My life, experiences as campus minister

Abigail Rapillo News Editor

People are often confused by what the difference between being a campus minister and being a residential assistant is.

I tend to reference back to training. We both arrived two weeks early, but while the RAs were in various training sessions, we were doing yoga and taking a nature walk. I think this speaks to the absolutely crazy amount of work RAs take on, as we CMs also spend more of our lives running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

I knew I wanted to be a campus minister since my first semester at Iona, but it was not in God’s plan for me to apply to be a CM my sophomore year. I had a lot of growing to do before I was ready. But as soon as I was, God opened the path to me. Living in Rice Hall may not have been what I had in mind, but after a semester there, I can see what Carl [Procario-Foley, director of the Office of Mission and Ministry] and God had in mind for me and the other residents.

Lots of students on campus are confused as to what CMs do. You see us everywhere, but what exactly are we doing? The answer contains a lot of little things and a few big things.

The other residential hall CMs and I have the responsibility of being in charge of the spiritual life in each dorm. This requires that we interact with our residents and hold open door nights once a week. We also provide spiritual leadership across campus. I am not limited to only serving those in Rice; I have also served students in the other residence halls because I happened to cross paths with them. We attend mass every Sunday at 6 p.m. at Holy Family Church and encourage others to come.

Each CM also has an officer role. This requires various amounts of work depending on the week. I have been asked to make brochures, find volunteers, help plan events – basically anything my supervisor asks me to do. We are required to meet with our supervisor once a week as well. I am lucky enough to have a supervisor who just gives me what she wants me to do ahead of time, so I can work on it when the time is available.

Now, this is easy enough to do if the only thing that you are involved in is campus ministry. No CM is only a CM. Two CMs are on the SGA e-board, many are involved in Greek Life, others in sports and a few of us are also in the Honors Program. This causes us all to spend our days running around, but we somehow make time for it all.

I know that I spend my days running from meeting to class, to another meeting to rehearsal for Vocal Ensemble. If you see me on campus, I’m probably just barely on schedule for the next thing I need to do. People ask me when I get all my work done and I answer honestly: I have no idea. It all somehow gets done, usually on a Saturday or at 1 a.m., simply because that is when I finally find the time.

I think that there is nothing more rewarding than being a CM. You talk to so many people and get to see students grow in different ways on service trips, possibly more than even their friends see. I have the unique opportunity to not only serve here at the college but also in the local area at Songcatchers, my service project. I love music and I love being around kids. This project brings those two together and I get to watch these students grow along with the Iona students that come with me.

A certain joy comes with being able to connect with people on the level of service. You connect with people differently when you are there to serve them in the dorms, when you serve together at a service project or when you do the background work for OMM.

It would be a lie to say that it is always easy to manage and balance all my responsibilities. The truth is that the hard work is worth it and this position has helped me to grow in ways I had not imagined when I was a freshman admiring from afar.

To contact The Ionian’s Abigail Rapillo, email her at [email protected]