Forward In Faith

OUR STORY

"Walking onto William & Mary's campus this fall, I was far from home, I didn't know anyone, and I felt as though I would never find my place. It wasn't until I walked through the doors at CCM that I finally felt welcomed, supported, and most importantly, loved. CCM has led me further toward Christ in more ways than I ever thought possible, and has provided a home for me when I needed it most." -Elli Davis, 2023

Catholic Campus Ministry was founded in 1923 as the “Gibbons Club” at William & Mary by a professor and a small group of dedicated Catholic students who desired to establish a Catholic organization at William & Mary. Within a decade of the Club's founding, a chapel had been constructed, and a permanent Catholic presence established. While the name has changed a few times over the past century, and the ministry methods have evolved to meet the needs of each generation, the mission has remained the same: to make God known on the campus of William & Mary. But the story of Catholic Campus Ministry is not ultimately the story of an organization or an institution. The story of CCM is found in the individual stories of the students, like Elli, who are at the heart of this mission.

As we learn their stories, we begin to see common threads that weave through so many of them. These stories show us where we have been, and point to where we are going. And at the core of these stories are three main themes which form our ministry’s core values: Belonging, Discipleship, and Leadership.​

OUR VALUES

BELONGING

“Those who come here, belong here,” reads the 1949 Student Handbook of the College of William & Mary. At the heart of this “first tradition of belonging” that is held so dear at William & Mary, is an even deeper reality. For at the deepest level of the human experience is a universal desire for communion – the desire to know, and to be known by another.

In our ministry at William & Mary, our first task is to form a community in which that desire is satisfied – a space where students are free to be themselves, knowing that they will be received and loved as they are. A place where they truly belong. Students are hungry for deep, authentic friendships: friendships that go beyond the surface, where they are challenged and encouraged to become the men and women God is calling them to be.

DISCIPLESHIP

A disciple is one who has heard the message of Christ and made a choice to follow Him. Discipleship cannot be stumbled into, inherited, or entered into halfheartedly. It is an intentional, lifelong process of being conformed more and more to Christ.

As we meet students where they are, and as they are, our essential call is to introduce students to Christ, and to invite them into an ever-deepening relationship with Him. CCM walks alongside students in this relationship, helping to facilitate special moments of encounter and daily habits of discipleship.

LEADERSHIP

Our world is desperate for leaders who are men and women of integrity, virtue, and faith. College is a time when students are asking the big questions in life – they are discerning their vocations, discovering their gifts, and charting their course for the future. CCM is walking with them in the midst of this, sharing the wisdom of our Catholic faith.

Forming students in Christian leadership is at the heart of CCM’s ministry model. Students are not passive consumers of ministry, but active participants in crafting a vision and bringing that vision forth. Students emerge from CCM as leaders in their communities: they go on to become our priests, lay ministers, mothers, fathers, teachers, doctors, and business leaders. 

JOIN US ON MISSION!

The current pandemic we are experiencing his impacted nearly every aspect of daily life in some way, including the way we minister to students at William & Mary. Small group bible studies in residence halls have been replaced by video-conference small groups on Zoom; chatting with Father over a cup of coffee at the Daily Grind has been replaced by digital office hours; and Friday night social events have been replaced by video-chat based trivia and game nights. So much has changed so quickly about how we carry out our mission, but we know that our mission itself remains unchanged. As we continue to serve the students of William & Mary, both near and far, we continue to rely on the generous partnership of alumni, parents, and community members to make this mission possible.

Each year, our annual spring benefit gala raises upwards of $50,000 of vital funding that supports the everyday operations of Catholic Campus Ministry, and $25,000 in funds to support particular programs for our students - such as weekly fellowship events, leadership development programs, retreats, and many other programs that students generally lack the resources to fund on their own. Like all major events, our gala, An Evening In Green & Gold, had to be cancelled this year. While we hope to be able to hold a smaller event later this Fall, we need your support now, as we continue to serve students from afar, to ensure that when it is time to welcome students back to campus, our ministry can be here for them at full capacity.

This is why we are asking you to join us in taking a step Forward In Faith. Now, more than ever, as students are isolated from community, disconnected from the Sacraments, and adapting to a world that is constantly changing around them, CCM is here for them. While we may not be able to gather together for a fundraiser to celebrate and support the ministry of CCM, we can still rally together around this vital mission! So here is what we are asking of you:

1. Give. Every gift, of any size, makes a difference and brings us closer to our goal. If you would have considered attending the Benefit Gala, perhaps consider what you would have spent on your ticket or table, the auction, and a "Fund-a-Need" / paddle-raise gift.
2. Pray. Pray for the students we serve at William & Mary, that even during these unprecedented times, they would grow in knowledge and love of God.
3. Share. Help us get the word out about our mission through "sharing" this campaign on social media and among your friends and family, so that more people can join us on mission.

We have a goal of raising $50,000 by the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1, which includes several special matching gifts and challenges from members of our community. We know we are stronger together, and we are grateful for your partnership in this mission. Join us in stepping Forward In Faith!