Fr. Larry Rice, CSP (top row, second from right) with members of the Ohio State University St. Thomas More Newman Center’s reconciliation ministries team.

Reconciliation is the word in Columbus.

Ministry in this pillar of the Paulist charism got a major boost at the St. Thomas More Newman Center at the Ohio State University with the establishment of a 19-member reconciliation ministries team. The team is divided in to four subgroups – welcome, outreach, dialogue and programming – which meet monthly to come up with way to spread the ministry in each of these designated areas.

Team members include Newman Center students, members, staff, Paulists and those from other worshipping communities dedicated to finding actionable ways to put reconciliation into practice for individuals, groups and the surrounding community.

“I believe that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this team is poised to achieve a ‘new creation’ for our community and beyond,” said Katherine Murphy Mertzlufft, lay volunteer leader of the reconciliation ministry.

The first step to beginning a reconciliation ministry is to define what it is about: “the restoration of communion between those whose bond of mutual belonging has been impaired or even severed,” according to Paulist Reconciliation Ministries. The disconnect can be caused by feelings of alienation from the church due to issues such as abuse, divorce and sexuality, for example.

“At its core, this ministry is about reaching out to people who are hungering to know God more,” said Newman Center director Father Larry Rice, CSP. “Rather than advocating for wide-sweeping changes to the universal church, we are instead calling people to look within and see how they themselves can be more reconciling. For us at the Newman Center, that includes making our programs more inclusive, promoting hospitality and opening new channels for honest dialogue.”

Newman Center pastoral associate and reconciliation staff liaison Becca Schott said reconciliation ministry focuses on a way of being as a community of faith rather than on specific outcomes.

“It is an ongoing, transformative process that impacts everything we do at the Newman Center and beyond,” she said. “Our challenge is to keep reconciliation at the heart of all we do.”

The groundwork for the center’s reconciliation ministry was laid during a year of deliberately intentional and careful planning. With that foundation, the ministry has gotten started in earnest in a variety of ways.

A ministry of hospitality began this fall with the welcome of students and continued with the Christmas liturgies. It is expected to be in full swing by Ash Wednesday. Having Mass-goers welcomed as they enter the center’s worship space is an extremely important act of hospitality, according to Ms. Schott.

“We have so many people coming in, and so many visitors that are not familiar with the space,” she said. “This is something we have wanted to do for a long time.”

Team members planned and led the Advent reconciliation service at the center, which included a prayer service followed by the opportunity for individual confession with one of the center’s four Paulists. The event was preceded by communication aimed at catechizing the community about what can be the least understood of the sacraments.

“We wanted to lift the stigma and misconceptions that come with this sacrament,” said Ms. Schott. “We wanted to make it more approachable and the people more comfortable.”

The center’s annual Blue Christmas liturgy, held at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, is a low-key celebration that attracts people who don’t feel they can fully participate in the traditional festivities. The reconciliation team made a special effort this year to reach out to those experiencing difficult circumstances during the holidays.

The team plans to continue to promote reconciliation ministry within the center’s faith community and beyond. The team, along with the Paulist Reconciliation Ministries office will co-host a regional reconciliation workshop in Columbus on March 12-13. The workshop will help with assess the needs of the region and clarify next steps.

“We are most hopeful about the future direction of this ministry, given the solid foundation and diverse and engaged team we have in place,” said Ms. Schott.