40 Days, 40 Acts of Kindness

I am the master of coping out at Lent. I once gave up French fries, a food I rarely eat. Another year, I gave up coffee. I was nine. I’d watch my family and friends challenge themselves by depriving themselves of sweets, junk food, and comforts, while I just didn’t.

I started thinking a while back that it was high time to re-evaluate how I spend my Lent. I realized that maybe giving up stuff isn’t the thing for me. In the pursuit of happiness, a word I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately, I decided to change my mindset. Instead of giving things up, I’ve decided to do the opposite. Instead of taking away things I enjoy in my life, I’ve decided to bring greater happiness to other people.

I’ve always been a huge fan of random acts of kindness. Long before I started my blogging career, I was a frequent follower of kindness blogs. I love reading about the creative ways people choose to give back to others. Some of my favorite blogs are about people who worked as “secret agents” to hide gift cards and other goodies around public places as gifts for strangers, and others about people who challenge themselves to acts of kindness every day.

Despite being an avid reader of kindness blogs, I’ve never actually done any true act of kindness. My dad was always great it. When we’d go out to lunch at our favorite greasy spoon after church on Sunday, he would always get the bill of a different table at the restaurant- whether it be a young mother with her child or a table of teenage boys. He was always careful to remain anonymous, making sure we ran out of the restaurant before they knew who had paid their bill. I always admired this action and hoped to emulate his kind ways, yet I never did.

Hence, I decided to make random acts of kindness my mission for Lent. 40 Days, 40 Random Acts of Kindness (or more if I can find the time). I don’t know exactly what direction my acts of kindness will take, but I’m preparing by buying lots of sticky notes, Starbucks gift cards, and cookie making materials. At the same time, I’m a poor college student; I don’t have the money to fund extensive RAKs or even lots of small ones. I want to challenge myself to find ways to help people without spending money- whether it be tutoring a freshman, doing my roommate’s laundry, or lighting candles at the grotto for people who are sick.

I hope that by the end of Lent, I will have brightened people’s lives. More importantly, I hope to become more aware of the people around me whose  lives need to be brightened. In college it is so easy to get caught up in classes and extracurricular, over looking the friend down the hall who is sick, heartbroken, or having a bad day. By the end of this time of reflection, sacrifice, and discipline, I hope to see the world a little bit differently.

Strong Women of Faith

We live in a world that encourages young women to be anything and everything they dream to be. Women now receive more college degrees than ever before. We run businesses, lead nations, and make discoveries in science. It’s an empowering place to live, albeit not perfect, but it has taken on a more positive direction than where we were 25 and certainly 50 years ago.

To me, the greatest struggle of my faith life is reconciling being a feminist (link to http://areyouafeminist.com/) who believes that women can do everything men can, with a religion that doesn’t always feel the same. I don’t have the solution and I don’t think  this is a problem that can be solved in a single moment- or a single blog post.  I do, however, think in times of doubt I can turn to the beautiful, strong women who have served as strong leaders and great beacons of hope for women of faith. These ladies can show us how many awesome things Catholic women can do!

Catherine Doherty- Born a Russian Baroness in 1896, she worked as a nurse, writer, and an advocate for social justice. She emigrated to England and then Canada, converting to Catholicism and leaving behind her title and riches. She founded Friendship House and Madonna House[WU1] , soup kitchens for the poor. She is now a “Servant of God,” the first step on the road to sainthood.

Saint Katherine Drexel- An American Heiress, she visited the west and saw the poverty for Native Americans and African Americans at the time. She decided to become a nun and use her large inheritance to help the poor. She started an order of sisters, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament[WU2] . She also founded Xavier University in New Orleans and other schools across the country for minorities.

Jean Donovan- I’m pretty sure she is the Ke$ha of Catholic women. It is reported thatshe poured alcohol on her cereal and wasn’t afraid to swear. However, she felt a strong call from God to go into service, prompting her to travel to El Salvador as a lay Maryknoll missionary. When things became dangerous in El Salvador, she remained in the country, dedicated to the children and poor in risk. Gravely, her dedication to the poor of El Salvador resulted in her murder[WU3] .

Nuns on the Bus[WU4] - These fiery sisters, lead by Sister Simon Campbell, during the 2012 election boarded a bus and toured the country, speaking on working with the poor and protesting cuts in aid. They continued their mission in 2013, by touring the country to speak on immigration reform. Sister Simon Campbell also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2012 on helping the poor.

