Of the more than 40,000 students at the University, he speculates that some ten to twelve thousand are Catholic.
“Right now”, Randal said, “we serve 2,500 students at weekly Mass.” On holy days like Ash Wednesday, he pointed out however, “that number has jumped to 5,000.”
He noted out that St. John’s simply doesn’t have the facilities to minister to this burgeoning population in the ways they would like to.
“We want the cafeteria”, he said in particular, “to be a central gathering place for students on campus.”
Indeed, St. John’s location--in the heart of campus--makes it desirable real estate even for non-Catholic students.
There is a dual function, Randal said. “To feed students physically, but also spiritually.”
He added that the major thinking of the ministry is that “you can minister to a student who lives with you much more effectively than if they just come here for Mass once in a while.”
The current project, which is slated to be completed in June of next year, is being billed at an estimated $40 million dollars.
(Story continues below)
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