Faith factor: For Catholic families, college selection a prayerful, intentional process

Parents, chaplains advise visiting campuses with a careful eye, learning about Newman Centers, opportunities for faith fellowship

DETROIT — For some, autumn implies football and apple orchards. For high school seniors, the season means college admission essays and campus tours.

Nov. 1 is the usual application deadline for the first round of college applications. A second round of applications comes in January or February, though hopeful students won’t get their admissions decisions for several months.

Deciding where to apply to college, and then where to attend in the end, can be a stressful process for students and their parents. For Catholic families who consider their faith a key factor alongside academic pursuits, college discernment can be even tougher.

The college years serve as a critical time for faith formation. Up to 80% of “cradle Catholics” — those who are baptized Catholic and raised in the faith — leave the Catholic Church before age 23, said Fr. Matt Hood, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Fr. Hood is the chaplain for Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry (DCCM) and works with students at Wayne State University, the College for Creative Studies, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and surrounding colleges. The ministry partners with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), an organization of young missionaries who share the joy of Christ on college campuses through Bible studies and discipleship.

“Young people preparing for college should realize that college can be a hostile environment for the practice of one’s faith. Don’t assume it’ll be smooth sailing,” Fr. Hood said. “First and foremost is to seek God’s will, asking Him what He desires for you in terms of a college. Then, it’s important to ask where you’ll be able to connect with other Catholic students and have a home base on campus.”

Beppie and Evan Murray are helping their daughter, Cecilia, navigate college discernment. Cecilia is a senior at Divine Child High School in Dearborn considering a law career. Her older brother, Charlie, is a freshman at Eastern Michigan University, commuting to classes in Ypsilanti from home. His interest in aviation narrowed his college choices since few universities offer the program.

"Family is important to him, and since he liked Eastern’s aviation program, it made sense for him to live at home,” Beppie Murray said.

The Murrays toured seven colleges with Charlie, and now they’re taking Cecilia on tours as she decides where she’ll apply. Beppie pays attention to the “little things” on campus tours to learn what campus life might be like. Flyers on bulletin boards and posters in dorm hallways offer clues as to whether the school’s culture and values will match the student’s, she says.

“Those things speak volumes because they reveal the undercurrent of the school,” Beppie said. “You get a very small window to look at these schools in person, and it’s important to go in with eyes wide open.”

Before the school year even began this fall, Charlie attended a cookout hosted by DCCM and Fr. Hood. He now attends events regularly. He also participates in the Catholic campus ministry for Eastern at St. John the Baptist Parish in Ypsilanti.

“It’s not easy to stand alone, and so you have to know how to find the other students who are quietly living their faith,” Beppie said. “Now that we’re seeing Charlie’s experience, it helps Cecilia as she makes these decisions. We know there’s a vibrant and growing campus ministry right here in our backyard if she chooses to go that route.”

Cecilia plans to apply to Hillsdale College, the University of Notre Dame and Wayne State University.

Like the Murrays, the Schueneman family from St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms is in the midst of their second round of college discernment. Their son, Joseph, is a sophomore at the University of Dayton, a Catholic university in Ohio where both of his parents attended. An education major who was seeking Catholic connection with others in college, Joseph applied exclusively to Catholic universities.

Their daughter, Marie, a senior at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, is applying to both Catholic and public institutions because of her academic interests in architecture and sustainability. At Mercy, Marie is a member of Youth Mercy Associates and enjoys participating in retreats. She would like to find similar opportunities in college.

Holly Bennetts is a counselor at Mercy High School and works as an independent educational consultant with Roots College Advising.

“When I talk with students in helping them find the right college, I always ask, ‘Where does faith fit for you? What’s important to you?’” Bennetts said. “If you’re part of the retreat program in high school or you feel strongly about service programs, then let’s find a school that offers that.”

Bennetts suggests families inquire about the student parish or campus ministry while on college tours. For campuses with a Newman Center or off-campus Catholic campus ministry, students may arrange a separate tour on the day of the general campus tour. Bennetts also encourages families to research information online. Following the campus ministries of prospective colleges on social media will shed light on what types of fellowship, Bible studies, small groups, and worship opportunities they provide.

For the Schuenemans, prayer goes hand-in-hand with research.

“Just as we did for Joseph, we pray hard that Marie will wind up where God wants her to be. We remind our kids that if you don’t get into one school, God has a better plan for you at another,” Therese Schueneman, Marie's mother, said. “Her name is Marie, so we tell her to give it to the Blessed Mother.”

Walter Plymale is a senior at University of Detroit Jesuit High School. As the oldest child in his family, he is the first to discern college with his parents. Finding a college to live out his Catholic faith is a top priority for Plymale. Among other activities, he is the vice president and co-founder of the Christian Theological Society at the school and an altar server at school and his parish.

When he toured James Madison College at Michigan State University, he asked his Catholic tour guide questions about the Catholic opportunities on campus. After touring Hope College, he emailed a priest at a local parish to find out “what it’s like to be inside the Catholic scene at Hope College.”

“I’m quite confident I’ll find a place to support my faith,” Plymale said. “I know it’ll be a challenge, but I’ve learned at U of D and through my personal faith journey that God knows what challenges I’m capable of. He’ll lead me to wherever I wind up for a specific reason, and so that I can set the world on fire for His greater glory.”