These are just a few examples of the fearless, Catholic women leaders that have made their mark on the world. Many of our country’s hospitals and schools were founded and led by nuns. We have lists upon lists of female saints. Catholic women have had a definitive role in shaping the world and our faith and I hope they continue to do so. Who are some of your favorite female Catholic leaders?

Recommended Reading

As a blogger, having people read my blog and receive feedback on it is very rewarding. In turn, I like to try and read lots of other blogs to see what other students write about, how they think of life and faith, and to gain new insights. So for this week, I thought I’d share a little of my recommended reading with you!

The Irish Blessing
Jen is my partner in crime at Thursday morning blog meetings and is the other undergraduate student blogger within Campus Ministry! Because of this, our blogs pair really well together, as we often write on similar and contrasting issues. Jen’s blog also tries to bring in theology and church teachings. Reading her blog is a great way to learn more about Catholicism and gain a new perspective on some of the topics I cover too

Remaining Unstained
I met Sarah on Sophomore Road Trip and was really excited to discover that she also keeps a blog about faith. Sarah’s blog is always challenging you in your faith life and constantly demanding that you love God and others with your everything. It’s a beautiful message, usually delivered with lots of colorful fonts!
Sarah says, “My blog is about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone who will click on the link. I love sharing what has been on my heart during the week, and I love even more when people share back with me about what they think or what it taught them. God is so good and I could write about how much I love him all day long!”

The Hunger and Thirst
I’ve known Hayley through Dance Company at Notre Dame and happened upon her blog! Her blog is inspiring and real, often drawing from service she has done or big questions she is grappling with. Her blog is really engaging, as she brings in music, literature, and pictures.
Hayley says, “Whether we realize it or not, each of us is hungry for the joy, love, and fulfillment that God has to offer. My blog is called 'The Hunger and Thirst,' and every Sunday I write about the hunger and thirst I have for Jesus. The title is based off Matthew 5:6, 'Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.'”

I Am Notre Dame
Though this blog isn’t a “faith” blog, it is never the less inspiring and thoughtful. In the tradition of Human’s of New York, this blog works to tell the stories of Notre Dame of anyone who finds their way to our campus (everyone from professors to students to the FEDEX delivery guy). It beautifully captures what it means to be part of the Notre Dame family!

The creator of this blog sent me a lovely reflection of her mission:“I've grown in countless ways since November, when I started the blog. I've learned about photography (especially when shooting squirrels); I've learned about patience. I've learned how to approach strangers and hold conversations with them without seeming either pushy or detached. And I've learned so much about the Notre Dame community. I've talked to Student Council candidates, I've learned what ROTC entails, I've discussed the ins and outs of the dining hall with the swipers, I've talked to the glee club, to a rector, to priests, to ushers, to fans, to seminarians, to alumni, to international students. I honestly believe that, with each interview, I learn something new about this school. And that is invaluable to me, because it might have taken me years to find (or I might not ever have learned) this information, to learn about the clubs and activities on campus.


I really love being a student blogger for Campus Ministry. It’s been a great way to reflect on my faith and grow more authentic in how I live and speak about it. However, my blog is only my unique way of seeing the world, while there are so many others. Reading and gathering unique ideas from other people is one of the absolute blessings about the internet. So make time this week to read a new blog and gain a new perspective. And please be sure to share links with me to some of your favorite blogs as well!

Rosary: A Powerful Prayer

When I was five, I went with my mom and grandmother to a celebration of the Assumption. Part of the celebration included praying the rosary. I’m not sure I knew my prayers very well at the time, but my mom told me to pray for a little brother or sister. I had been an only child my entire life and I wanted to have a little sister to play with. My mom, grandma, and I all prayed for the intention that my mom would get pregnant again. That night she conceived my little sister.

Years and years passed until I was a senior in high school. My dream at the time was to attend Notre Dame. Having grown up visiting Notre Dame every summer, it was the only place I could imagine going. Unlike almost all of my classmates, I didn’t receive the big envelope in the mail - just a small envelope, with a small card to fill out for a place on the waitlist. I sent the card back in, but figured it was probably a lost cause. The year before no one had gotten off the waitlist. I figured I couldn’t lose anything in trying though, so I went a little nuts. I made a DVD. I visited Notre Dame to talk to admissions. I called the admissions office every day for two weeks. I also started saying my first novena.

A novena is any prayer said for nine days in succession. The nine days are representative of the nine days that the apostles and Mary spent in prayer between the Ascension and Pentecost. Your novena can be said to certain saints or for certain feast days. My mom explained it to me as a way of “bombarding Heaven with your prayer.” As my novena was to Mary, I said the rosary for 9 days in a row, with the intention of being accepted to Notre Dame.

