Catholic Campus Ministries hosts “last supper” for students before finals

Catholic Campus Ministry’s (CCM) wants to encourage an atmosphere for students that feels like a home away from home and a second family, especially during finals.

Emma Mahr, one of CCM’s peer ministers, explained that this program is in its first year. As part of campus life, the family style dinners provide home cooked meals for college students in a place where they can have a sit-down meal.

According to Janet Heva, director of CCM, the dinners happen once a month, usually on a Wednesday. The purpose is to “create an open, welcoming environment to allow people to get together and have meaningful conversation while eating good food.”

The CCM always has food at its events, but their family style dinner serves food gathered together around tables as opposed to people mingling with snacks.

Heva said that the family style dinners draw out  new people and bring them together for more than just Bible studies. CCM also has game and movie nights. The ministry created this program for students so they can have a break from studying, eating at the SURC dining hall and  having an opportunity to eat good food and hang out with people.

Emily Shamrell, senior family consumer science major, has been to several of the dinners. She said that the events feature mostly CCM members, but they are encouraged to invite friends to bring everyone together as a community.

“[The CCM is] very welcoming for anybody,” Shamrell said. “You don’t have to be Catholic. You don’t have to know anybody. You can just show up … and make friends if you want to.”

The CCM hasn’t decided on what will be served for this quarter’s final dinner, but the meal should appeal to all the guests. Typically the meal has a main course, side dishes and dessert with the ministry providing a different style each month.

The first family style dinner was a turkey dinner the week before Thanksgiving last November. Other examples of main courses for previous dinners include ham, oven barbequed spare ribs and leg of lamb. The most recent dinner was Italian themed.

“We want more things to offer to the students,” Mahr said. “And free food tends to draw people in.”

The dinner will take place on Wednesday, June 3, but will not be happening in the summer. The program intends to pick up in the fall, but that will depend on how the CCM and Central communities feel about continuing the dinners.

While marketed toward Central students, the dinners are considered open to the public.