Latinos now constitute the majority of U.S. Catholics under the age of 24 and Latinx students are quickly becoming a majority at many Catholic colleges like Dominican University. As such, they are having a profound impact on campus ministries, which were traditionally designed primarily for affluent white, residential students rather than brown and black students, many of whom are commuters working part or full-time jobs and juggling family responsibilities.
Dominican University recently hosted a national conference, "El Futuro Is Here!," exploring best practices for meeting the pastoral, as well as the academic, needs of Latinx students. The conference, which drew faculty, staff and students from 50 institutions across the country, was co-organized by John DeCostanza, Dominican's director of University Ministry.
DeCostanza can address the changes campus ministries must make to help Latinx students thrive. He has developed a unique program, Ministry en lo Cotidiano, which creates opportunities for students to intern in faith-based non-profit organizations in Latino neighborhoods in Chicago. Students are compensated and eligible for two internship credits per semester. The program encourages Latinx students to embrace their identities and lived experiences by working at site placements addressing the concrete realities they and their families face, including issues surrounding immigration, workers’ rights, literacy and education. Many Dominican students express a greater self-confidence and appreciation for their communities as well as a greater commitment to academic success as a result of the program.
“Catholic colleges and universities have a moral imperative to enroll and serve Latinos. Together, we can address a critical equity gap in higher education and produce Latinx leaders for the future of the Church and the world. Meeting Latinx students where they are requires fresh, creative approaches to ministry and undergraduate theological education. We must transform our campus ministry centers and classrooms into places of encounter and accompaniment that lead the Church and the academy into a future full of promise,” DeCostanza said.
John DeCostanza is available for interviews on this topic. He can be reached through Jessica Mackinnon, director of public information, at [email protected].
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