Today's Jesuit Universities

[Lighthouse 84]

Ok, first off, I have to say, I'm an empty nester for the first time.  My oldest is a senior at I4 and my twins went different directions.  My son to I4 (both at Kelley) and my daughter to SLU.  Here's my issue for Scoop:

My daughter has been at SLU for two weeks.  However, ever since she got there, she's been thinking the majority of SLU students are extremely religious, almost to the point of unbearable.  Keep in mind she picked a Jesuit university because she likes her Catholic faith.  I've told her give it a chance, she'll meet many people who aren't that way and that there are students who only want to party their collective asses off and a bunch of students in between those extremes.  She seems to think most are the religious type.

Now the question.....has anyone else found this to be true of SLU, that there are far more overly religious types than not?  Are MU and other Jesuit universities this way also?  Or is it in my daughter's (and some of her floormate's) mind?  I got out of MU in 1984 and back then, I don't think I knew anyone who was like that.  I knew many who regularly attended mass (me included) but no one I'd consider uncomfortably religious.

Thanks to all parents of current students at SLU, MU, Creighton, Loyola, etc. and current students who reply.  I truly want to know if my daughter's perception is reality or she just needs to get out more and meet other students. 

[warriorchick]

Ok, first off, I have to say, I'm an empty nester for the first time.  My oldest is a senior at I4 and my twins went different directions.  My son to I4 (both at Kelley) and my daughter to SLU.  Here's my issue for Scoop:

My daughter has been at SLU for two weeks.  However, ever since she got there, she's been thinking the majority of SLU students are extremely religious, almost to the point of unbearable.  Keep in mind she picked a Jesuit university because she likes her Catholic faith.  I've told her give it a chance, she'll meet many people who aren't that way and that there are students who only want to party their collective asses off and a bunch of students in between those extremes.  She seems to think most are the religious type.

Now the question.....has anyone else found this to be true of SLU, that there are far more overly religious types than not?  Are MU and other Jesuit universities this way also?  Or is it in my daughter's (and some of her floormate's) mind?  I got out of MU in 1984 and back then, I don't think I knew anyone who was like that.  I knew many who regularly attended mass (me included) but no one I'd consider uncomfortably religious.

Thanks to all parents of current students at SLU, MU, Creighton, Loyola, etc. and current students who reply.  I truly want to know if my daughter's perception is reality or she just needs to get out more and meet other students. 

MU certainly isn't.

[Lighthouse 84]

Thanks Chick.

[MUbaseball49]

Daughter a sophomore at Creighton - no, not even close
Son a freshman at MU - no so far
Lots of both kids' friends at SLU - no based on knowing them from our town

I think your advice is prudent - give it time and get out more...

[muhoosier260]

MU isn't at all. I'm not Catholic, and I never felt out of place at Marquette.

[MUsoxfan]

I'm not religious at all. I never felt out of place at MU. Father Naus became the man I most admire away from my immediate family because he truly understood.

[ChicosBailBonds]

MU is the anti-Catholic university at times.  I felt you had to really seek it to find it, which always amazed me for a "Catholic" university.

Never heard that about SLU.

[drewm88]

I truly want to know if my daughter's perception is reality or she just needs to get out more and meet other students. 

Needs to get out more. In my experience with Jes schools (which numbers around 6 or 8), SLU may be one of the more religious ones, but it's still FAR from what she describes.

[Coleman]

SLU definitely isn't as big as a party school as MU, basketball isn't as big a deal, so there are some things that might attract a more religious person there vs. MU. Plus, SLU has a seminary on campus, whereas MU does not. These things might contribute to her perception. And if she is in an all female dorm vs coed that also might attract a more religious person.

Overall, Jesuit schools do not attract an overly religious type, in my experience. Practicing Catholics have lots of opportunities for worship and campus ministry but I wouldn't say others would feel uncomfortable.

It sounds to me like it was just (bad) luck of the draw for your daughter and she lives with some girls who are more on the religious side. She will eventually make friends who are more like her and will feel comfortable soon enough.

[Chili]

Needs to get out more. In my experience with Jes schools (which numbers around 6 or 8), SLU may be one of the more religious ones, but it's still FAR from what she describes.

misread your statement. nothing to see here. continue on. bourbon!!!!

[LloydMooresLegs]

I was visiting SLU w/ my HS sr. the weekend your daughter moved in; the admin people said 50% Catholic.  A fair amount of emphasis on spirtuallity and service.  First 15 minutes of the admin presentation were by a Jesuit (Fr. Rampola) who discussed what makes a Jesuit eduction different.  I found the entre presentation to strike the right balance of not being afraid to show Jesuit/Catholic stripes while also emphasizing that it is a university intentionally open and inviting to all.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

So we can agree Marquette is not becoming like SLU?

