Campus Ministry Year in Review 2025-26

As the year draws to a close, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on all the blessings and joys experienced throughout Campus Ministry this year. The Campus Ministry year began early, with students and staff helping our newest Pirates on Move-In Day. Move-In Day was the beginning of a special week of Campus Ministry’s Welcome Week events. Throughout the first week of students returning to campus, two Move-In Masses, two pizza parties, a cornhole tournament, Welcome Back Mass and the annual Kick-Off BBQ took place. Welcome Week is always a special time to connect with new students and help them feel at home at Seton Hall.

The events for our new Pirates continued in September with our annual Freshman Retreat at the Liebenzell Retreat Center at Schooley’s Mountain. The weekend was full of fun and community-building as 25 freshmen took a leap of faith and joined Campus Ministry. As the freshmen began to settle in, Campus Ministry hosted many other fun events throughout the fall semester highlighted by Little Italy Night which drew a crowd of nearly 250 students for a night full of Italian food, music and games. Beyond Little Italy Night, Campus Ministry hosted several other fun Campus Ministry Night events ranging from our Olympic Bash, scavenger hunt and Priest Manhunt to our holiday parties for Halloween and Christmas. Overall, the 14 Fall semester Campus Ministry Night events drew more than 1,000 students in total. 

The spring semester featured a number of engaging and enriching events for students, too. Students were welcomed back with a fun board game night; the energy was brought for our dodgeball tournament; we put our thinking caps on for a special Campus Ministry Jeopardy Night (where our e-board got pied!); the tropical energy was alive and well during our Campus Ministry Luau; we were blessed to learn more about religious life at Religious Life 101; students showed their speed for an Easter Egg Hunt; we got to see and listen to the musical talents of our students at The Coffee Collective; and moves were shown off on the dance floor at our end-of-year Seton Hallywood formal. 

The Thursday night Campus Ministry events were not the only fun ones though. Throughout the year, the SPO women's missionaries on campus put together 8 different Women’s Night events to connect and build community with all the women on campus. Another fun tradition that continued this year was Hike and Connect led by the Sisters of CSJ. Seven different Hike and Connect events took place at venues as close by as South Mountain Reservation in South Orange and Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange to places further away such as Hacklebarney Farm in Chester Township, Pyramid Mountain in Boonton, and Schooley’s Mountain in Morris County. Hike and Connect always offered students an opportunity to get away from the busyness of campus, rejoice in the beautiful creation of the Lord, and connect with their fellow classmates. Campus Ministry also hosted multiple Agape Latte events throughout the year with speakers such as Monsignor Liddy and Sarita Maldijan, Ph.D., who spoke on their faith and experiences and how we can each grow on our journey of faith. 

The University community also had some amazing opportunities to grow closer to one another, students from other campuses and the Lord during some off-campus trips and retreats. Just after the dawn of the new year, a group of Seton Hall students traveled to Columbus, Ohio to attend SEEK26, a five day Catholic conference with more than 16,000 college students from across the country in attendance. At SEEK, the Pirates had the opportunity to attend Mass, listen to some world-renowned Catholic speakers, and connect with students and people from all over.

Later on in February, Rutgers and Seton Hall came together to host a weekend retreat called Fan Into Flame, a time focused on encountering the love of God in a new way. At Fan Into Flame, students had the opportunity to spend time in adoration in prayer, attend Mass and grow in community. Most recently, a group of 40 students and staff had the blessing to take a day trip to the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland. During the trip, students got to attend Mass at the altar where Mother Seton is buried, learn more about our namesake’s life and spend some fun time together.

A further highlight during the year, was Campus Ministry’s partnership with Residence Life and DOVE during Love Your Neighbor Lent (LYNL). LYNL was a series of events and initiatives centered around helping students to pause, look around and embrace those around them. The promotion featured events such as the Candlelit Prayer Concert, the Phone Fast Lunch, the Community Clothing Swap and Service on Saturdays. Additionally, as a part of LYNL, Campus Ministry hosted its first ever Lenten Mission featuring Francesca Zaccaron, Ph.D., titled “From Point A to Point B: How Words Take You from Me to Thee.” LYNL was a fruitful season of events and allowed students to enrich their Lenten journeys. 

Of course, we cannot do a Campus Ministry year in review without mentioning all of the special worship opportunities throughout the year. From our beginning of the year Mass of the Holy Spirit to our end of the year Senior Send-Off Mass, the year was full of many remembrances and celebrations in the Chapel and across campus. The list of special Masses includes our: 9/11 Memorial Mass, All Saints Day Mass, All Souls’ Day Memorial Mass, Christmas at the Hall Mass, Advent Candlelight Mass, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday Procession, Senior Send Off and more.

Some of the most memorable worship moments of the year happened at our Moonlight Mercy, Pack the Chapel and Behold the Lamb III events, which gave students time to spend in prayer and adoration and go to confession. Perhaps the most heartwarming part of reflecting on the many worship opportunities is remembering the 27 students who received their sacraments as part of our OCIA program this spring, including nine being baptized.

Simply put, the Campus Ministry year was one full of many blessings and much fun for our students and staff. While this statement is simple, the work of the Lord on our campus is complex and has demonstrated itself in so many beautiful ways throughout the year. May we continue to Hazard Zet Forward.

A special thank you to our Campus Ministry staff for making the 2025-26 school year one to remember. To Father Nick Sertich, our director of Campus Ministry, thank you for lovingly leading our community and helping us grow in mind, heart, and spirit. To Father Nick Figurelli, our assistant director of Campus Ministry, thank you for always being there for all the many students who stopped by the office and for putting a smile on their faces each day.

To our brothers and sisters of CSJ, Brother John, Brother Juan, Sister Anne and Sister Lety, thank you to spreading love across campus each day and opening your arms to all of our students and a special thank you for guiding our OCIA students throughout the year! To Melinda and Lorna, our Campus Ministry Secretaries, thank you for all your integral work in helping to keep Campus Ministry up and running. To all of our work-studies and student members on the executive board, your service and dedication to Campus Ministry is inspiring and is what keeps the community going and thriving.

Categories: Faith and Service