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 The U.S. Bishops' document Catholic Higher Education and the Mission of the Church envisions a Catholic University as "an enterprise wholly committed to evangelical ministry. To relegate this ministry to the institution's periphery in an isolated department or office of campus ministry is to fault the University's essential Catholic identity."
At Mount Saint Mary's the Office of Campus Ministry and Community Service works with all facets of the institution to facilitate this vision. Daily interaction with students, faculty, staff, administrators—in the classroom and in the dining hall, in committee meetings and at athletic events seeks to energize total campus involvement in evangelization grounded in gospel values.
The Catholic tradition holds that the depth of our faith powerfully affects the way we live and what we become. The gift of faith continues to grow through experience and reflection. The Office of Campus Ministry and Community Service is committed to providing a wide variety of opportunities for the members of the Mount community to deepen their spirituality through a vibrant liturgical life, enriching faith-formation activities, volunteer service opportunities, and learning-oriented community service.
The Office of Campus Ministry and Community Service is located in Bradley Hall 319 (extension 5223). Annual informational brochures are available from the office.
The Campus Chaplain plays a primary role in ensuring the evangelizing nature of the campus, and in coordinating and integrating the various components of the University and Seminary in the campus ministry program. The Chaplain also supervises the involvement of seminarians in campus ministry activities and works collaboratively with the Council on Campus Ministry and the Campus Ministry Student Organization.
 An important responsibility of the Chaplain is having a voice on the University's administrative level, insisting on the preservation and enrichment of the University's religious traditions. The Chaplain strives always to build the Mount into a unified community of faith, worship, and service.
Because Campus Ministry normally includes elements of parish ministry, the Chaplain regularly celebrates daily and weekend Masses and the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the Mount community, In addition, he coordinates the liturgical schedule involving other campus priests in daily sacramental life and facilitates all major campus liturgical celebrations such as the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Founder's Day Mass, and the End of the Year Mass. He offers counseling of a spiritual and personal nature, and facilitates regular preparation sessions for the celebration of the sacraments. Sacramental preparation includes a yearly RCIA program leading to the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The Office of the Chaplain also schedules the use of the campus chapels, which includes events such as weddings and funerals.
Campus Ministry Student Organization fosters the formation of a community of faith in an academic environment in which students are empowered to share their strengths and gifts with each other and the larger community, Based on the gospel message, this is accomplished by facilitating personal and spiritual development, encouraging community service and an awareness of social justice, and providing opportunities for meaningful prayer and worship. Membership in the Campus Ministry Student Organization is available to all Mount students through participation in any sponsored activity.
Student leaders chair the three standing committees:
- Liturgical Ministries
- Formation Ministries
- Service Ministries
The chair and co-chair of each of the three committees form the Student Ministries Advisory Council (SMAC) which collaborates closely with the Campus Chaplain in planning and facilitating the work of the Campus Ministry Student Organization. Members of the Student Ministries Advisory Council also serve as officers for the Campus Ministry Student Organization and as representatives to the Student Government Association.
Liturgical Ministries at Mount Saint Mary's enable students to become acquainted with, and formed in, all aspects of liturgical life in order to become active members of their parishes. The Liturgical Ministries program has a dual purpose; it offers interested students hands-on, practical experience and training in areas of liturgy and liturgical planning, while at the same time it provides the Mount community with enriching liturgies."
The Liturgical Ministries Committee (of the Campus Ministry Students Organization) coordinates these ministries in a variety of ways including initial training and scheduling. The Liturgy Planning Team plans special liturgical events during the seasons of Advent and Lent as well as other liturgies, such as Reconciliation Services.
All members of the Mount Community are invited to participate in the following liturgical ministries:
- Altar Servers
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Lectors
- Liturgical Environment Team
- Liturgical Planning Team
- Ministers of Hospitality (Ushers)
- Music Ministry
- Choir members
- Cantors
- Instrumentalists
- Sacristans
Formation Ministries aid students in the daily struggle of understanding, integrating, and living the faith by providing opportunities for faith-sharing, prayer, and community building. Various formation activities at Mount Saint Mary's enable students to deepen their own spirituality by interacting with others in ways that help them develop a commitment to Christian values and build a personal relationship with Christ.
Students are invited to deepen their faith through a variety of opportunities:
- Bible Study Groups
- Building Unified Mount Spirit (BUMS)
- Discussion Groups
- Eucharistic Adoration Group
- Knights of Columbus
- Mount Students for Life
- Mountward Bound Freshman Retreats
- RCIA
- Retreat Weekends
- Sacramental Preparation
- Vocation Awareness Groups for Men and Women
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