Post Classifieds
Mass held to open new semester of worship
By Tyeisha Prior
On September 12, 2012
Kicking off the Weeks of Welcome events on Sept. 9, the Catholic Campus Ministry held their
10th annual Mass of the Holy Spirit from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Newman Center.
As an ancient tradition starting in early medieval universities of Paris and Salamanca, the Mass
of the Holy Spirit has been carried out by private and public colleges with a Catholic campus
ministry site.
Director of the Newman Center, the Rev. Patrick Zengierski, said he instituted the Mass of the
Holy Spirit 10 years ago at Buffalo State. He described the Mass as "a convocation invoking
God's spirit of wisdom upon the faculty, students and staff of Buffalo State College."
This year, the Mass of the Holy Spirit was held in the small but comforting space of the Newman
Center chapel. The event started with an introduction and explanation of the Mass and was
followed by Henry Zomerfeld, campus minister of the Newman Center, speaking about John
Henry Cardinal Newman, who founded the Newman movement for students in non- Catholic
colleges and universities. Zomerfeld was also one of the readers for the Mass.
Followed by the readings and a speech by Zengierski welcoming students into the new academic
year, a multitude of songs were sung and a special prayer was given to students and staff of the
Newman Center.
Communion was also given out and a brunch was served right after the service.
Liturgy committee member Carolann Schwartz said the service took two months to plan.
"It gets easier and easier because you have a template to kind of go off of," she said. "We are
blessed with a wonderful community of people that donate their time, money, cooking and
baking talents to do all kinds of things for us."
Jeff Maciejewski, senior social studies education major and peer minister, said that he would like
students to get more involved at the Newman Center.
Zomerfeld added, "I just stress how our goal is to make students have a place to feel comfortable
and that all students are welcome and that we are here for the students."
Due to the construction in the Campbell Student Union, this year's Mass of the Holy Spirit had
to relocate. In past years it was held in the Social Hall.
Zengierski said typically there would be a big precession with banners, faculty and
administration clothed in academic regalia, guest speakers, awards and roughly 200 to 300
people in attendance. Compared to the Social Hall, the chapel in the Newman Center is much
smaller.
"It will be festive in our hearts and soul, but maybe not as visually festive," Zengierski said.
Other members of the Newman Center said they agreed that the space was smaller, but it made
the mass more intimate.
Peggy Ptak, a community member, added that it's different because they cut out many of the
events.
Regardless of the schedule cutbacks and spacing, the Mass of the Holy Spirit retained its spiritual
aspect.
Dayana Castillo, peer minister, said that the Mass puts her at ease.
"Even going to the Mass of the Holy Spirit, I receive a blessing from the Holy Spirit, of course,
and it really helps me find out who I am and what my calling in life is," Castillo said.
Despite the setbacks this year, the Newman Center's focus through the Mass of the Holy Spirit is
primarily centered on the students and welcoming them to Buffalo State.
Zomerfeld said that it's an event that draws the community in.
As a Buffalo State student from 2007 to 2011, Zomerfeld said he felt right at home at the Mass
and still does despite being a second-year law student at the University at Buffalo.
"It really solidifies the sense of feeling at home, especially traveling from Brooklyn," he said. "I
didn't have a lot of connections right out of the gate, and to feel like I was a part of something,
this greater community, it made me feel really grounded and that was important."
The Newman Center accepts everyone to join of all cultural and religious backgrounds. Jill Beck,
a community member, said that she wants the students to feel at home and to know that they are
welcome and cared for.
"I often think that students, especially away from home, need a place they can go to let their hair
down," Beck said.
The Newman Center also holds welcome activities for members and incoming students during
the beginning of the semester. The activities include weekly dinners, which are held at 6:30 p.m.
on Thursdays, and seasonal trips to places that the students pick.
This October, the Newman Center will be traveling to the Abbey of the Genesee.
"We'll have a mix of events, and we try to include a bunch of different events from both fun
events to spiritual events. We recognize that we are here to serve the students and [would like to]
know what students would like to do," Zomerfeld said.
Tyeisha Prior can be reached by email at prior.record@live.com.
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