Yes, St. Ed’s is a Catholic school and yes we have a chapel on campus, but I have chosen not to be a parishioner of Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel and here is why:
Time
Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel only offers Sunday mass twice a day: once at 10:30 AM and the other at 9 pm. The University Catholic Center (UT’s Catholic church) offers FOUR different mass times every Sunday! This gives me time to get what I need to get done on Sunday and time to attend mass that is not so late in the evening. The four scheduled mass times also gives me no excuse to miss Sunday mass.
Praise and Worship
The UCC holds many praises and worship services throughout the year which I love and unfortunately, Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel regularly does not offer (at least to my knowledge). Praise and worship are basically a time where believers gather and sing in the Lord’s glory. It is also a great time of reflection and prayer.
Community
I have attended mass on campus from time to time, but I have felt somewhat of a disconnect or lack of sense of community. The moment I walked into the UCC I felt welcomed and it felt that this should be my parish. Mass at the UCC always begins with greeting your neighbors (like Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel does), but then it ends with celebrating any birthdays and anniversaries which is something that I love and it is another great way to learn more about your fellow parishioners! Also, a number of clubs and ministries the UCC offers is crazy! There is something for everyone to join! I have never experienced singing the SEU fight song at the end of mass, but during football season, the UCC usually sings the UT fight song which I have come to learn. It is fun and exciting to see the priest and the whole parish not only full of the Holy Spirit but full of excitement for the upcoming game!
Fr. Jimmy
Fr. Jimmy is one of my favorite priests. One of the reasons why is because he is a recent UT grad aka Fr. Jimmy is young. I enjoy having a younger priest because he tends to give a homily that is more relatable to people of college age. This makes understanding the scripture and how it is related to my daily life a lot easier.
Venmo
This may sound silly, but Venmo is another reason why I love the UCC! In this day and age, many of us do not have cash on us at all times and do not get me started about checks, so what are you supposed to do about Sunday collection? Instead of not participating in the collection, the UCC has made it convenient for all students to contribute by creating a Venmo account where parishioners can contribute their electronic contribution to.
At the end of the day, find a parish that speaks to you! Try different churches out until you find the one for you!