Felician University marked October 4 – October 10 as “Mission & Heritage Week.” This year’s theme was “Reclaiming the Vision” and according to Andy Fellows, Director of Campus Ministry, the week was a time to, “look back at the mission of Felician University as a Felician Franciscan institution, so that we can look forward with a vision towards the future.”

Students celebrating Mission & Heritage Week at Felician University

The week began Sunday, October 4th with a celebration of the feast day of St. Francis and a mass at 7:30pm in Sammartino Hall in Alden Trust with a homily by Fr. Tom Ruekert dedicated to the beginning of Mission & Heritage week focusing on St. Francis. Masses have been celebrated on ground since the end of August with masks required and physical distancing rules followed.

Monday, October 5 got off to a sweet start with free desserts being given out from 11am to 1pm as a special way to greet students. The free sweets were accompanied by information on Blessed Mary Angela, the foundress of the Felician Sisters. Fellows says “students, and sometimes even faculty and staff know the name Blessed Mary Angela but don’t really know what she did or why she is important.” Students also decorated several dozen “kindness rocks” on Monday to beautify campus but also to spread inspiration and maybe a little comfort. As Fellows explains it, “You’re walking to class one morning, and maybe you have a test or are not having such a great day when you see a colorful little rock with some inspiration.” The rocks carry messages such as, “I am the only thing that I can control” “hold on, pain ends” or one quoting St. Francis that reads, “a single sunbeam is enough to drive away shadows.”

Tuesday October 6 was time for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conversation with Dr. Juliana Mosley. Fellows says the talk was timely and was, “purposely placed during the week to make sure that no one is left on the outside which is really important to a Felician Institution.” The conversation featured a portion for students and one for faculty and staff.

I am the one thing in life I can control

On Wednesday, canned goods were collected for the “Our Sisters’ Pantry” food pantry that will open soon on campus. Until it does, donations of canned vegetables and fruit, soups and stews, and other dry goods such as pasta and rice can be left at either of the two Felician University libraries.

Thursday was marked with a Blessing of the Animals at 1pm on the Lodi campus which Fellows says is big each year, “because of our Franciscan heritage, and of St. Francis’ relationship, not just to animals, but to nature, and to finding God in everything around us.” Then at 4pm on Thursday it was time for a walking tour of the Lodi Campus lead by Sr. Annelle and Sr. Antonelle. “There’s so much history to the Lodi area and campus that so many of us don’t know about, but the sisters certainly do because they have been there for so many years” says Fellows.

On Friday campus ministry put out a call for people to get involved with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) which has reported a deficit of volunteers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The week ended Saturday with the launch of the Day of Giving virtual funding raising event.

Fellows says Mission Week dove tailed nicely with the release of the new Encyclical by Pope Francis called Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers). “It’s subtitled: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, and the big themes of it come back to so much of our Franciscan spirituality,” said Fellows who added that Pope Francis “talks over and over again about being in relationship, which is something that we talk about extensively here at Felician.”

The office of Campus Ministry is located on the first floor of Obal Hall on the Lodi Campus.

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About Felician University

Felician University engages over 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students through programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Education. Universal Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University’s education is ranked 3rd best return on investment for private colleges in New Jersey 2018 by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and is ranked #1 safest college campus in the state by niche.com in 2018.