FIU's Catholic Panthers: Young people growing in holiness together
Monday, August 29, 2022
Emily Chaffins
In our secular culture, sometimes it can seem that young Catholics are just not enthusiastic about regularly attending Mass and are indifferent to learning about their faith or to seeking out peers who will help one another grow in their Catholic faith. However, the reality is that young people everywhere are taking responsibility for their faith life.
Case in point: the Catholic Panthers Ministry at Florida International University. The FIU Catholic Panthers are a dynamic group of Catholic students, faculty, staff, and alumni committed to growing in love for Christ together and ministering to the FIU community.
Catholic Panthers is a registered student group at FIU and has been an important part of the community for years. We take our faith seriously and are blessed to be affiliated with St. Agatha Church – conveniently located across the street from FIU’s main campus. We also have our own chaplain, Father Edwin Diesen, who is an active member of the group and attends to our spiritual needs.
We have weekly on-campus Mass, confession, Bible studies, and rosaries. In addition, we offer other faith-based events, such as monthly eucharistic adoration. Members can also join our music ministry to sing during Mass, Catholic Panthers retreats, and more. Members have the ability to engage with their faith on campus.
Additionally, our community and social events bring together FIU’s Catholics, allowing us to build lasting friendships. A staple Catholic Panthers event is our weekly Ignite talks, which include games, engaging speakers on subjects related to our Catholic faith, and time to socialize. In addition, we host fun social events multiple times per month. Just a few examples of past socials include camping trips, game nights, dinners, barbecues, movies, and holiday celebrations.
We also strive to connect FIU faculty and staff with students to build a Catholic culture at FIU, to bolster Catholic networking and impact the whole South Florida community.
Part of what makes Catholic Panthers unique is that we offer so many ways to partake in service to the community. For example, our Pro-Life Ministry is active in serving women and upholding the dignity of all human life through hosting pro-life speakers, organizing monthly rosary prayer vigils outside Planned Parenthood, assisting our local pregnancy help centers, going to the March for Life, and more.
For her outstanding pro-life leadership in the Catholic Panthers ministry, past Pro-Life Chair Mariana Barbara was honored in the first-ever Walking with Moms awards in 2021. In 2022, Catholic Panthers made news for their two pro-life prayer rallies on campus on the occasions of the Dobbs leak and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
In addition to pro-life service, Catholic Panthers holds tabling events at FIU, in which we share our mission with FIU students, faculty, and staff, and provide free Catholic resources. We also have community outreach events, such as volunteering with the Sisters of Charity homeless ministry and going Christmas caroling. There are so many ways to serve!
As Catholic FIU college students, alumni, faculty, and staff, members of the Catholic Panthers encourage one another and build each other up in the faith as a reminder that we don't have to walk this journey alone and that, in the midst of a secular world, we can grow in holiness together.
FIND OUT MORE
- To register or for more information, please visit our website, https://fiucatholicpanthers.wixsite.com/home.
- Feel free to contact us via email at [email protected] or subscribe to our email list on the website.
- In addition, reach out to us on social media either on Instagram at @fiu_catholic_panthers, or on Facebook at @catholicpanthers.
- If you are interested in donating to support our ministry, please contact us at [email protected].
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