Manresa Project

Gather us in

College internships help students get a feel for the business world. But what about students who sense a call to lay or liturgical ministry, how can they test the water? The Manresa Project answers that question with the scholars and interns program.

by Donna Pinsoneault

Marc Mescher outgrew his acolyte alb years ago. But the

6-foot-5-inch 2004 graduate didn’t outgrow his passion for ministry. In fact, thanks to Marquette’s Manresa Project, he found ministry to be his perfect life’s work.

Launched in 2002 with generous funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc., the Manresa Project gives members of the campus community opportunities to decide how to use their gifts and talents to serve God. A popular component of the project is the scholars and interns program, which allows undergraduate and graduate students, respectively, who are discerning a call to professional church ministry in the form of lay and liturgical vocations to work in the field for a full year.

In addition to their normal studies, the scholars get busy with hands-on ministry in a neighboring congregation, a parish in the Milwaukee Archdiocese or a local agency. The interns, who are graduate students, work 30 hours each week in University Ministry and study theology or another appropriate graduate program. Both groups also invest time every week in spiritual direction, theological reflection and prayer. The experiences help students answer the question: Is ministry my future?

“In every other field we have had ways to test the waters but never in ministry,” says Dr. Susan Mountin, director of the Manresa Project, referring to college students participating in internships. “We encourage Manresa scholars and interns to widen the parameters and explore their faith in the context of work. With the help of on-site supervisors, spiritual directors and each other, they learn to discern their vocation, to think critically about themselves and about what they are experiencing through their work.”

While an undergrad, Mescher juggled a major in Spanish, studies in English literature, political science and theology, and work as a resident assistant. As a Manresa scholar, he added an internship at St. Patrick’s Parish in Milwaukee to the mix. Today he combines family life, graduate school and responsibilities as director of youth ministry at two local Catholic parishes. The Manresa Project helped him say, “Yes, this is for me.”

“Parish work is where the rubber hits the road,” Mescher says. “The hours are long, problems are never ending, and I feel pulled in many directions. But to see these teens transformed by opening their hearts to Christ — it’s the most fruitful and fulfilling career I could imagine.”

Jon Bakkelund, Arts ’06, is studying at the North American College in Rome and preparing for ordination to the priest hood in his home diocese of Rockford, Ill. During his senior year at Marquette, he worked as youth minister and director of religious education at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in West Allis, Wis.

When he began thinking about his fit with the priesthood, Bakkelund applied to be a Manresa scholar to get some experience with parish work. He did not expect to be excited about the theological reflection component that includes weekly gatherings with other Manresa scholars for prayer and interactive faith sharing. But he was happily surprised. Reflection, he says, sharpened his ability to function effectively in a parish where, as in any organization, staff can experience competition for resources, time crunches and criticism from the very people they are trying hard to serve.

“Reflection turned out to be the best part of my week,” Bakkelund says. “In the group, you see different perspectives and are able to bounce things off of each other. You experience the love of Christ.”

While Mescher and Bakkelund tested their comfort with ministry as undergraduates, Manresa interns Meghan Griffiths and Jessica Mueller are post-graduates working in University Ministry. A 2004 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., Griffiths focuses on liturgy, which includes planning worship experiences and retreats.

“I’m very interested in higher education and student development and the integration of ministry and spirituality in the two,” she says. “This internship has helped me gain experience and strengthen my skills in a supportive community.”

Mueller has focused on social justice programming such as coordinating Soup with Substance speakers and planning the freshman retreat, senior retreat and Lenten Retreat in Daily Life. A sociology and humanities major, she graduated from a reformed tradition college in Iowa. She will continue studies at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley this fall and sees herself one day teaching sociology in the college setting and working with campus ministries to lead immersion experiences in Latin American countries. “My end goal is to be a sociology professor leading immersion experiences that help people integrate faith and learning,” she says.

Mountin admires the intensity the Manresa scholars and interns show their work. “We expected that the scholars and interns would help us get our work done, but they bring us something even more valuable,” she says. “They renew us because of their energy and prayer. They help get all of us excited about ministry again.”

Reaping the benefits

Since the Manresa Project began, 13 student scholars and five graduate interns have completed the labor-intensive programming. Manresa alumni include a Jesuit novice, two seminarians, three Jesuit Volunteer Corps members, master’s students in pastoral counseling and theology, two parish youth ministers, a high school theology teacher, and an alumnus serving in the International Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Egypt. This year, 22 students have applied for the six open spots for interns and scholars.