Light the World Catholic U

We hope your Easter Sunday is filled with love & blessings!

On this Ash Wednesday, we humbly ask the Lord to grant us perseverance & to pour out His graces on this fasting season

Yesterday we had the opportunity to walk alongside crowds of Pro-Life supporters at the 2024 March For Life!

If you were able to be apart of it, we hope you have safe travels home. Join us in continuing to pray for the human dignity of all life.

We congratulate Brian Rhude on his current position as Campus Minister at the Towson University within the Archdiocese of Baltimore!

We are truly thankful for the intentional hard work that he poured into the mission of Light the World. His commitment to accompanying young people on their journey of faith is a gift we are grateful to have received the past couple of years.

Prayers for him & the new community where the Lord is placing him to serve!

Today, we look back with gratitude at the many faithful men and women who joined us this summer as our morning and afternoon speakers!

CatholicU faculty and professionals who live their faith in their fields helped to open up the life of faith to our participants and shared their many gifts with us!

2023 participants, who was your favorite presenter?

What better way to start the week than by thanking the priests and bishops who ministered to our groups this summer at Mass, Adoration, and Confession!

To all our beloved priests, pictured and not, THANK YOU!

Oh…and a former participant, now seminarian, who made a surprise visit as well!

On our last full day together, we focused on faith and politics. In the morning, we heard from Dr. Elliot on how to be a faithful citizen. After lunch and a trip to the campus bookstore and the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception gift shop, we headed to the U.S. Capitol Building for a guided tour and learned about the history and art of the building. Afterwards, Ingrid Delgado, a Policy Advisor for the Office of Domestic Social Development for the USCCB spoke to us about her job as a Catholic in politics. We then celebrated mass and had a panel of young people talk about how they live their faith in their careers. In the evening, we wrapped up small groups by discussing God at work in our lives and participated in the Litany of Light prayer!

On Thursday, our group focused on faith and sports/service! In the morning, we heard from Chelsea Crosby from A Simple House of Sts. Francis and Alphonsus on her experience as a missionary. Then, our groups went out to various service sites on campus and in the city. Afterwards, we walked to CUA’s Raymond A. DuFour Athletic Center and Coach Gutelius, Head Coach for Catholic’s Football team, talked to us about his journey of faith. After some opportunity to play football, we heard from counselors Matt and Mary about their stories of discernment. We then traveled to Prince George’s Stadium for a Bowie Baysox Baseball Game! Back on campus, we prayed a rosary together.

Yesterday, LTW! focused faith and art. In the morning, we heard from Dr. Joshua Benson, Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at CUA, who led a virtual tour of the Basilica of St. Francis. After lunch, we also heard from Sarah Yaklic, Chief Digital Officer for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who shared about her career in digital evangelization. In the afternoon, we explored the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art before returning to campus for dinner. In the evening, we heard from counselor Aidan about a restoration to his relationship with God and participated in praise and worship adoration and confession. Lastly, we “cellar”brated our time together with ice cream and dancing!