Welcome to Stanford!

Dear New Stanford Students:

     Welcome to Stanford!  We, the Catholic Community at Stanford, are glad you’re here.  We’ve been preparing for your arrival and will do our best to help you feel at home.  You’ve been through orientations to help you navigate your way around campus.  Catholic life at Stanford may resemble what you’ve been accustomed to in other places; in some ways it will be different.  Here are a few things it may help you to know.

     Some of you have Spanish as your first language.  We have Mass in Spanish once a month.  The first will be on Sunday, October  16,  at 3pm in Memorial Church.  We also have cards with the Order of the Mass printed in English.  Soon you’ll know the responses of the Mass in English; this card can help in the meantime.  Just ask for one.

     You’ll hear about activities for our Young Adults.  Those are persons living and working in the area but who are not current Stanford students. We have separate leadership teams and activities for graduate and undergraduate students.  There are retreats, socials service projects and classes designed for you.

     One major difference between the Catholic Community at Stanford and most Catholic communities you may have experienced is that, for the most part, we don’t own our own buildings. Most staff offices are located  on the 3rd floor of Old Union in the CIRCLE, an interfaith setting.  Many of our meetings take place there or at the Graduate Community Center, residence halls or other campus venues.  We do own a cluster of cottages on Stanford Avenue which we call “the annex.”  Some graduate dinners are held there.

     Many Catholics new to Stanford assume that Memorial Church, where we hold our 4:30pm and 10:00pm Masses, is a Catholic church.  It is not.  We are a chaplaincy to a non-Catholic institution, analogous to the church’s chaplaincies to non-Catholic hospitals, prisons or military bases.

  We are given use of Memorial Church, which we share with other faith groups.  Many concerts and lectures take place in Memorial Church, too.  We have our 10:30 am Mass in the Oak Room of Tresidder Student Union because the church is not available to us on Sunday morning.

     There are no kneeling benches in these spaces; consequently the assembly stands during the Eucharistic prayer.  Some initially find this irreverent.  It needn’t be, for reverence is an attitude of heart.  As your pastor, and presider at the eucharist, I’d prefer that you stand with the rest of the assembly.  If, however, you find that this disturbs your prayer, then kneel.

     There is no tabernacle in Memorial Church so the Blessed Sacrament is not reserved there.  We do have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each Tuesday night from 9 to 10:30pm in the Sanctuary on the 3rd floor of Old Union.  There are no confessional booths, but we have twice weekly scheduled confessions, Advent and Lenten reconciliation services, and both priests hear confessions by appointment and on retreats  Staff members are regularly called upon for counseling.  You’ll find our contact information on the cover of the bulletin.

     Keep in mind Jesus’ promise to be with us always and everywhere.  You’ll find the Spirit of God all over Stanford, and whether you’re conscious of it or not, in every breath you take here.  The same God who loved you wherever you’ve come from is loving you faithfully here.  Those of us who got here before you will do all we can to help make that obvious.  Again...welcome to Stanford.

Love,

Father Nathan Castle, OP

Pastor, Catholic Community at Stanford