[mu_hilltopper]

I never felt that MU was a religious school, not in the classroom, nor out.

Amongst my friends and roommates through 4 years, I knew of a grand total of zero who went to mass.  True, likely some did and I just didn't know about it, but that'd indicate that no one wore their religiousness on their sleeve at MU.

[keefe]

Doesn't Marquette still have Jesuits living in the dorms? Rick Abert and Frank Majka lived in McCormick and we had floor Masses and other faith-centric activities. Many classrooms had a crucifix on the wall - imagine the outrage at State U over that simple thing.

[Coleman]

Doesn't Marquette still have Jesuits living in the dorms? Rick Abert and Frank Majka lived in McCormick and we had floor Masses and other faith-centric activities. Many classrooms had a crucifix on the wall - imagine the outrage at State U over that simple thing.

Fr. Andy Thon, SJ was still living in McCormick during my years on campus (2004-2008), but I think that most of the dorms now have lay chaplains/campus ministers.

There was a mass celebrated in the Schroeder Hall chapel once a week on Wednesdays at 10 am, but I think most people went to masses at Joan of Arc, Chapel of the Holy Family (in the AMU), or Gesu vs. chapels in the dorms. I never went to mass on Sundays, but usually did the Tuesday night mass with Fr. Naus at Joan of Arc.

The sad fact is that the number of Jesuits on campus is dwindling. I think the new Jes Res will have accommodations for only about 30 Jesuits.

Most classrooms do still have crucifixes. I rather like that small piece of Catholic identity at Marquette. It is not in your face, but a small reminder of why the school exists in the first place. However, I am of the opinion that the number of crucifixes and roman collars on campus does not make a school more or less Catholic. These are superficial metrics and the real measure of Catholicity is in the lives of the students, the number of hours they devote to service, the way they treat one another and their positive impact on the larger Milwaukee community.

[GGGG]

Thanks to all parents of current students at SLU, MU, Creighton, Loyola, etc. and current students who reply.  I truly want to know if my daughter's perception is reality or she just needs to get out more and meet other students. 

I think regardless if SLU is more overtly Catholic or not, that your daughter should get out to meet more people.  I would guess there are plenty of people there who aren't so extremely religious, and that she should be able to find a friend group.  Maybe a student group on some subject of interest?

Or maybe she won't and would like to transfer.  A lot of kids do.  She shouldn't view it as some sort of failure on her part if she does.

[PBRme]

I remember the priest walking down the halls and knocking on doors Sunday morning before Mass saying "get your A$$e$ to Mass

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I remember the priest walking down the halls and knocking on doors Sunday morning before Mass saying "get your A$$e$ to Mass

If that happened to me I woulda transfered right then and there. But yea MU is hardly religious for a catholic university.

[Benny B]

I think regardless if SLU is more overtly Catholic or not, that your daughter should get out to meet more people.  I would guess there are plenty of people there who aren't so extremely religious, and that she should be able to find a friend group.  Maybe a student group on some subject of interest?

Or maybe she won't and would like to transfer.  A lot of kids do.  She shouldn't view it as some sort of failure on her part if she does.

Exactly.  I'm sure there's even freshmen at BYU right now (namely, the ones who are road tripping to Park City every weekend), thinking "hey, this place isn't nearly as religious as I thought it was."

[CTWarrior]

I have many friends and two siblings who went to Fairfield and a sister who went to Fordham, and neither school was particularly religious at all.

[Coleman]

Also, if people think MU is non-religious, check out Loyola Chicago. Besides the fact that they still have a Jesuit President, Catholicism is not shoved down your throat at all there.

[muwarrior69]

When I attended in the 60s MU required 12 theology and 12 philosophy credits for me to get my degree as a Catholic. Non-Catholics had to make up those credits from humanities courses of their choosing. Perhaps my generation would be considered too religious by your daughter as many of us attended mass everyday, however, I never encountered anyone you would call pious, virtuous or a goody two shoes. We studied hard, played hard and when we were of age drank hard.

[mu_hilltopper]

When I attended in the 60s ... as many of us attended mass everyday.

OMG, seriously?

[muwarrior69]

OMG, seriously?

Yes! In fact I went everyday except Sunday. I sang tenor at the Presbyterian Church on 10th St. at their 9 and 11 am services on Sunday. They paid me fifty dollars a month which wasn't bad money back then.

[swoopem]

I went to mass twice during my time at MU. The first time was my brother's baccalaureate mass and the second was during mine.

In 2008 we had a snow day on Ash Wednesday. After a long day of partying half of the crew went to get their ashes and the other half chose to skip the ashes and go to Hagerty's for double your dough instead. I was sans ashes that year.