Spirit
THE
IN AGGIELAND
Fall 2013
Director of Campus Ministry
Fr. David Konderla
dkonderla@aggiecatholic.org
Associate Pastors
Fr. Barry Cuba
Fr. Jonathan Raia
For a complete list of St. Mary’s
staff and their ministries:
www.aggiecatholic.org
St. Mary’s Catholic Center
College Station, Texas
St. Mary’s Looks Forward to Growth and Change in the Neighborhood!
This fall, St. Mary’s welcomed approximately 800 new students into our neighborhood!
The Stack and the Rise, privately developed student housing, opened multi-story
apartment buildings adjacent to our parking lot.
The growth in numbers of students and our more effective outreach mean that it is time
for us to grow in facilities and staff to continue our mission: to form Apostles for the
Church and World.
Garage (phase 1)
JP II Center (phase 1)
Aggie Knights
Recognized. The Aggie
Knights of Columbus
Council 10624 received
the Family Activity
Award at the Knights of
Columbus College Council
Conference in New Haven,
Connecticut, September
28-30. Supreme Knight Carl
Anderson presented Grand
Knight Michael Alonso the
award for the Hoedown
fundraiser, co-sponsored
by the Aggie Knights and
Kappa Theta Beta Catholic
sorority, benefitting the
Good Samaritan Gabriel
Project Life Center in
Bryan, Texas. 
Church, Student and
Activity Centers (today)
New Church (phase 1)
In 2006, we began developing a master plan vision for our Catholic Center campus, and
now it is time to begin phase 1: a parking garage, a second ministry building, and a
new church.
Because the new church will be on what is now the St. Mary’s parking lot, phase 1 begins
with a 1,000-car, seven-story parking garage. Working through a long-term land lease, we
will partner with a private developer to build the garage so that it also becomes a revenue
source for our ministry to students.
The ministry building is called the John Paul II Vocation and Family Life Center because
the ministries that go on in the building will be largely related to vocational preparation
and discernment for marriage, priesthood, and religious life. The JP II Center will add
much-needed classroom and meeting space, a rectory for priests with rooms for visiting
priests and male religious, as well as housing for the young men of our Saint Mary’s
Discernment Community, who are actively discerning whether God is calling them to the
priesthood.
Story Continued on pg 2
From the desk of Fr. David
Fall is a time of excitement and promise at St. Mary’s! New students come;
upperclassmen return; and we miss those students whose graduation and careers have
taken them to other places. As you know, life DOES go on, and our Catholic faith is a
constant reminder of God’s sustaining love and care.
As I write this, it’s almost All Saints and All Souls Day. Recently, I’ve attended a couple
of funerals of Old Ags. They came to A&M a long time ago, living their faith then, and
continuing to be formed by this faith after college. They supported St. Mary’s because
they wanted to share what was most precious to them with today’s students. I’m glad our Church has these feast days to
honor and remember them.
As I think about their lives, and those of their children and grandchildren, I’m also grateful that your support makes our
ministry possible. St. Mary’s is here so that all of our students can become and remain “good Catholics,” continuing to
pass on this faith to their children, grandchildren, and so on, for generations to come.
Once again, for I don’t know how many years in a row, Texas A&M is experiencing record enrollment. Less than 10 years
ago, we estimated that there were 11,000 Catholic students on campus. Now, there are nearly 14,000.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if all of these Aggies became “good Catholics,” like those Old Ags?
We have a lot of work to do! Thank YOU for allowing St. Mary’s to continue to form Apostles for the Church and World.
Please know that you are in our prayers. May God richly bless you, your families, and friends during this Advent and
Christmas Season. 
Master Plan Vision (continued from pg 1)
The keystone of what The Battalion, A&M’s student newspaper, called
a “spiritual oasis” will be a new church, seating over 1,700, which more
than doubles the capacity of the present church. This beautiful structure
will speak the language of the ages in stone and glass, and evangelize the
neighborhood and the campus with its majestic and sacred presence. It will
truly be a “domus Dei” a house for God. (1 Timothy 3:15)
Students and visitors, many of whom are crowded in the narthex and aisles
for weekend Mass, are excited about this growth. Although present students
will have graduated by the time all of the phases of the project will be
completed, they want future generations of Aggie Catholics to be spiritually
blessed by the new church and facilities, just as they have been blessed by
the present ones.
