Campus Ministry

Drawing from the outstanding example of our patron and the rich Catholic heritage of our founding fathers, St. John Fisher College Campus Ministry seeks to capture the religious imagination of students and to engage them in a dynamic pursuit of the Truth, challenging and equipping them to live vibrant, fully integrated lives of intellectual and spiritual excellence.

Campus Ministry offers diverse opportunities for the spiritual growth of the College community: adult Bible study; lively fellowship; worship and prayer events; one-on-one, honest conversations about spiritual matters; opportunities for service; special events and outings; retreats; and so much more.

An initiative of Campus Ministry is Oasis511, from Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up.” Oasis511 is a spiritual life resource center which utilizes the arts (music, word, print, etc.) to provide speakers, concerts, services, articles, programs, and other spiritually grounded events for faith enrichment. Oasis511 is located in the Campus Center and offers a place where individuals can come and gather for prayer and support. Oasis511 works with various departments and clubs to further the dialogue regarding spirituality and matters of faith on campus. Oasis511 hopes to continue to help the College understand and live out what it means to be a college that recognizes its Catholic heritage.

Our campus chapel, the Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great is located next to Kearney Hall. The celebration of the Holy Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 4:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 10 a.m. and at 9 p.m. during the academic year. During Summer, Mass is offered at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday at 10 a.m. Students of other faiths or traditions who wish to worship within their own tradition can find on-campus and off-campus information through the Office of Campus Ministry.

Someone is always available in the Office of Campus Ministry to offer a listening ear and to be a source of counsel and support. We are located on the second floor of the Campus Center and welcome all.

Policy on Students, Faculty, and Staff and Religious Observance

To extend protection to students, faculty, and staff when their religious observances or “holidays of conscience” (to include the official observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday) may conflict with academic and work responsibilities and to reasonably accommodate individuals’ religious obligations and practices without penalty, based on good faith of all persons concerned, St. John Fisher College has established the following policy and procedures:

No student, faculty, or staff member will be dismissed from or refused admission or employment at St. John Fisher College because he or she is unable to participate in any examination, study, or work requirements because of his or her religious obligations and practices.
St. John Fisher College will accept the responsibility of making available to each student who is absent from school because of his or her religious obligations and practices an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study, or academic work requirements that may have been missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No fees will be charged to the students for costs incurred by the College’s provisions of special classes, examinations, or academic work requirements.
Faculty members who miss classes because of their religious obligations and practices will work with their department chairs to assure that the classes will be conducted and the coursework carried on during such absence on any particular day or days. Staff members will use a vacation day or days for such absence.
In effecting the provisions of this policy, the College’s administration and faculty agree to exercise the fullest measure of good faith and agree that no adverse or prejudicial effects will result to any student, faculty, or staff member who avails himself or herself of the institution’s policy on religious observances.
St. John Fisher College requires students to notify their instructors and faculty to notify their chairs, in writing, no later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester of each class scheduled for a day on which the student or faculty member will be absent. Staff members will follow the normal procedure for notifying their supervisors when they will be absent because of their religious obligations and practices.
St. John Fisher College will annually publish this policy on students, faculty, and staff members and religious observance in the College Catalog, and in the Employee Handbook, and the dates for notification in writing mentioned in the above paragraph will be printed in the semester academic calendar.