Admit Weekend Ice Cream Social
Profros! Come meet Catholic Stanford students, priests, and enjoy some AMAZING ice cream on Friday 04/24 at 6 pm in the Old Union courtyard (between white plaza and Old Union). Students! Join us to chop it up over some some free ice cream and welcome our future frosh. See you there!
Common Roots Farm
Join fellow community members from the Catholic Community at Stanford as we head to Common Roots Farm in Santa Cruz for a morning of volunteering on Saturday, April 25! This opportunity is open to undergraduate and graduate students, young adults, and permanent community members. Work may include planting, harvesting, working soil, clearing beds, petting chickens, feeding sheep, or whatever needs to be done on the farm that day. The morning will begin at 9:30am and end around 12:30pm. We will provide lunch to those who wish to stay. We are unable to provide rides to the farm but will help volunteers coordinate carpooling. Sign up HERE by April 23 to allow us time to plan lunch and coordinate rides. Sign ups after this date are ok if you plan to arrange your own transportation. Contact Eric Lebel at elebel@alumni.stanford.edu with any questions.
Bring-A-Friend to Mass & Community Dinner
Easter Season is here, Spring Quarter is upon us, and Panda Express awaits! Bring a friend to the 4:30 PM mass on 04/26 and invite them to join for a community dinner at Old Union 302 afterwards! Whether you’re a regular or you’ve been meaning to plug in — this is the move.
Stanford Athletics Mass
Our second Athletics mass of the year will be on Wednesday, April 29th. The last Athletics mass of the year will be 05/20. Mark your calendars and pull up for prayer and fellowship. All athletes, coaches, staff, and athletic department members are welcome to join us in offering the season and all your hard work to God. Join us afterwards for some quick refreshments! Bring your teammates!
Spring Retreat for Undergrads
A weekend of silent prayer, fellowship, and formation. We’ll be staying at an AirBnB near the Monterey coast. Spend this time deepening your relationship with God and making new friends in the midst of a beautiful spring quarter. Hope you can join us!
Cost: $50
Click here to register. Registration ends April 27.
Stanford Athletics Mass
This is the last Stanford Athletics Mass of the year. Mark your calendars and pull up for prayer and fellowship. All athletes, coaches, staff, and athletic department members are welcome to join us in offering the season and all your hard work to God. Join us afterwards for some quick refreshments! Bring your teammates!
Veritas Forum Presents "When Will I Be Satisfied?"
Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Arthur Brooks have spent their careers examining the biological and social forces that shape human behavior. But as we optimize the "how," what happens when we consider the "why"? Join these world-leading experts for an exploration of the science and philosophy of lasting satisfaction. Moving beyond simple answers, they’ll examine the interplay between brain chemistry and the search for meaning, offering research-based frameworks for a life of substance. You will leave with practical tools and a clearer understanding of how biology, belief, and purpose converge. Co-sponsored by the Catholic Community at Stanford. Limited spots available. Click here to reserve a spot.
Bach, Widor, and the Grand Organs of Memorial Church
We invite you to experience the majestic sounds of the two incredible organs in the choir loft at Stanford Memorial Church on Sunday, April 19th, at 2:00 PM. Music Director, Nicholas Mourlam, will perform a concert featuring J.S. Bach‘s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor and Charles-Marie Widor’s Symphony for Organ No. 5. Admission is free and open to the public; a free-will offering will be accepted to support Catholic Community at Stanford’s music ministry.
Hike & Mass: Purisima Creek Redwoods North Ridge Trail
Come join us for a beautiful ridge hike along a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, winding through redwood groves and sweeping ridge-top vistas.
We will celebrate Mass during the hike, followed by time to enjoy your lunch. Afterward, there will be an optional social time—possibly a visit to a café.
Cost & Logistics
- Carpool contribution: Please bring $5 cash to help your driver cover gas and parking, but let CC@S cover that for you if you can't afford it.
What to bring: Comfortable hiking shoes, layers, lunch/snacks, water, sunscreen.
Trail on All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/purisima-creek-redwoods-north-ridge-trail
- Distance: 4.1 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,184 ft
- Estimated Time Hiking: 3.5 hours (including Mass)
SCHEDULE
8:30 AM – Meet at Tresidder Lot (Stanford)
8:40 AM – Depart from Tresidder Lot (carpool) for trailhead https://maps.app.goo.gl/d4Mv1ZLRML8ACMnA7
9:10 AM – Park at Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve North Ridge Parking Area (free parking)
9:15 AM - Hike
12:15 PM - Arrive back at trailhead
12:45 PM – Arrive back at Tresidder Lot
Easter Pints
Fr. Bart and Diego are having a beer and some food to celebrate the Easter season. RSVP here.
Catholic Surfing Group
Join our Catholic Surfer’s group and walk on water this Friday, April 17. Rental gear is available from Stanford. Beginners welcome. More info/rsvp on the WhatsApp.
