As a Catholic student coming from a mostly Catholic country (Spain), I was concerned about the fact that, with the UK being an Anglican country (or at least that is how it seemed to me), it may be difficult to continue growing in my faith. It would indeed have been so, had I not found the Catholic Society that, to my surprise, the university has. I was really surprised by the existence of such a society in a British university, but what struck me the most about it was how much knowledge all the members have on topics and issues related to Catholicism, who know more than the knowledge the average Catholic has back in my country.
In the society, I have been able to meet people from very different countries and cultures, which has been a big change for me since coming from a small city in the middle of Spain where we all are the same nationality. It was truly amazing to find that there were people who shared my same faith andbeliefs in countries so far apart and where there is a smaller Catholic presence, such as India, Sri Lanka, or Indonesia. In addition, some of the activities organised by the society have really impacted me, like the theology group in which we read and discuss texts of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the traditional dances (Ceilidhs) that we occasionally do and are a lot of fun, or obviously the Masses, in which I have sometimes even been able to serve, an honour which has given me a different point of view on such an important celebration.
When it comes to my life as a Catholic student at university, I have to say that it is not the easiest, because the values and views that are normally encouraged and accepted in this kind of environment are quite the opposite to the ones I have, which in the end can make one feel out of place. However, I have to say that I have not been afraid to talk about my faith when the situation required it, and there has been not a single person who has reacted very badly, and many of them have even been curious to know why I am Catholic.
In addition, I would say that my faith has been a great help with my studies, because it has sometimes given me the strength I needed to keep on studying late in the evening when I was already at my limit. This maybe a trivial example, but I would say God has helped me when it comes to finding the motivation for following a very demanding study routine, something that is very important for a student like myself.
Finally, I would like to talk about Father Thomas, the chaplain of the Catholic Chaplaincy. I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised to find Fr Thomas so open, funny and easy-going, and he has been a great help to me in many ways, such as motivating me to further educate myself in Catholic topics, letting me serve in Mass, or guiding me along the right path. I know that without him my life at university would be much harder for me, and I really appreciate all that he has done not only for me, but for us all in the Catholic Society.
All in all, being Catholic at university and being able to share it with different people is one of the best experiences that one can have in life, or at least that is how it has been for me so far. I hope that everyone reading this can learn something from it, and I hope that we are all able to continue following Christ’s path in these challenging times.
Álvaro Lázaro Carrasco (University of Bristol CathSoc)
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