Message from the Chaplain
College is a great time to begin to choose what is important for you in life. How to surround yourself with people who will help you to grow in faith, wisdom and Knowledge that will enhance your capacity to make the right decisions, to choose the right path, to live a life of a Christian who has been called to discipleship in Christ.
These years that our students have in college or university are very formative and critical for their identity, that is who they are and who they will become.
Lyke House-The Catholic Center at AUC provides a home away from home for our students at Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College and Morehouse School of Medicine and the Interdenominational Theological Center. We try to facilitate this period of growth and development on their faith journey and deepen their relationship with God. We try to transmit values of commitment and loyalty to Christ and the Church through ministry and peer outreach. This is a place that gives our students the space to pray, study and discern what God is calling them to do. What is God asking of them?
The mission of Lyke House: The Catholic Center at the AUC is to establish spiritual, academic, and faith development for the Atlanta University Center family, with a spirit of Christian love and service in the Catholic tradition of Campus Ministry.
The main goal of the Lyke House Catholic Center is to achieve the full, conscious, and active participation of the students in worship.
This year we have expanded the sacramental and spiritual life program to include Daily Mass, Weekly Reconciliation, Spiritual Direction, Holy Hour and Benediction and “A Chat with Fr. Mark,” where Students can come and speak with me on any issue, personal, current events, Scripture and the Church. Our Sunday Mass and Worship is at 10:30 am and weekday Masses are: Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm, Wednesdays and Friday at 12:15 pm. This fall we had a workshop on Liturgy and Ministry in the Catholic Church on September 30, 2015. In the Spring we are hoping to have our Annual retreats during Lent which will allow our students to travel away from the AUC to reflect on the various ways in which God is speaking to them, through their family, friends, ministry studies and others.
In conclusion, the Lyke House is a living symbol of heritage that gives our students the space to pray, study, play and discern what God is calling them to do. It is a home away from home that welcomes all students and provides a stability that anchors them in faith and Spirituality for life’s journey. It is a place where young Catholic Students and their Friends come together to Learn their Faith, Live their Faith and Share their Faith with others. They learn how to do ministry in the Church and participate weekly in liturgical ministry with the goal of Christian Stewardship, a goal that empowers them to be anchored in their faith both now and the future. So developing their faith now is developing our Faith for the Future. So that as good stewards who have been blessed through the generosity of others, they too will be able to give back to society, their families, and be a source of strength for their Parishes and the Church.
I invite you to kindly consider making a gift to the Lyke House. Your Gift to the Lyke House today is an investment in the formation of our Young Catholic Student Ministry Program at the Atlanta University Center. Thank you for making a difference today.
May God Bless you as we make the journey!
Fr. Urey P. Mark – Chaplain