In the News: Student’s Involvement in Ministry Leadership Featured in U.S. Catholic Magazine

Dominican University’s Ministry en lo Cotidiano (MLC) program fellow and political science major Maria Dominguez is featured in the August 2022 edition of U.S. Catholic magazine.

The story “Embracing Their Roots: Campus Ministers Serve Latino/a Youth by Listening and Avoiding Assumptions,” includes an interview with Dominguez about her involvement with Ministry en lo Cotidiano (Ministry in the Everyday), a leadership development and faith formation fellowship for undergraduate students.

Each year MLC places between 8 to 15 students in faith-based service projects within Latine communities in the Chicago area. Work includes community organizing, education and tutoring, immigration legal services, providing food security, faith development and campus ministry.

With MLC, Dominguez worked with preschool children, volunteering her time nine hours each week, the U.S. Catholic article said.

“To me, that was extremely appealing — to go to school and be a student while also doing something to help, to give back a little,” Dominguez says in the article.

She also attended a weekly discussion group where Dominican students shared their volunteer experiences and learned about Latin American theology, including female influences.

The article states: “Helping students like Dominguez connect with their identities and faith traditions is a key goal of Dominican’s approach to campus ministry, which is centered around culturally responsive ministries that engage with students based on their individual cultures, faith traditions and life experiences.”

John DeCostanza, interim vice president of University Ministry at Dominican, is also quoted in the article, noting that culturally responsive ministry has given participating students a greater sense of belonging.

The purpose of Ministry en lo Cotidiano is to develop future church leaders, as Latine Catholics are under-represented in church ministry, despite contributing to a 71% growth of the Roman Catholic community in the United States since 1960.

More information on Ministry en lo Cotidiano can be found here.