I do not pray the rosary often. I’ve always regarded it as a beautiful and powerful form of prayer, but unfortunately I am not very diligent at staying focused on the prayer and reflecting deeply. I often find myself getting distracted while praying the rosary. During my novena, I realized that there are cool resources online to help you say the rosary. One of my favorite websites was comepraytherosary.org, which lets you join a worldwide rosary saying or pray individually. It also provides reflective pictures to look at while you pray (you can pick between the Holy Land or a church). It will pray the rosary out loud with you and you can follow along. It was an easy way to help keep myself centered in prayer in a way I couldn’t do myself.

A few weeks after I finished my novena, on the first day that Notre Dame started accepting students from the waitlist (I think only 11 kids were accepted that day), I received a call from my admissions counselor welcoming me to Notre Dame. One of the first things I did (after like bouncing around my house screaming) was visit a nearby church to thank God and Mary for listening to my prayer. Rosaries, and novenas can’t guarantee that your hopes and dreams are answered, but they are a way of communicating with Mary in an intimate way and to foster a relationship with our blessed mother.

Talking Politics and Religion

When I was in eighth grade I went on an overnight school trip. One night, my roommates and I somehow started talking about politics and religion. Though we were all Christian, two of the girls had more conservative political views, while mine were definitely more liberal. As the conversation progressed, I became more and more silent. The girls  talked about how all good Christians were Republicans and discussed the things wrong with people who were pro-choice and supported gay marriage. I went to the bathroom to hide and cry. All of sudden, my liberal political views became my big dark secret. I realized that I couldn’t share my political thoughts with people, especially those who were Catholic.

I spent the rest of high school keeping my political beliefs and my Catholic faith separate. I’d go to youth group and nod along with conversations I didn’t always believe in. I’d listen to my political friends rant about the church. Entering college, I felt so torn between a faith that I loved and believed in, and the way I saw the world politically. I struggled to figure out exactly where I belonged. I felt like every friendship I formed was only formed with half of me. When conversations turned political or religious, I’d often grow silent, just as I had as an eighth grader, thinking that as long as no one knew my opinions, everyone would be happy and like me.

I’ve recently decided to try to give this up and strive to be a more authentic version of myself. After all, God is never calling us to be anyone other than ourselves. In opening up about my own opinions, I’ve been surprised to learn a lot more about others. Most Notre Dame students, and most Catholics in general, don’t always fall into clean-cut political and theological ideologies. Many of my friends who stayed up late watching the election and rooting for Obama with me last year are the same friends who went to the Right for Life Rally. Some friends, who have been mentors for ND Vision, have also been advocates for LGBT rights on campus. You’ll find many people at Notre Dame who are by-the-book Catholics, but many more who have diverse and unique political and religious ways to look at the world.

The church itself is not a partisan organization. So many of the teachings of the church pull from both the left and the right. While the churches teachings on life and LGBT issues align with the Republican party, there are other church issues such as immigration and poverty that align themselves with the Democrats. While church teachings and positions on issues can give people a “nudge” in a certain direction, the church isn’t a political institution. In the US, Catholics are actually split 50/50 between both parties and in the last election, both Vice Presidential candidates were Catholic. Notre Dame is also split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats.

The most important thing I’ve discovered is that a person’s political views on the world are only a small part of who they are. While being at Notre Dame, I’ve made wonderful friends, some of whom have very different opinions than me- in politics, in religion, in literature, in anything! Our difference in opinions doesn’t make our friendships less important, but often call me to challenge my own beliefs and reaffirm why I believe what I do. The thing that eighth grade Megan didn’t understand was that people aren’t going to stop liking you because you disagree them. Politics and religion are tricky issues and ones that should always be approached with respect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t discuss them. In the end, we are part of a faith that calls us to love each other and our God. If a person is really living their faith, they will love you regardless of where your politics fall.

A Cupcake Miracle

Growing up, my summers were always marked by a special vacation with my mom: A trip to the University of Notre Dame. As a part of the “Alumni Family Hall” program, my Mom would return to Notre Dame and I would stay with her in the dorms. My mom would attend retreats during the week and I would spend time at the kid’s day camp.

The kid’s camp was always fun. We’d do crafts, visit places on campus, and play lots of fun games. And, if it was your birthday during camp, they’d make you cupcakes. Unfortunately for me, I have a winter birthday, and it would never fall during the kid’s camp. This made three-year-old Megan very sad.

