When the last edition of the crier came out, I was intrigued by an article titled “Why we need a Benedictine monk to lead Campus Ministry.” Naturally, as a campus ministry enjoyer, I was intrigued. However, after reading the argument, and after giving it much thought, I believe I must respond, as I find that this article has a misguided view of the purpose of Campus Ministry, and likewise its director.

Firstly, the office of Campus Ministry is not to act as the “unified catholic front” for Saint Anselm College, the so-called “bastion of Catholic truth.” The role of a campus ministry is to serve the faiths of all people within the campus community at large. Fun Fact: We aren’t the only campus to have a ministry office, which may be shocking for some readers. Brandeis, Boston University, and MIT all have ministry offices, all of which cater to different religions at their schools. Brandeis, being a Jewish College, caters to both Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim students on campus. But it isn’t just them; Holy Cross, DuPaul, and Catholic American are all Catholic colleges; all have ministry offices, all serve people of diverse faith backgrounds found on their campuses, and all post on their Instagram feeds wishing people Happy Hanukkah and Happy Quanza, “over-promoting” these “agnostic sentiments” just like we have.

There are also some other comments that I would call unwise to mention when endorsing a new Campus Ministry director. In what way does the so-called “ontological but fundamental difference between men and women in the Catholic Church” have anything to do with the position of director? From my personal perspective, it came off as suggesting that women were not fit for the role, which makes no sense, since Sue Gabert, Dean of Students, was once the director of Campus Ministry, longer than Gregg! Is the thought of a woman leading Campus Ministry something that “contradicts the magisterium?” Would you say the same thing if there were nuns on campus, and do you think they would appreciate it?

But even still, your argument that “any of the monks would make great candidates for the vacant position of director” is misguided. The monks, yes, are all campus ministers “through their vocation to the order of St. Benedict,” but it doesn’t mean that they are all perfect for the position. I agree that Fr. Francis (interim director of Campus Ministry) is the perfect choice, but that is in the context of what he does within the office and his experience working there, not because he wears robes and says mass. Also, your claim that their work in upholding the Catholic church is also wrong. Fr. Francis made an email wishing the Muslim community on campus a happy Ramadan, so it should go to show that just because he is a monk doesn’t mean he is going to neglect the representation of other faiths on campus.

However, I must clarify. When I write this, I do not write for the office. Rather, I write in support of the work that Gregg did in the short time that he was here. Your definition of our going against Catholic social teaching would push many people who frequent Campus ministry out of the office. It would lose the welcoming environment that Gregg was able to establish effectively, and that hopefully will be continued, because of the fact that he allowed people regardless of their background to come into the office as equals. That he loved each and every one of them unconditionally, which is the most Catholic thing a person can do.

I leave with this. The word Catholic means “universal; all embracing.” If we were to not represent the diverse people that come through our office, we would not be a campus ministry office. We would not be doing our part to help those in our Saint Anselm community express their beliefs in a way that they would not feel threatened or hated amongst the general student population. My mother is Jewish, and I celebrate her faith with her, though I am a Catholic. It is the most joyous thing to experience other religions, and to let those cultures come to light equally with our Catholic values. It pains me to think that we should advocate for not allowing someone like my mom to express her beliefs in a space designated for the equal expression of belief. Respect is the name of the game, and refusing to acknowledge other religions on campus is not respect. With that being said, Ramadan Mubarak St. A’s!