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I recently started attending the Franciscan University of Steubenville this fall. I read this thread before I left, and now I happened to find it again on coming back to my home, and I feel that I should clear up the issue of the "pseudo-mass".

The celebration is called a "Lord's Day" and it is done by each Household on campus. Households are official clubs recognized by the university. they started out as natural, unofficial clubs, but then the university realized their potential for spiritual development and made them an official part of campus life.

Joining a household is totally optional, but many do. Households are either all men or all ladies, never coed, and they each have their own character. There are two things that make up a household: Their covenant, and their commitments. A covenant is like a constitution, a statement of the household's purpose and dedication. Many households are dedicated to our Blessed Mother, for example. A commitment is a meeting that members are required to attend; thus, commitments are how household members live our their covenant.

Some households have many more commitments than others. Some are more spiritual than others. For example, the Disciples of the Word have for their commitments a rosary on Tuesday, Bible study on Thursday, Lord's Day celebration, a morning prayer, nightly accountability meetings, and each member must attend daily Mass. They have a lot of commitments. I think the Brothers of the Eternal Song have less; they have a group breakfast on Friday, I think daily Mass on a certain day, Lord's Day, divine mercy chaplet I think daily, and a walking rosary like once a week.

People are often identified by their household, because a household is a group that you hang out with too. Each household has its own wing in a certain dorm; the Brothers of the Eternal Song have the east wing of first floor Francis, Servants of the Savior has west wing, Lion of Judah has east wing of 2nd floor Francis, and so on. Not everyone in the household lives on the household wing, but a substantial number do. But households are not exclusive; they are generally open and inviting, and they also do things with other households. Apart from their commitments they also have optional hang outs; the Disciples, for example, have Praise and Worship on Saturday, and movie night on Friday, and once in a while bowling night on Wednesday.

So why join a household? Well, I think this point is best emphasized by my friends, the Disciples of the Word. They are a new household just being created. We all started out as friends, but then my friends started meeting on Thursdays and they felt a calling to be a household. So they prayed a lot, and visited other households, and eventually it became clear that they would become their own household.

But before they wanted to be an official household they were set on being an accountability group. What they did is they helped each other to grow closer to Christ, by being there for each other, listening to each other, and correcting each other away from sin. By the time they became a household, they had a commitment of an evening accountability meeting. This means that every evening they meet in our common room and discuss the day. They discuss how they served God that day, how they failed to serve Him, how they could improve, and so on. It's a circle of trust, and they share intimate thoughts that are for themselves alone. They build each other up in the Lord; I mean, they help to point each other in the right direction.

Their covenant as a household focuses on scripture. Thus they are called The Disciples of the Word. Jesse, the appointed leader, especially has a great love for God's Word, and so their original Thursday night meeting became a Bible study. Each member is responsible for reading a certain amount each week, and then they discuss it at the Bible study. A different person each time leads the study in a seminar fashion. Any guy, member or not, is welcome at the Bible study.

Then also they're friends. I'm their friend too, and we hag out a lot. Next semester most of them are moving into one wing, stub wing, so it will become Disciples wing. We hang out a lot and support each other.

So this is the purpose of households: To grow closer to the Lord. The Disciples accountability meeting, their commitments, their Bible study, all of these are aimed at getting closer to God. St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ." Thus the aim of the Disciples is to remove that ignorance. They are a good community. These days people suffer from peer pressure, leading them to sin; you won't find that in the Disciples--if anything, their example leads people away from sin.

So what about the Lord's Day? Well, the Lord's Day is a common celebration. Each of the households have it, and the Disciples just had their first one on the eve of the Second Sunday of Advent. Yes, it does involve the breaking of bread and passing of a cup of wine. No, it does not mean to replace the Mass; that would be stupid.

