Calling in a Life-long Longhorn
This is my second year working in campus ministry at the University of Texas at Austin. I am an alumnus of this great university and will speak from the heart. I did not want to attend the orientation program for campus ministers in the first place. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it after I left. The experience led to a journey of prayer and discovery. At the beginning of the program someone told me that campus ministry is a calling. “My calling?” I thought at that point “Surely not!”
I fell into this job as a matter of chance, having not participated in campus ministry, save mass, including graduate school at Franciscan University. I had no idea what I was doing. My dad told me, “Go for it! Make it up as you go along!” I decided to give myself totally over to the ministry. At the end of the first year I was glad I did well, but nevertheless thought, “Lord, I only have one more year of this and You had better get me out!”
Not wanting to attend the campus minister orientation, I traveled in June with no enthusiasm. Rolling out of bed at 3:30 AM to board the plane didn’t help. Greeted first by Marcel Lejeune, an Aggie, the warm welcome from everyone was a pleasant surprise. If you know the history of the rivalry between UT and A&M, you would appreciate my commenting to Marcel at the end of the week, that “our conversations are really like Inter-Faith dialogue, don’t you think?”
The talks were wonderful and gave me so much food for thought. I was impressed with how vital the role of a campus minister is to the life of the Church. I learned that if young people are involved in their faith from the ages of 18-24 they have a 90% chance of becoming life-long Catholics. Wow! Even so, my prayers at daily Mass were, “Lord, I know You will put me in something else and hopefully right away.”
My name is Dorothy and the irony of this next statement isn’t lost on me: what God showed me over the summer is that there really is no place like home. There is no place where my gifts and talents shine like they do here at UT, mainly by all the relationships I have built with our students, our staff, resident community and the UT faculty and staff. How could I possibly leave? What a gift the Paulist Fathers have given me! My grandfather once told me that we were in this life to make a contribution. What that wonderful man taught me is so true.
Through the orientation Institute, which I would’ve never attended if it were up to me, this summer of soul searching opened my heart to God as I listened to what He said. “Dorothy, you are here for a purpose. I wouldn’t have brought you here to abandon you. You can help others with their journey of faith, and enrich their understanding that they are never alone.”
I am confident with our amazing staff, students and UT community we can continue to grow into an even more vibrant, dynamic ministry. Thanks be to God that He gave me the grace to endure. I am already in my dream job. And football season is almost here!! God can take His time, but He’s never late. School is about to begin and rejuvenated by the Institute my words resound, “Hook ‘em Horns! Let’s bring the joy of the Gospel to everyone!!”
Dorothy R. Harper
Campus Minister, University Catholic Center
University of Texas at Austin