I decided that I needed a miracle. I went to the Grotto and prayed that they would celebrate my birthday. It was impossible right? How could they when my birthday was in February?

Somehow, on the last Friday of my week at Notre Dame, the camp director decided to bake me cupcakes. We all gathered in the Lewis Hall kitchen and made me cupcakes. I was so happy. They even gave me a few birthday presents. I was a happy little kid- my miracle had come true!

As great as my cupcake miracle was, it is a teeny tiny drop in the bucket to all the miracles that have happened in our beautiful world! We live in a world where miracles happen on large and small scales every day: people finding jobs, being cured of cancer, and surviving accidents. One place we can look to find miracles is in the lives of the saints.

Becoming a saint requires three miracles after death, so looking at any saint you’ll find a fantastic list of wonderful miracles. A great and easy way to start learning about the miracles of the saints is to start in your own dorm chapel.  Each dorm chapel is named after a saint, and mine is St. Bridget of Kildaire, in McGlinn Hall.

St. Bridget of Kildaire worked many miracles during her lifetime. They took all different shapes and forms. One of her miracles tells of how she wished to be a nun. Her brothers wanted her to marry. She prayed and asked for her face to be made disfigured so that she could not marry. God transformed her face to be disfigured. She was allowed to become a nun and when she put on the veil of her habit, her face was transfigured to once again be beautiful!

Another of St. Bridget’s stories tells of her convincing a king let her make a convent. He was against the idea, but Bridget asked if she could have as much land as her cape covered. As she had a small cape, he let her try. In miracle fashion, her cape stretched out for many acres. The king was impressed by her and this miracle, so he let her have the land for the convent, but also converted to Christianity.

She worked many more miracles curing the sick and giving to lepers. I don’t think I’ll work any crazy miracles like St. Bridget, but perhaps I can work those of the camp director from my kid’s day camp. I spent last summer working at a day camp, and I hope to return there this summer. Maybe, I can bring a cupcake to a girl who needs a miracle.

The Ultimate Guide to Dorm Mass at Notre Dame

Just two weeks ago, we made our New Year’s Resolutions. Some of us pledged to eat better, exercise more or work harder in school. Regardless of what you vowed to do, each of your resolutions presents a chance to better yourself - to become the very best version of you. But just as health and academics are important, your relationship with God is just as vital to maintaining a new you in the new year.

Luckily, Notre Dame has one of the best resources to jump start your faith life - dorm Mass. Daily Mass is offered in several residence halls, giving you an easy way to worship and reflect, often without even going out in the cold!

Each dorm offers something unique when it comes to Mass, so this semester resolve to go to a new dorm for Mass to  find new sources of inspiration for  your faith life. A lot of dorms also provide social events after Mass, giving you a chance for community building afterward.

Here are some dorm Mass highlights:

Monday

10PM- O’Neill Hall- Milkshake Mass

10PM- Cavanaugh Hall- Crepe Mass

10PM- Walsh Hall- Candlelight Mass

10PM- Farley Hall- Farley Fiesta Mass

10PM- Lewis Hall- Lucenarium

11:30PM- Carroll Hall- Night Prayer

Tuesday

5:15PM- Zahm Hall- Zahm Militant Mass (a mass directed at men of faith)

9PM- Knott Hall- Bible Study

10PM- Fisher Hall- Mass with Father Scully (Director of ACE) with pizza after in his room (also on Mondays)

Wednesday

10PM- Sorin Hall- Chili Mass

10PM- Keough Hall- Root Beer Float Mass

10PM- Ryan Hall- Waffle Mass

10PM- Keenan Hall- Smoothie Mass

10PM- Pasquerilla East Hall- Candlelight Mass

10PM- Lewis Hall- Monkey Bread Mass

10PM- Siegfried Hall- Pizza Stick Mass

Thursday

10PM- Stanford Hall- Nacho Mass

10PM- Dillon Hall- Milkshake Mass

Sunday

9AM- Alumni Hall- Trinditine Mass

1:30PM- Dillon Hall- Spanish Mass

8:30PM- Breen-Philips Hall- Sundaes on Sunday (first Sunday usually)

10PM- Cavanaugh Hall- Sundaes on Sunday

10PM- Knott Hall- Snacks afterwards

Here is a complete list of Mass times in dorms across campus.[WU1] 

So whether you walk down the stairs in your jammies to celebrate Mass in your own hall or you venture into the cold to attend Mass across campus, you’ll reap the rewards with not only community and snacks, but spiritual rewards as well!