Catholic Coffeehouse Dwellers

September/October 2008 Issue | Posted by Celeste Behe in Everyday Apostles

By Celeste Behe

St. Killian’s, Christendom

Kaylie Miller

When she was 15 years old, Kaylie Miller made a promise to herself: She would not attend a Catholic college. But her resolve faded when she visited the campus of Christendom College in Front Royal, Va.

“I fell in love with the place,” recalls Kaylie, now 24. “I had a meeting with Dr. [Timothy] O’Donnell, president of the college, and he half-jokingly asked me to come the following year.”

Sure enough, Kaylie was one of the school’s incoming freshmen in fall 2000. “Christendom College,” Kaylie says, “was where I was meant to be.”

As a student at Christendom, Kaylie spent four years “falling in love with the faith, becoming a more virtuous and educated person, and making some of the truest friends I will ever have.”

After her graduation, Kaylie continued her association with Christendom, first by coaching its soccer team, and then by managing St. Killian’s, its on-campus café.

“St. Killian’s is a really Catholic coffeehouse,” notes Kaylie. “It’s decorated beautifully, with an illuminated picture of Our Lady, a portrait of John Paul II, and many symbols of Ireland in honor of its patron.” And the students who frequent St. Killian’s are “well-versed in the faith,” says Kaylie. In fact, the college’s website states that “Catholicism is the air that we breathe.” Is there any need, then, for evangelization?

“Everyone who comes into St. Killian’s is Catholic; however, many of the freshmen are undergoing huge personal conversions during their first semester,” explains Kaylie. “Through casual conversation at the café, I try to encourage students to embrace their Catholic faith and to frequent the sacraments of confession and holy Communion.”

St. Killian’s, part of the Pope John Paul II Student Center that opened in 2006, provides a welcoming space for students to come and unwind. Many of Christendom’s students have been touched by Kaylie’s strong faith and gentle guidance. And for Kaylie herself, managing the café has been a rewarding experience.

“It actually has allowed me to more deeply understand what it is to serve others, to enact some of the corporal works of mercy, and to be charitable to others when I may not really feel like it or when they make it hard,” says Kaylie. “I think that life feels most full when you’ve emptied yourself in the service of others. Through my work at St. Killian’s, I try to communicate that belief.”

The Labyrinth, University of St. Thomas

Brian Miller

To University of St. Thomas students who frequent its Labyrinth coffeehouse on the school’s Houston campus, the sight of Brian Miller’s warm grin is as welcome as a double-shot of espresso in finals week.

Brian, who is involved in the Fel­ lowship of Catholic University Students, likes to meet people where they are. And, on this largely commuter campus of 3,600, “where they are” between classes is often enough the “Lab.”

Brian’s day is mostly spent serving the students of St. Thomas, helping them to live the faith, leading them in Bible studies, and providing support and guidance at a time in their lives when faith is often tested.

“Even at good Catholic institutions, college kids can become spiritually apathetic,” notes Brian. Brian works in coordination with the Campus Ministry of UST to provide one-on-one ministry to its students. For the Catholic students who comprise 61% of St. Thomas’ enrollment, it’s a matter of helping them to rediscover and enliven the faith that they already have. As a result, many come to love the Church with a fervor they never thought possible.

A native of Missouri, Brian graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., in 2006 with a double major in theology and youth ministry. He spent a year doing spiritual outreach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha before coming to St. Thomas in the fall of 2007.

Students come to the Labyrinth looking to de-stress and enjoy some good company. The pleasant coffeehouse atmosphere “makes them very open to meeting new people and getting into random conversations,” says Brian.

The university’s Catholic identity is apparent even to those enjoying a bit of downtime at the Labyrinth. Says Brian, “I remember one day going into the Lab where some students were studying for a theology exam. I started to help them study, and answered a lot of theological questions. We ended up talking about the difference that faith can have in your everyday life. Throughout that semester I met these students and engaged them in a few more discussions on faith.”

Has Brian’s work at the Labyrinth deepened his own understanding of what it means for a Catholic to know Christ?

“Knowing is not enough,” he says. “You have to believe, really believe, and then you have to act on that belief every day. That’s where faith can start to make a difference.”

Jazzman’s Café, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Sarah Bartley

“There’s no limit to the possibilities of what could happen at our coffeehouses!” says Sarah Bartley with a chuckle.

The 20-year-old senior at Franciscan University of Steubenville has worked at Jazzman’s for the past three years, and is also very familiar with the dynamics of Heavenly Grounds, the lower-campus coffeehouse. “We get such a fantastic variety of activities,” she says, “from all-night jam sessions, to talks by speakers from the Sudan, to lectures on C.S. Lewis.”

It might sound like the schedule of events at your average big-college hangout. But there’s a difference.

“All our activities have a Catholic tone to them,” notes Sarah. “I’ve had so many inspiring conversations while working at the coffeehouse. Topics range from ‘What time is confession?’ to John Paul II’s theology of the body. 

“As for myself, I’m the equivalent of a bartender, really,” she explains. “Many students come for a cup of coffee and stay much longer to talk, often about their struggles. I always urge the students to never give up in their pursuit of truth. My biggest answer is Eucharistic adoration; we are lucky to have a replicated adoration chapel of St. Francis’ Por­ tiuncula. Many times we just need to be in front of Christ and let him look us over.”

Franciscan University’s enrollment of 2,400 includes students from all 50 states and 16 foreign countries. The university also holds many conferences. With such a diverse mix of patrons, how does Sarah help to foster the family-like atmosphere of Jazzman’s?

“My biggest thing is that I’m a klutz!” admits Sarah. “I love to make the customers laugh and really interact with us as we serve them. It helps that I always spill something every shift! I hope that, through my conversation and my antics, I can provide both support and a smile to those here who are experiencing a radical change of Christ in their lives.

“Working at Jazzman’s, I get to see the diversity of our campus. I have learned to appreciate the quiet prayer warriors and the enthusiastic street preachers because they all have a particular mission in this world. They show me that we all must learn to unwaveringly say Okay when Christ says, ‘I want you.’” 

Celeste Behe begins days in her Pennsylvania home at 5:30 a.m. with a steaming cup of her favorite coffee.

 Print Article   Email a Friend