College chaplains minister on-line

As sacramental minister at the State University of New York at Oneonta and Hartwick College, Rev. Brian Raiche would communicate with students daily. But he wouldn't necessarily hear their voice, see their face or even know their identity.

That's because much of his ministry was done through e-mail, from answering questions about marriage preparation to scheduling appointments with students who needed to talk.

In this age of electronic communication, Father Raiche, now the sacramental minister at the University at Albany, believes e-mail is essential for campus ministers to meet the needs of college students.

"It's hard to be an effective campus minister if you're not comfortable with e-mail. I can't imagine a campus minister without e-mail," he said.

Essential mail

Fellow campus ministers in the Albany Diocese agree that e-mail has become an important tool in their ministry and enables them to share information with students in a quick, easy manner.

For example, Rev. Christopher DeGiovine, director of campus ministry and chaplain for The College of Saint Rose in Albany, said e-mail has become the preferred method of keeping in touch on campus, and students seem comfortable with communicating with each other and with the campus ministry office in this way.

"Students, more and more, use that as a vehicle of communication," he said. "They're usually e-mailing me with information they think I should have or would be interested in."

Back and forth

Father DeGiovine sends out messages that help to educate not only Catholics on campus -- 65 percent of the student population is Catholic -- but also the entire interfaith community. For example, he e-mails students regarding Jewish and Muslim feast days and conducts ongoing dialogue with students on religious topics. Students also inquire about the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary on campus by e-mailing Father DeGiovine at [email protected], his personal address.

"Campus ministry needs to balance its religious programming, even at a college, so that people become more and more aware of other religious traditions, as well as their own," he said.

Although e-mail has helped tremendously in making information on campus ministry available to students, Father DeGiovine believes it's important to maintain his personal touch with students and be visible on campus.

"Over my nine years here, I am spending more time in front of a computer terminal, and I'm trying to be very conscious about getting away from the office and walking around a little bit more," he said. "That's how I pick up appointments and talk to people and make connections."

You have mail

At Siena College in Loudonville, campus ministry staff members use e-mail to do such things as inform students about Mass schedules; solicit volunteers for blood drives, retreats and service projects; and set up meetings with music ministry and Habitat For Humanity.

There is an e-mail address for the entire campus ministry office [email protected] -- and each campus minister has his or her individual account, according to Judy Dougherty, secretary. That enables students to send e-mail to Rev. Francis Gunn, Brother Michael Harlan or other staff members directly, if they so choose.

Although signs and posters also are used to publicize upcoming events in campus ministry, e-mail is ideal for letting students know about such activities. "It certainly is a wonderful tool to get messages out as reminders," Ms. Dougherty said.

AnonymityBY using e-mail, students have a way of communicating with campus ministry without needing to pick up the phone or stop by in person. Their identity also remains unknown if they choose.

"It's not only easy for them just to sit down at the computer, but it's also an anonymous way of finding out an answer to a question that maybe they'd be too embarrassed to ask," she said.

Alumni who wish to keep in touch with Siena also contact the campus ministry office from wherever they live, Ms. Dougherty noted. "It's a great way to maintain a friendship after graduation. The bond you make in campus ministry is a unique bond," she said.

Chatting on-line

Students at SUNY/Oneonta and Hartwick College have been able to e-mail Father Raiche, who served as sacramental minister there and as associate pastor at St. Mary's Church in Oneonta from 1995 until this summer. He spent many hours getting to know them by chatting via computer.

"I'd spend a lot of time communicating with the student population regularly," he said. "Being an on-line person, I get all kinds of requests," including questions about marriage preparation, opportunities for service projects and ecumenical prayer for the Baccalaureate Mass.

Father Raiche established a database of the names and e-mail addresses of students who wished to receive e-mail regarding campus ministry; he obtained the information from religious preference cards that students filled out. Over the years, he stored between 500 and 600 e-mail addresses of students on the two campuses and kept them up-to-date on Mass schedules, liturgical events and service activities.

Many uses

Occasionally, Father Raiche used e-mail to offer his opinion on an ethical issue, such as cloning. Mostly, e-mail gave students a chance to approach him with concerns without having to actually meet, unless they wanted to do so.

"They can ask questions without making an appointment and can remain a little bit anonymous," he said.

When there was a death on campus, Father Raiche heard from several students through e-mail and was able to minister to them either on-line or in person to help them deal with their grief. Father Raiche was careful to provide students with information without proseltyzing, but he was glad when students who were serious about their faith wanted to know more and were interested in putting their beliefs into practice.

In his new ministry at the University at Albany, Father Raiche plans to continue reaching out to students by e-mail -- his address is [email protected] -- and he looks forward to hearing what they have to say.

"I like working with students, [hearing] the questions they have. They take a pretty creative approach to Catholicism," he said.

Time-saver

At Russell Sage College and Hudson Valley Community College, both in Troy, students use e-mail to keep in touch with Sister Rosemary Cuneo, CR, who serves as campus minister on both campuses. She e-mails students about Lenten activities, retreats, or simply a spiritual thought for the day.

"It's the second-best way to personal contact. It cuts down on wasted time to get some things accomplished," she said.

There are times when e-mail serves a more somber purpose; for example, the murder last year of a Sage student prompted Sister Rosemary to send e-mail to students letting them know they could get in touch with her if they sought counseling. Her address at Sage is [email protected].

Similarly, the suicide of an HVCC student motivated her to e-mail the student population there. But it's tougher to stay in touch with HVCC students, Sister Rosemary pointed out, since they are commuters and may not necessarily check e-mail. At HVCC, her e-mail address is [email protected].

Shy correspondents

E-mail is a good way for students to learn about campus ministry, and the anonymity that it provides just might encourage people who would not otherwise contact the office to make an attempt.

"Every once in a while, I get an anonymous name on e-mail that I don't know, asking if they can come up and see me. It's a great avenue for somebody who might be shy,"

Phone calls used to be common in campus ministry, but more students seem to be using e-mail instead, and Sister Rosemary is glad that she has e-mail to minister to students.

"I wouldn't want to lose it now that we have it. It's making our job easier," she said.

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