I cannot tell you where the Lord's Day first came from, but it's been there for some time. The idea behind it is the fellowship of a table and a common cup. The bread and cup are never said to represent the Lord in any way, but merely thanksgiving and petition. I helped design the Disciples' Lord's Day, and we made certain that we did not use any false words in our prayers. The bread and the cup are not the Body and Blood of Our Lord, nor do we take them for it, but the bread is broken and passed around, and as each person eats of it he offers a prayer of thanksgiving. Then the cup is passed around as as each person receives it, a petition to the Lord is proposed. I do not drink of the cup because of my own commitment never to drink; which is totally accepted, it's optional to eat, and my prayers are still accepted.

Also at the Lord's Day we read and discuss the readings for tomorrow's Mass, so that we'll be prepared for them. Apart from that, there is no other similarity to the Mass. There is no procession or any priestly jobs. There is no claim that it is a Mass. And NOBODY AT ALL EVER goes to Lord's Day in place of Mass. The Sunday Masses at Steubenville are filled with people, more than are at the Lord's Day celebrations the day before.

Ah, Steubenville is awesome! After being there I can say my faith in Christ has been greatly improved, and I've learned so much. All of the teachers take an oath to the magisterium of the Church to teach the true doctrine. My Theology 101 class, for example, has taught me tons, especially because I happened to get the best and most difficult teacher. We learned about the Trinity and the Christological Controversy. We read original documents written by the Fathers of the Church, including St. Athanasius, St. Augustine, St. Leo the Great, and more. We even read the exchanges between Cyril and Nestorius, and the "definition" given by the Council of Chalcedon, which concluded the bulk of the Christological debate.

In my Franciscan Studies class, I learned so much about St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, St. Clare, and I was so inspired by it all.

But there are many majors at Franciscan besides just Theology. Many people go there for Education, Nursing, Mental Health, etc. They have great teachers, and they never have to fear taking a class because of a professor attacking the faith (I went to a community college and just taking a sociology class I found myself arguing with the teacher and defending the faith often). There's hardly anyone at Steubenville who isn't Catholic.

Just the atmosphere is wonderful. People say hi to you everywhere whether they know you or not. It's safe, friendly, and welcoming. There is no place quite like Steubenville. It's kind of funny actually how just walking around campus you hear people having conversations about the Magisterium of the Church, Christology, the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, why abortion is so wrong, who is being executed that day and needs prayers, and so on.

There are tons of optional ministries that many people volunteer for. There's homeless ministry, abortion clinic Ministry, retreat ministry, etc. There is a spirit of charity there, of hearts on fire for Christ, of people wanting truth and sacramental life.

If you don't like Vatican II, you won't like Steubenville. They have Latin Mass like once a month or so, not too often. But to say Vatican II is wrong is to say the Church itself is wrong, because the bishops met at a conference to decide Vatican II led by the Holy Spirit, just as the bishops decided which books would be in the New Testament, and what the Creed of Nicea would be, and so on. I trust in the Church, and I know that Steubenville shows just the kind of spirit that the Pope wants. And more importantly, I know that God loves the place as a holy land, because I know that God loves me, and He brought me there for a reason.

Since I've been there I've gotten so much more into my faith. I was into it before, but I was at a standstill it seemed. But I am so supported in my faith there. I try to go to daily Mass and say a rosary every day. Especially on Mondays I say a rosary with a bunch of my friends (mostly girls), and Tuesday I say one with the Disciples of the Word and whoever else comes (mostly guys).

I can't speak for other universities, because I've never been there. But I can say that Steubenville is not only a safe place to send your kids, but a place where, if they are open, they can grow in faith and charity and knowledge of God. Of course, it is up to your children to grow; no place will make them a better or worse person unless they allow it. Not every single person in Steubenville is geared toward Christ, but an overwhelming majority is, and there is so much opportunity to seek the Lord that each of the years you are there is precious.

If you want more information on the university, you can email me from my web site: www.azcoyote.com
I intend to add a page to my site all about Steubenville, eventually, when I have the time.
I hope this post helps you all. God bless you and be with you and your children!

~Michael Anthony Abril