By Cavan Burns | Reporter
If you look across the street from the Stacy Riddle Forum, you will find St. Peter’s Catholic Student Center. St. Peter’s serves as a Catholic community not only for Baylor University students but also for McLennan Community College students, Texas State Technical College students and local Wacoans.
“While I was in college, St. Peter’s was very much my spiritual home, my kind of social go-to place,” John Ungarino, St. Peter’s campus ministry associate, said. “It’s where my community was.”
Ungarino attended Baylor before graduating this past spring, and he began his job as campus ministry associate at St. Peter’s in late July.
“If I had all the money in the world to spend — I didn’t have to get paid for anything — what would I most love to do? It’s what I’m doing right now,” Ungarino said.
A few weeks prior to the hiring of Ungarino, St. Peter’s welcomed the arrival of its new priest, Rev. Henry Finch. Finch, a Texas native from San Marcos, attended Texas A&M University for his undergraduate career. Finch said it was during his time in College Station that he converted to Catholicism. Prior to serving at St. Peter’s, Finch served in Cedar Park at another Catholic parish.
“I’ve enjoyed the energy, the enthusiasm and the inquisitiveness of the students,” Finch said.
In addition to this, Finch said he has four pillars for his pastoral vision during his time at St. Peter’s: worship, formation, fellowship and outreach. When discussing the second pillar, formation, Finch said he hopes to “cultivate an atmosphere of contemplative wonder.” Regarding the final pillar, outreach, Finch said his hope is that the Catholic community will be “going out to bring others in.”
If you are eager to learn more about St. Peter’s Catholic Student Center, visit its website or stop by the student center.
