here at CSB and SJU.

At our institutions we have access to a religious wealth of opportunities. There are two of the largest communities of monastic devotees in the country who are willing and eager to both share their faith journeys and be mentors to students in their own exploration. We have a world class graduate theology school that attracts theological experts and students from all over the world. Professors at the St. John’s School of Theology are consulted by religious leaders of all disciplines and as influential as the Vatican. The first bible illuminated by hand in over 600 years sits in our library as a testament to how ancient tradition and modern knowledge can go hand in hand. We have a thriving student faith community on both campuses with dedicated teams working at SJUfaith and CSB Campus Ministries. Not only do they organize weekly student masses and daily masses with the monastics, they also plan service immersion trips, run personal development organizations like Johnnie Brothers and facilitate weekly student bible studies.

The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University thrives as a place of faith-based learning because they have the ability to anchor belief in the modern era. Just as a painter can admire the work of a sculptor and can have their own art improved and deepened by it, so too can faith in one religious tradition be deepened by education about and exposure to other systems of belief. CSB and SJU has an immense diversity of religious traditions in its staff, faculty, monastics and students. That diversity of thought, paired with the religious wealth of opportunities at CSB and SJU, show how Catholicism, and any individual exploring their faith, can coexist with people of other faiths and develop a far more nuanced, complex and beautiful relationship with God than can be found almost anywhere else in the world.