The plan is for the present church to be used for daily Mass and other
liturgical celebrations that do not require the larger seating capacity. The
current rectory is expected to become a convent for the Apostles of the
Interior Life Sisters.
Students and friends created a Lego® rendition
of the project for display at the St. Mary’s
Tailgate (see pg. 6).
This exciting and ambitious project will be life-changing for those who help build it and for those who use it. Would you
prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to use his blessings to help us grow this ministry that we all love
so much? St. Mary’s is actively soliciting funding for this project from former students, benefactors, and friends of the
ministry. For more information, please contact Frank Shannon, e-mail fshannon@aggiecatholic.org
or phone (979) 846-5717. Thank you! 
The Spirit in Aggieland
2www.aggiecatholic.org
Stewardship † a way of life
Aggie Catholic Ambassadors
Therefore, we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an
appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
(2 Corinthians 5:20)
The Aggie Catholic Ambassadors is a group of bright, well-rounded, and highly
motivated students who are selected to serve as the representative leadership
of St. Mary’s Catholic Center. Their purpose is to serve God through stewardship
and outreach to benefactors, former students, and their peers. We thank them for
their dedication and service to St. Mary’s, and for promoting the Aggie Catholic
message on and off campus. 
Featured Benefactor
Howdy to Amy Perkins ‘02
Amy Perkins ’02 recently joined St.
Mary’s staff as the director of annual
giving. She comes to us from Houston
Methodist Hospital Foundation as a
lead annual giving officer. Prior to
Methodist, Amy was employed by
Scott & White Healthcare Foundation
in Temple, Texas, where she last served
as vice president for development
services, providing strategic
direction for the annual giving,
alumni, and development marketing
services. Amy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech
Communications from Texas A&M University in 2002, and began
her fundraising career at The Association of Former Students at
Texas A&M University. Amy enjoys volunteering through the
Junior League and is a past president of the Junior League of Bell
County. She and her husband, Justin ‘02, also enjoy spending time
with family, traveling, and attending Aggie sporting events. 
Leaving a Legacy
Being a good steward means that we make plans for the material goods
God has entrusted to our care. As you make these decisions, would you
prayerfully consider remembering St. Mary’s Catholic Center (tax ID
74-1616577) or the Aggieland Catholic Foundation Inc. (a permanent
endowment benefiting St. Mary’s, tax ID 74-3007634) in your will, as a life
insurance beneficiary, or in your estate plans? For more information about
these and other giving options, please contact Eileen Kuvlesky, (979) 8465717; (ekuvlesky@aggiecatholic.org). 
IT’S NOT TOO LATE!
You still have time to use your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from
your retirement accounts to make a charitable gift to St. Mary’s Catholic
Center. You can use your RMD to make a charitable gift, reduce your income,
and get a tax deduction for your gift. If you have any questions, please contact
Eileen Kuvlesky, (979) 846-5717; (ekuvlesky@aggiecatholic.org). 
The Spirit in Aggieland
Anthony Guzman ’16
Aggie Catholic Ambassador
(1st row, 5th from the left)
Member of the Living Faith Society
“I’m just a poor college student,” to me, is
an overused excuse. I am a first generation
college student on scholarship to one of
the best universities in the world. Where has
most of my joy come from since my stay at
Texas A&M? My joy comes from my faith
that is enriched by St. Mary’s with all of the
organizations, events, and more importantly,
the people. I attend and serve the retreats,
Mass, and events here at St. Mary’s, and
I’m constantly reaping the benefits of this
amazing laboratory of disciples. Tithing is
an exercise we need to start now as college
students, no matter how insignificant we
think our gifts are. The fact is, students want
to donate, but we don’t carry cash. The Living
Faith Society is the most convenient and
effortless way to make a difference.” 
The Living Faith Society
(LFS) is St. Mary’s electronic giving
program in which a fixed amount
is drafted from a bank account or
credit card each month. LFS members
allow St. Mary’s to make prudent
decisions about programs, staffing,
and ministries—knowing that there
is a predictable cash flow. In addition,
membership in the LFS also allows you
to budget a gift over time and reduces
St. Mary’s fundraising expenses. For
more information about joining the
Living Faith Society, please contact
Johanna Hackemack at (979) 846-5717
or email jhackemack@aggiecatholic.
org. 
