College is a time for reinvention and self-discovery. Students switch their majors, their future plans, even their perspective on the world. College may be many students’ first time consciously making the decision to practice or not practice their religion or faith. For some, this means defining, reaffirming or questioning their faith. For freshman Biochemistry student AJ Liles, it was the latter.

“I’d say from child[hood] to high school, I was very religious, and once I entered high school and AP Bio, my mindset kind of started to change to more of a scientific standpoint rather than a religious standpoint,” Liles said.

Iona, as a Catholic institution, gives on-campus resources for students from all walks of life who are questioning, discovering or attempting to connect with their faith.

“I find that there are good core people who were exposed to religion in [their] growing up years and they want to continue on that,” Dr. Carl Procario-Foley, the director of the Office of Mission and Ministry said. “There’s a good core people who were exposed to religion and they just had enough. They just want to take a break… Then there’s a good core of students who value the spiritual but not necessarily the religious [aspects], so they’ll welcome a prayer service [or] a candlelight prayer.”

Iona has opportunities for every kind of student to feel included and involved in their faith while on campus. College can form the foundation for how a person practices religion or faith or what they choose to believe. The Office of Mission and Ministry works to ensure that every student has an outlet available to them, no matter what path they decide to follow.

“I think what people find that they’re not really necessarily into going to church, but they could see themselves be interested in service work or occasional prayer service, or even a weekend retreat,” Procario-Foley said.

The opportunities on campus interest a wide array of students. They also offer the opportunity for individuals to branch out and figure out where they stand with their own faith and religion.

“It’s interesting because you also get a lot of [diversity]…in [programs and retreats] which is really great to see, because a lot of times people have misconceptions of what [the campus ministers’] role on campus is,” junior and Campus Minister Gabriella Colon said. “It’s a good opportunity for people to see that [religion] is not something that needs to be a part of your college experience if you come to a Catholic college, it’s really what you make of it.”

That said, there is always room for improvement, as perspectives on inclusion and the meaning of faith changes and develops. Expansion on the resources the campus has available could also make an impact.

“The [Campus Ministers], they’re definitely there to help you all the time, [to] help you come closer with your faith, but I think it doesn’t help that we have 13 right now, but [the college] cut them down to 10,” Liles said. “Now there’s three less, which I think isn’t going to help anything. I’d say go back to 13 at least for now because I think [the resource] definitely helps.”

Junior Justin Pellegrino has been a campus minister at Iona for almost two years.

“Being an altar boy growing up and going to Catholic mass, that’s how I practice my religion and I believe in Jesus Christ…but also I think along with everything that I do believe in, I also struggle to sometimes believe as well,” Pellegrino said. “When I came to college, it solidified my religion and my faith as a Catholic Christian. Being here [at] Iona, being [at] a Catholic college, I think aided me in [feeling more] comfortable to explore in more depth being a Catholic.”

Pellegrino isn’t the only campus minister who has connected with their faith more since starting college.

“[Faith] is something that’s very important for me, just because it’s kind of a way for me to reflect,” Colon said. “I never really was able to just sit down and think about everything that’s going on in my life, so I feel like faith for me was kind of a way for me to understand what’s going on around me.”

Both Colon and Pellegrino will be returning as Campus Ministers in the fall.

The Office of Mission and Ministry offers several ways to get involved, such as community service projects like Midnight Run, Project Sunshine, Prison Ministry, Project Family Soup Kitchen and much more. More information can be found on Iona’s website under Mission and Ministry.