Welcome to the Tufts Catholic Chaplaincy

Hello Hello,

On behalf of the Tufts Catholic Chaplaincy, welcome to Tufts. Warm wishes your way.

The campus has felt so quiet these past few weeks, but no one is fooled; our buildings have been full of people working hard in preparation for your arrival. We are so excited to meet you.

As the Catholic Chaplain, I support the sacramental, spiritual, and ‘searching’ lives of students—those who identify as Catholic and all who are interested or hungry for meaning. Our community is constantly asking what it means to be Catholic/religious/spiritual in college and specifically at Tufts. You are also coming to a campus that cares deeply about interfaith collaboration, so we hope that you will bring with you your curiosity and a willingness to share your own experience with classmates of different traditions. We want you at the table, contributing to the shape of our whole community with your ideas, inspirations, and questions.

Our weekly Sunday Mass at 10 pm in Goddard Chapel is the center of our Catholic worship life at Tufts, grounding our weeks with participation that consistently hovers around one hundred students. Our dedicated choir is keen to welcome any interested new members or musicians and we lovingly insist that folks in the pews sing and sing loudly—Goddard Chapel is a judgment-free zone. The more voices that help us co-create our worship, the better. Throughout the semester there are opportunities to be trained as a Eucharistic Ministers and/or Lectors. Bring your voice, your presence and prayer.

Throughout the year, the Catholic Community at Tufts (CCT) offers opportunities for service with the homeless and other vulnerable populations in Boston. There is always room for more student involvement, we just ask that you bring your gifts and see.You may want to consider becoming a tutor/mentor through our partnership with EVkids, a local organization that connects college students with middle and high school students from the Boston Public Schools.

Of course, these are just a few of the exciting and inspiring opportunities for living into and out of your faith at Tufts. It is my sincere hope that you bless us with your wisdom and stories and help us to continue to create our vibrant Church and community together.

Please join us for our Welcome Dinner for Incoming Students on Sunday, September 6 at 6 pm at the Interfaith Center (58 Winthrop Street). It will be a great chance for us to get to know each other and for you to connect with our student leaders. Later that evening, we will celebrate our first liturgy of the 2015-2016 academic year at 10 PM in Goddard Chapel. All are welcome and as always, please come as you are.

I am very much looking forward to meeting and getting to know you—name, face, roots, and voice.

Peace and good luck packing,

Lynn A. Cooper, MDiv

Catholic Chaplain

Tufts University Chaplaincy

Office: Tufts Interfaith Center, 58 Winthrop Street, Medford, MA 02155

lynn.cooper@tufts.edu

617.627.2044

The essence of created things is to be intermediaries. They are intermediaries leading from one to the other and there is no end in this. They are intermediaries to God. We have to experience them as such. –Simone Weil