Jennifer Monsalve was appointed the new Director of Campus Ministry which is an integral part of our mission at Felician University. Campus Ministry’s goal is to foster a positive and loving community that is inclusive of all peoples, backgrounds, and beliefs, and where faith can be put into action. Jennifer answered a few questions for us to help you get to know her better.

What brought you to Felician University?
When I began the job search, I knew I wanted to stay home in Bergen County and continue working in Campus Ministry, if possible. As a college student I benefitted from participating in Campus Ministry and interning in the office. In Campus Ministry I found a team committed to form students as whole and integrated persons, prepared to live out their faith and respond to the needs of others with compassion. My personal experience of encountering Jesus Christ during my undergraduate studies led me to believe so passionately in the Mission of Campus Ministry. When I discovered the job opening at Felician University, it immediately caught my attention. What a privilege it would be to serve the students at Felician University through the Campus Ministry office. Additionally, I was drawn to the university’s Franciscan Spirituality and Felician Heritage. Specifically, learning that the Felician sisters live on campus was like discovering a treasure!

How do our Felician Core Values and the Felician University Mission play a role in your life?
The Mission and Felician Core Values are at the heart of the university. It guides what the university does and how they do it. For me, the invitation to live out these Felician Core Values and the Mission is directly linked to my personal fiat and intimate communion with God. For Campus Ministry, it will affect how we care for the spiritual needs of all our students, regardless of denomination or faith tradition.

How did your past experiences prepare you for this role as our new Director of Campus Ministry?
During my years in El Salvador and Colombia after college, I worked with young adults and served them in a pastoral way. Upon returning home to NJ, I began working in the Campus Ministry office at Saint Peter’s University. My various experiences have confirmed for me the need college students have to build community founded in faith, friendship, and heart.

What are you most excited about and looking forward to here at Felician?
I’m most excited to get to know the students and witness how God works in their lives. Every student has a story to tell, and the Lord reveals Himself uniquely to every individual. I’m looking forward to discovering the divine presence within each student I encounter and learn from these relationships.

What do you envision for the future of Campus Ministry at Felician?
I envision Campus Ministry at Felician University being a vibrant, active office with tremendous student engagement. Campus Ministry is place of spiritual, faith and pastoral support that fosters the active sacramental life of our campus community while inviting students to personal and spiritual growth through reflection, faith formation, fellowship, service, and retreats. Campus Ministry is a welcoming office for all students, regardless of faith tradition or life situation.