Louisiana Tech Students Celebrate 25 Years of Campus Ministry

Brother Mike Ward, Campus Minister

On March 26, 2022, the Association of Catholic Tech Students (ACTS), the campus ministry program at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Student Center in Ruston, serving the students at Louisiana Tech University, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its name. Campus Ministry has been the primary ministry of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Student Center since its founding in 1941. In 1997, Catholic students took the initiative to take the program in a new direction and became a recognized organization of Louisiana Tech University. The all-day celebration included various activities led by the students, as well as tours of the university, a jambalaya tail gate on church grounds, a Mass, and a dinner banquet. Special guests included, Bishop Malone, Fr. Tom Nairn, OFM, the provincial minister of the Franciscan Friars at St. Thomas; Dr. Guice, the president of Tech; Hailey Perot, the assistant to the mayor; Sr. Edith Schnell, the campus minister at St. Thomas from 1993-2003; Giovana Giarelli, the first president of ACTS; and Champ, the Tech mascot. Over 200 alumni joined local parishioners throughout the day to celebrate the present by remembering the past and preparing for the future. For the Mass, 18 students and alumni formed a choir. The motto of ACTS is “Christ-Centered and Student Led.” The vision of ACTS is “Being Catholic at Tech.” At the heart of the mission statement to develop “well rounded” Catholics is “Jesus” forming the tenets of ACTS: Joy, Evangelization, Sacraments, Unity, and Service.” The home of ACTS is the E. Donn Piatt Catholic Student Center right next to campus. ACTS prides itself on balancing faith and fun for college students. Br. Michael Ward, OFM, has been the campus minister there since 2011 and will be leaving with the other friars this coming June.