The Catholic Weekly 21 June 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 10 NEWS 21, June, 2020 ADVERTORIAL I’M OFTEN asked what it is that dis- tinguishes Australian Catholic Uni- versity (ACU) from other Australian universities. Well, as a Catholic university, ACU engages the Catholic intellec- tual tradition to foster a learning en- vironment where students and staff develop their unique gifts through reflection, service and intellectual inquiry. ACU’s mission statement is im- mersed in the tenets of Catholic social teaching, which compels our university to make a contribution to the community guided by a commit- ment to serving the common good. These values are at the core of the university’s identity and bind mem- bers of the ACU community across diverse backgrounds, faiths, cultures and traditions. It is within this con- text that ACU supports a Campus Ministry presence for its students and staff. Each ACU campus has a Campus Ministry team dedicated to the pas- toral needs and spiritual wellbeing of the entire university communi- ty – religious or not. ACU’s Campus Ministry was created to care for the whole person by working to bring the divine into the everyday, by applying our Catholic identity and mission to a range of programs and activities. All faiths are welcome to engage the chaplains and pastoral asso- ciates who host a range of social events, provide hang-out spaces, offer reflection and prayer experi- ences, and keep their doors open for when students and staff need to chat. Across our campuses, weekly Connect Groups bring students to- gether to have wide-ranging conver- sations about faith, life and culture. Random Acts of Kindness Day are held each semester, which bring to life our university mission. Every ACU campus has a chapel where students and staff are invited to join daily Mass, Adoration and the opportunity for Reconciliation. During the day our chapels are open for students, staff and our local com- munities to take some time out and enjoy reflect. One of the most significant devel- opments for ACU Campus Ministry has been a new volunteer leader- ship program for students, known as Frontier. Launched in early 2018, the Frontier program embarked with the goal of creating faith-inspired students who would be the next gen- eration of Catholic leaders. By the beginning of this year, the innovative program has grown in popularity across every ACU cam- pus, with more than 150 students now having participated as Frontier team members. The students work withinCampusMinistry at their local campus to engage the ACU student community on the topic of Catholic faith and living out themission of the university. A key element to the pro- gram is being paired with a mentor working and leading in the student’s area of study. The year-long program allows undergraduate students from any discipline to get involved. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic saw Campus Ministry mobilise to continue their support of the university’s students and staff through a range of online activities and programs. Online programs for staff include silent meditations, national staff af- ternoon teas and individual pastoral conversations. Inspired by a news report on the initiative, a federal gov- ernment candidate reached out to ACU Campus Ministry in Brisbane for support. Online activities for students in- cluded the first ‘Encounter Live’ event, which saw more than 80 young people from all ACU campus- es join in for online social games, a reflection on the theme of renewal and prayer time and reflection, in- cluding Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The launch of these activities coincided with the unveiling of ACU Campus Ministry’s microsite, https://campusministry.acu.edu . au, a dedicated resource that pro- vides on-going pastoral care for the university community, even when they’re not on campus. At ACU we care about you and your story, and we want your time at university to be more than just a degree. That’s why ACU offers stu- dents a unique higher education ex- perience, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, that serves to inspire thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service in graduates to help build a better world for the future. Professor Greg Craven is Vice-Chancellor and President of Australian Catholic University. A unique higher education experience grounded in the Catholic tradition Professor Greg Craven ACU acu.edu.au/mission Well rounded, grounded in mission. ACU’s mission state- ment is immersed in the tenets of Catho- lic social teaching, which compels our university to make a contri- bution to the community guided by a commitment to serving the common good.