3www.aggiecatholic.org
Aggie Catholics Serve Others
The Catholic life is one of service. Thanks to our benefactors, St. Mary’s is able to
offer classes, seminars, and discussion groups for students to learn about the
beautiful social justice teachings of the Catholic Church. Through these educational
opportunities, students come to understand that charity requires a personal
commitment from them.
Also, in the last year, St. Mary’s provided over 100 opportunities for students to put
these teachings into practice. These included working in a soup kitchen, spending
time with the elderly in a nursing home, domestic and foreign mission trips to
minister to the disadvantaged, and disaster aid and clean-up. For example, Aggie
Catholics made two trips to West, Texas to help the citizens there deal with the
aftermath of the fertilizer plant explosion. 
Vocation Station
A Religious Calling
Sister Cynthia Salas ’98 professed her
perpetual vows as a Salesian Sister of St.
John Bosco on August 5, 2012 at the St.
Augustine Cathedral in Laredo. Presently,
Sister Cynthia serves as the director
of religious education at Our Lady of
Guadalupe Parish in Austin. 
Freshman Connection - Dinner
Connection. Texas A&M is experiencing
record enrollment, which means there
are nearly 14,000 Catholic students on
campus—and St. Mary’s wants to make
sure that each of them feels welcome!
Thanks to our benefactors, we were able
to send postcards to the new students,
inviting them to orientation events.
These events included: the CONNECT
Retreat for incoming freshmen and
transfer students, Freshman Connection
dinners, and the Fall Ministry Kickoff. 
The Spirit in Aggieland
Pescadores Brings Faith to Latin
American Students. Catholic students
come to Texas A&M from all over
the world. Pescadores, which means
“fishermen,” is a ministry of St. Mary’s
that serves students from Spanishspeaking countries. Also participating
are students who want to improve their
Spanish language skills.
Junior agronomy major Ana Sofia
Corona is a coordinator for Pescadores.
She explained that the ministry tries to
be a family for students far away from
home and “provides a place for Spanishspeaking students to encounter Jesus by
learning about the faith and serving the
community.”
Approximately 70 students participate
in Pescadores, with 40-50 attending
weekly meetings. The meetings include
prayer, social time, study of the Catholic
faith, and small group discussion. In
mid-October, over 60 students made or
staffed a retreat with the theme Necesito
de Ti (I need You), which focused on our
need for God, and God’s need for us to
be his light in the world. 
Military Archbishop Visits Aggieland.
On Sunday, September 20, Archbishop
Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for
the Military Services celebrated three
Masses at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at
Texas A&M University. He was welcomed
not only by the students, but also by
active duty, reservists, members of the
National Guard, the Texas A&M Corps of
Cadets, and veterans in the community.
“To speak with so many students
who are enthusiastic about their faith
was a great boost for me. It was also
encouraging to talk with many of those
in the Corps, who will be leaders in
the Armed Forces. Of course, the Texas
hospitality was beyond compare,” said
Archbishop Broglio.
The Archdiocese for the Military
Services provides the Catholic Church’s
full range of pastoral ministries and
spiritual services to the United States
Armed Forces. Those speaking with the
archbishop assured him that the Aggie
Catholics’ proud tradition of supporting
the troops also includes supporting the
military chaplains. 
4www.aggiecatholic.org
St. Mary’s Welcomes Distinguished Speaker: Father Tad Pacholczyk
On October 17, Father Tad Pacholczyk, a leading bioethicist, spoke to a capacity crowd of 250 in the
Activity Center. Father Tad is the director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and
holds a PhD in neuroscience from Yale. His visit was sponsored by the St. Mary’s Distinguished Speaker
Series, which is funded by our benefactors to bring the riches of our Catholic faith into the university
environment to further the discussion of contemporary issues.
His presentation focused on the ethical concerns of infertility treatments, particularly in vitro
fertilization (IVF).
Although the culture does not accept the Catholic Church’s teachings about God’s plan for marriage
and family life, Father Tad showed that respect for life, compassion, and reason support these teachings.
He encouraged the audience to work toward making respect for all human life the cultural norm. 
KTB Looks Toward 10th Anniversary
It’s hard to believe, but
Kappa Theta Beta (KTB),
an inclusive Catholic
sorority founded at
St. Mary’s, will be ten
years old this spring!
