Intern Insights

Deepening the Student Experience
By Leslie Bolger

Andrea Stiles has recently come to join the College of Mount St Joseph community as the director of campus ministry. Initially, Andrea was attracted to the college because of the great sense of community and her love for Cincinnati.

Andrea’s greatest influence, however, was Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Nancy Bramlage. S. Nancy was the campus minister that Andrea got to know while attending the University of Dayton – and her inspiration. Andrea joked that instead of her true major in college, she majored in campus ministry.

Today, as the college’s director of campus ministry, Andrea helps coordinate all of the religious activities and outreach programs on campus. This isn’t always an easy task. There is considerable outreach to students, and many who seek out campus ministry on their own. Campus ministry offers a variety of faith programs, as well as justice and service programs and retreats.

Although Andrea works at the college, her programs oftentimes involve the Sisters of Charity, who founded the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1920. Through Pizza and Ponder, a monthly lunchtime discussion on social justice, S. Ruth Kuhn recently discussed investing your money in ethical companies and organizations. The session was called, “Do YOU Care Where Your Money Goes?”

S. Ruth said she feels “very at home at the Mount. I am just really thrilled that individuals like Andrea are putting together things like this to broaden the experience of the students.”

With S. Monica Gundler’s help, Andrea was able to match 40 Sisters of Charity with students as prayer partners this past year. The Sisters pray for the students throughout the year.

S. Ruth Hunt was one of the Sisters volunteering as a prayer partner. “I think that the enthusiasm of youth and their experiences joined with the life experiences of those of us who have reached our ‘golden years’ have much to share with each other,” she said.

The Sisters of Charity also have been involved with retreats at the college such as the busy persons retreat, which typically occurs in the spring.

Andrea has become an integral part of the college community, and helps the college preserve and carry on the tradition of its Sisters of Charity founders.

College of Mount St. Joseph Director of Campus Ministry Andrea Stiles (middle) works with members of the College of Mount St. Joseph Campus Ministry Leadership Team (from left) Sam Gaier, Ella Frede, Stephanie Schoenfeld and Laura Leisring to involve students in a variety of faith programs, as well as justice and service programs and retreats.

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Leslie Bolger is a senior at the College of Mount St. Joseph majoring in communications/paralegal. She is a service learning student in the SC Communications Office this fall.

 

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