Caldwell College is rooted in the Catholic Dominican traditions and committed to promoting the Gospel message of truth. The Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, New Jersey founded Caldwell College in 1939. Also known as the Order of Preachers, the Dominican Order was founded by St. Dominic de Guzman in the 13th century in France. We embrace an 800 year Dominican heritage which seeks to bring about the message of truth and passion for God through the four pillars of prayer, study, community and service. No pillar stands alone but rather works in conjunction with the others to make the mission of promoting spiritual, intellectual and aesthetic growth a lived reality at Caldwell College. The four pillars give us insight into Dominican spirituality and its flexibility in response to God and the challenges of the day.
Not only the catechumens, but all in the Caldwell community are called to reflect on how they will experience new life through these members. Anyone interested in receiving the Sacraments for the first time is encouraged to contact the Chaplain to learn more about the Catholic faith.
Chaplain's office – 973-618-3660
If you wish to participate in any of these opportunities to volunteer your services in the spirit of our Dominican and Catholic Tradition here at Caldwell College, contact Campus Ministry at 973-618-3302 or 973-618-3660.
CAMPUS MINISTRY
The Office of Campus Ministry provides opportunities for all students, faculty and staff to nurture not only the spiritual and moral aspects of their lives but the social as well. It brings to life the Dominican and Catholic identity of all aspects of the spiritual life on the campus. It is the Mission of Campus Ministry at Caldwell College to assist all students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends in fostering their faith life and spiritual growth while strengthening and building the Caldwell College faith community. The Campus Ministry Office promotes Christian ideals through programs, service outreach, liturgies, retreats and informal gatherings. Recognizing the diverse religious experience of the campus, the programs offered by the Campus Ministry Office are open for all to participate. Students, faculty and staff serve in various liturgical ministries throughout the year as lectors, acolytes, cantors and Eucharistic Ministers. Formal instruction leading to the initiation into the Sacraments is available to any student expressing an interest or desire. Each year, students are invited to go beyond themselves and meet the needs of the world community and local communities through special service oriented outreach projects.
The Campus Ministry Office serves all members of the College community; one does not have to be a Catholic or a Christian in order to benefit from or participate in the programs this office sponsors. Campus Ministry provides an avenue for spiritual growth and a vehicle for students, faculty and staff to contribute significantly to the religious life of the entire campus and their own spiritual lives. Students are invited to join with the Campus Minister in the planning and celebrating of those occasions that will enrich the religious and spiritual life of the entire College. The Office of Campus Ministry serves as resource to students, faculty and staff seeking to deepen their spiritual lives through spiritual directions and programming that enables the spiritual growth and well-being of the individual.
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Service Projects in the Dominican/Catholic Tradition of Campus Ministry at Caldwell College
Each year students at Caldwell College are invited to go beyond themselves and meet the needs of the world community and local communities through special outreach projects. These outreach opportunities are based on the Gospel message found in Matthew 25:34:
"Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me.'"
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Welcome the Stranger
Our Lady Help of Christians School - After-Care Tutorin
Students can volunteer weekly to work at local after school hour programs tutoring students and providing recreations activities. These programs engage the students in programs in a safe environment that may enhance the learning opportunities of needy children in the communities surrounding the college campus. Students who volunteer in these programs are able to apply classroom knowledge to the experience of learning alongside a child or youth in need.
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Give Drink to the Thirsty
St. Augustine's Soup Kitchen
Student may volunteer to assist in providing meals at St Augustine's Soup Kitchen in downtown Newark. St. Augustine's serves meals to the hundreds of homeless and hungry men and women of downtown Newark and volunteers are always needed.
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Care for the Sick
Horizon High School for Cerebral Palsy
St. Catherine's Health Care Inc.
Marian Manor
Students have the opportunity to work with High School Students who are physically challenged either in the classroom or as part of an after-care program.
Recognizing the aging of America and the need for continued friendship and care for the elderly, our students volunteer to participate in a numerous outreach programs to diverse senior populations. Students can assist with recreation programming at a local senior residence community or assist at St. Catherine's Health Care facility located on college campus.