If you are currently or
have been a member,
please join KTB for their
anniversary celebration!
For more information,
please email
KTBformermember@
gmail.com.
After a successful pledge drive, KTB now has 126 members.
They have been busy raising funds and helping the Good
Samaritan Gabriel Project Life Center. On October 4-5, KTB held
their fall retreat, which focused on Hebrews 6:19, “We have this
hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” 
Adopted Aggies and Families Enjoy Ice Cream Social
What’s better
than an ice
cream sundae
on a Sunday
afternoon?
John and Mary
Jo Ufema
hosted an ice
cream social
on September
29 for Adoptan-Aggie
students
and their “families.” Through the Adopt-an-Aggie program,
St. Mary’s matches students with local families, who provide
friendship and some of the comforts of home. In addition to
ice cream, several students shared their musical talents in an
informal setting. Thank you to the Ufemas for a wonderful
Sunday break! 
The Spirit in Aggieland
Students Listen to God’s Voice
Thanks to our benefactors, in 2008 the Apostles of the
Interior Life Sisters came to St. Mary’s. One of their ministries
is the Samuel Group, named after God’s call to the prophet
Samuel. Members of the group strive to learn how to
hear the quiet counsel of the Holy Spirit over the noise,
confusion, and busyness of college life.
One Sunday a month, the Samuel Group members attend
an afternoon-long meeting that includes: scripture study;
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; a presentation
on various spiritual and psychological obstacles in
understanding God’s will; an opportunity to receive the
sacrament of reconciliation; and small group discussion.
As the students become better at hearing God’s voice,
some begin to discern their true vocation beyond college—
whether God is calling them to marriage, the priesthood, or
religious life. The wisdom and experience of the sisters is an
invaluable source of help for these students. 
KACB Produces Local Hit Program!
White Collar Workers is
a radio show produced
by KACB 96.9 FM (Aggie
Catholic Broadcasting),
featuring St. Mary’s
associate pastors, Fathers
Jonathan Raia (left) and
Barry Cuba (right). The
show airs live on Fridays at
12:30 p.m. CST. See the 96.9
KACB -Aggie Catholic Radio Facebook page for streaming
information. The show is also archived on youtube.com.
Pictured with the hosts are producer Caleb De La Rosa ‘15
and station director Cici Stevenson ‘14. 
5www.aggiecatholic.org
Tailgating with the Aggie Catholics
Faith and football were a fun combination for the Aggie Catholics at two tailgates this season!
On Saturday, October 19, St. Mary’s hosted the biggest tailgate in the Kyle Field neighborhood. 350
dropped by before the Texas A&M vs. Auburn game to renew friendships, meet students, and join
in pregame fun. Although the Aggie football team did not have its best day, the Aggie Catholics had
a great time!
The Catholic Students Association (CSA) is a university-recognized organization for all Catholic
students on campus. Due to the early kickoff, CSA hosted a breakfast tailgate before the Texas A&M
vs. Vanderbilt game on October 26. The students also used their sports passes to get tickets to
stand together in the spirit of the 12th Man to cheer the Aggies on to a win! 
Profile in Faith
If you’ve EVER been an
Awakening retreater, you
don’t want to miss the
reunion celebrating AA #100
beginning Saturday, March 1!
It’s not too late to register!
For more information visit
aa100.aggiecatholic.org
or scan the QR code.
Alex Ward ‘14
Aerospace Engineering
My faith as a Christian is everything! It is my identity as a human being; the
reason I exist. St. Mary’s is a community that stands and rejoices in that faith—a
community that constantly challenges me to live it out. Although, at times, I may
turn away from Christ’s call to holiness, he always leads me back into communion
with himself and his body, the Church.
The love that has been shown to me by everyone at St. Mary’s led me to become
involved and give back the gifts I have received. Right now, I serve on the
leadership team for TheREVOLUTION, an organization that focuses on Blessed
John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teachings. It has been such a joy to
witness the life-changing fruits of this ministry.
Words cannot express the gratitude that I feel toward the
benefactors of St. Mary’s. You have allowed me and countless
other students to become members of the Aggie Catholic family
of faith. The pastoral staff, students, programs, and ministries
demonstrate true Christian love and teach me what it means to
be a disciple of Christ. St. Mary’s is where I’ve made some of my
best friends and memories, and will always be my home
away from home. 