Campus ministry's freshly established coffee shop aids students in meeting and experiencing Christ
The Catholic Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech is introducing a unique project called "Pour Into Others," combining a free coffee shop with Eucharistic adoration. This initiative, which received a RISE (Renewal through Innovative Student Evangelization) award of $10,500 from the Associates of St. John Bosco, aims to reach out to students, particularly those who are fallen-away Catholics or not involved in campus ministry.
The idea for the "Pour Into Others" project was developed by Father Peter Fogarty. The coffee shop will be held every Wednesday from 9am to 2pm in the ministry's Newman House.
The coffee shop event, held earlier this year, attracted many students, including those who had never been to the ministry's Newman House before. The ministry believes that this community space will allow students to build good community and grow in their relationship with Christ.
Unlike traditional coffee shops, the "Pour Into Others" coffee shop encourages a slower pace, promoting conversation and community among students. No to-go cups are provided, encouraging students to linger and talk with one another.
The coffee shop will also offer active ministry students a place for deeper conversations about their faith. The award money helped purchase a fancy espresso maker and employ a student barista.
The coffee shop will be held at the same time and place as Eucharistic adoration. A sign outside the door will welcome students to the coffee shop and remind them of Eucharistic adoration.
The RISE awards, launched by the Associates of St. John Bosco, aim to renew campus evangelization. ASJB hopes that these awards will lead to creativity and ingenuity, reaching more souls and preventing them from falling through the cracks.
It's worth noting that only 10% of the 6,000-7,000 people at Virginia Tech who were baptised Catholic attend Mass on Sunday. Hitzelberger, the director of Catholic Campus Ministry, aims to reach more students and help them feel more connected, with an estimated 800 students attending Mass on Sunday.
This initiative is not a first for the Catholic Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech. Three campus ministries, including Virginia Tech, Catholic University of America, and George Mason University, received RISE awards this year. The plans for each awarded project will be posted on the ASJB's website so that ministries across the country can replicate them.
The coffee shop idea was inspired by multiple factors, including the need for places for students to meet and the success of a local Protestant ministry's donation-based coffee shop. The ministry hopes that the "Pour Into Others" coffee shop will become a hub for students to connect, grow in faith, and deepen their relationship with Christ.
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