Rooted in the Catholic Dominican Traditions
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.
C-LIFE
Students have the opportunity to integrate faith and experience.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 the Chaplain's Office at 973-618-3660.