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Feed the Hungry
The Midnight Run
Students volunteer to go out into the streets of Manhattan and feed and clothe the homeless. Midnight Run is a volunteer organization dedicated to finding common ground between the housed and the homeless. Volunteers distribute food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City.
Its goal is to forge a bond between housed and homeless people by establishing a foundation of sharing and caring from which solutions may evolve. Through Midnight Run, volunteers come to see the homeless as real people, not a commodity. And homeless men and women learn that many people have commitments and concerns that go beyond their own lives and families.
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"Retreats that Work" - Alternative Break Opportunities
Romero Center - Columbus Day Weekend
The Romero Center is a Retreat and Social Justice Education Center in the heart of East Camden, NJ. Students experience the building bridges of understanding between people of faith in urban and suburban churches, leading people to a deeper awareness of their prophetic vocation, as they respond to their sisters and brothers in remarkable need.
Nazareth Farm - Winter Break
Nazareth Farm is a Catholic community of volunteers inspired by the Gospels and Social Teachings of the Church and focused on prayer, community, simplicity, and service. Students who volunteer for a week devoted their time to developing relationships and eliminating sub-standard housing through home repair in rural West Virginia. A communal experience of Church as a center of action and prayer is experienced.
Christian Appalachian Project - Spring Break
WorkFest is a "spring break alternative." It goes beyond a weeklong gathering of college students enjoying time away from classes. WorkFest allows students to devote their time and energy to improve the homes of Appalachian residents while learning about the injustices and realities of poverty.
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The Christmas Giving Tree/Bring a Turkey to Work
Through the Giving Tree program and the Bring a Turkey to Work Day students and staff can volunteer to coordinate and participate in programs that help both young children and their families by supplying gifts and basic needs during the holiday seasons.
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Spiritual Opportunities:
Daily Mass is held Monday through Friday at noon in the Sisters of St. Dominic Motherhouse Chapel.
Sunday evenings begin with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:00 p.m. Sunday Mass begins at 8:30 p.m. and is followed by a social.
Volunteering opportunities available at the Eucharistic Celebrations include:
- Music Ministry
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Readers
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Retreats
Campus Ministry offers students opportunities to take time off from their "real world" to develop their faith and to build and nurture a faith community with their peers on/off campus. Retreats include presentations by peers on various topics followed with personal reflection and small/large group discussions.
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Busy People's Retreat
Students, faculty and staff are welcome to this on-campus retreat which sets aside time each day for personal prayer and meeting with a retreat guide. The week-long retreat begins on a Sunday evening at 8:00 P.M. The retreat is usually held during the Lenten season and is a wonderful opportunity to explore one's relationship with God while being active in campus life.
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Fall and Spring off Campus Retreats
These weekend retreats are designed to recognize the important life questions which students face, and help students realize that spiritual growth and development is a life journey, a movement through continuous stages, a call to love according to the Gospel.
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RCIA
RCIA, or the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, refers to the process by which an individual comes to full membership in the Catholic Christian community.
Full membership is attained by the reception of one or more of the three sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. There are three distinctive features of the RCIA process that set it apart from other forms of religious education and formation programs.
• The first feature deals with the community. That is, the entire community takes responsibility for the formation of the adults who wish to join the community. Human experience provides overwhelming evidence that in order to become a full member of any group, the group itself must take a pro-active stance.
• The second important feature of the RCIA process is rooted in an understanding of the whole human person as a unity of mind, body, and spirit. As such, RCIA seeks to provide opportunities for members of the Loyola community to be engaged intellectually, social and emotionally, thus allowing for the enlargement of the human spirit.
• Thirdly, because RCIA requires serious and sustained attention to the movements of one's own heart, mind and spirit, it is of primary importance to slow down from our busy, everyday lives to pray and reflect.
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CAMPUS MINISTRY PROJECTS
Service Projects in the Dominican/Catholic Tradition of Campus Ministry at Caldwell College
Welcome the Stranger
Give Drink to the Thirsty
Care for the Sick
Feed the Hungry
"Retreats that Work" - Alternative Break Opportunities
The Christmas Giving Tree/Bring a Turkey to Work
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