Hispanic Student Outreach

The United States Conference of Bishops and V Encuentro call Campus Ministries to creat spaces for the growing population of Hispanic young adults in colleges and universities. We at Campus Ministry have been offering opportunities for Hispanic students with the aim of building community and celebrating and enriching their faith and traditions.

caFE y Amigos

Celebrando the Fe juntos - Monthly gatherings with food and fellowship. This event is brought to students by a collaboration between Campus Ministry and Catholic Studies Latino Scholars with the aim to offer Latino students the opportunity to gather to celebrate their faith together.

Latin@ Student Retreats

Organized by Campus Ministry since 2015, this event has nurtured students' experience of faith and community. This initiative was born because of the need for students to connect and share their faith in their own language, to create the space for community - which is a central aspect of Hispanic culture - and to connect them with other students of faith.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a central celebration for Latino communities. At St. Thomas, we celebrate with a bilingual Mass, Serenata and Fiesta, where students share their love for Our Lady and the significance of this festivity for the immigrant communities.

Las Posadas

We have sponsored Las Posadas every December in collaboration with DAB and Student Affairs. This is a traditional festive Christmas celebration in Latin America, which commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus. The theme of knocking and being rejected offers space for reflection on the reality of immigrant communities today. The festivities are accompanied with song and a beautiful fiesta at the inn that welcomes them at the end.

Other programs offered in the past

Tardes de Cafe: An informal afternoon gathering to share faith and community

Service Day: A day of service in an immigrant community setting working with immigrant children

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Pilgrimage: A visit to the Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse, Wisconsin