Stanford Film Study Group - Contact
Please join the Stanford Catholic Film Group on Monday, April 13, to discuss Contact (1997). Based on the acclaimed movie; by Carl Sagan, this film stars Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey, and was directed by Robert Zemeckis. It’s about a SETI scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. The movie on a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. The movie concerns cultural conflicts between faith and science, but ultimately asks whether there really needs to be a tension between faith and the physical universe. Roger Ebert added Contact to his Great Movies list in 2011, calling it “the smartest and most absorbing story about extraterrestrial intelligence since Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” We’ll be meeting at 7:30 on Zoom. It’s available very widely to rent or purchase.
https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/contact
A Zoom link will be sent the day before, so if you’re not on the email list currently, send a message stating “I’m Interested” to StanfordYRCFilm@gmail.com.
Everyone is invited!
Grad Students Talk & Dinner
Our next Grad Talk & Dinner will be on “Research as a Vocation: How Faith Shapes Scientific Research” presented by Dominican professors Fr. Klein and Br. Straders. Details on the WhatsApp.
Grad Students Easter Brunch
Grad Students are invited to gather and celebrate Easter Sunday at brunch! Location TBD.
Undergrads Easter Brunch
Let us celebrate the Resurrection on Sunday, April 5 th with the annual Easter Brunch! Undergrads are invited to join us for some delicious food, picnic-vibes, games, and more!
OCIA Day of Reflection
A retreat day for Catechumens and Candidates preparing to enter the Catholic Church.
Christ in the City Mission Trip - Denver
Arrive on the Sunday after finals (03/22) to Christ in the City, a young adult missionary community striving to share genuine human connection with those living on the streets of Denver, CO. After an evening of orientation, we’ll spend five days living out the mission: receiving the love of Christ in prayer and community and then hitting the streets—not to “fix” those we meet, but to building genuine connection with simple acts of friendship, listening ears, and compassionate presence. On Saturday (03/28), we’ll debrief the experience over breakfast and head home in the early afternoon—arriving back in time for the first week of the Spring quarter.
Cost: $250 deposit--fully refunded after the trip, but forfeit if you cancel after flights and lodging have already been purchased on your behalf. If serious circumstances prevent you from paying the deposit, please contact frbart@stanford.edu.
Register by January 25 » [Google Forms]
Questions?
For logistics: diegogc@stanford.edu
To learn more about CITC: bshortt@stanford.edu
Spring Break Backpacking Trip: Point Reyes
(Location updated from the Lost Coast due to group regulations.)
Join the Catholic Outdoor Ministry team and Fr. Chrysostom for a Spring Break backpacking adventure at Point Reyes! Great for first-time backpackers. We’ll explore one of California’s most stunning coastlines, hiking along rugged cliffs and quiet beaches in a highly sought-after wilderness area.
Expect abundant wildlife—tule elk, seals, sea lions, birds of prey, and possibly elephant seals and migrating gray whales with their calves. Each day includes a 6–7 mile hike on well-established trails, with campsites that have running water and toilets.
We’ll celebrate Mass each evening before dinner with outdoor Adoration, begin our days chanting the Psalms, and end with Compline (Night Prayer)—often on the beach. Backpacks will be around 30 lbs, with shared gear and affordable Stanford gear rentals available.
Cost: $50/person (scholarships available)
Sign up: https://forms.gle/ZQbHGBrAZZMZcckA9
Grad Students - Sunday Scoop
Join other grads & post-docs with Fr. Chrysostom for a pre-exam week ice cream run. We’ll visit Somisomi, a Korean dessert chain known for its fish-shaped, waffle-like pastry called taiyaki. These pastries are filled with custard, red bean, or Nutella and topped with premium, creamy soft-serve ice cream. After the 4:30pm Mass, meet outside the front of Memorial Church and we’ll head over to Somisomi.
Surfing Catholics at Stanford
Join us for our monthly surfing outing – we’re all beginners so no experience needed. Join our WhatsApp for more info/to rsvp.
CLICK HERE to join our WhatsApp.
Week 10 Kickback - Movie Night
Come take a break from studying! We will be having a movie night with some essential pre-finals snacks this Friday in OU common room. Hope to see you all there!
OCIA Moral Theology - OPEN TO ALL!
All are welcome to attend our Crash Course in the Catholic Understanding of Morality OCIA Sessions. This session, “Love, Sex, and Sexuality in Catholic Teaching,” will look at sex in the broader context of human living and how to live Christian life in a secular (and sometimes hostile) world. For more information, contact Oriana at orianatp@stanford.edu.
Location: Old Union 3rd Floor Common Room
Stanford Film Study Group — Calvary
Please join the Stanford Catholic Film Group on Monday, March 9, to discuss “Calvary” (2014). This Irish comedic drama focuses on a priest who deals with many parishioners with grievances with the Church, including a confession of an upcoming murder. It stars Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Domhnall Gleeson, and M. Emmet Walsh. Bishop Robert Barron wrote that the film “shows, with extraordinary vividness, what authentic spiritual shepherding looks like and how it feels for a priest to have a shepherd’s heart.” Lauren Ely for First Things wrote: “Is it possible for a film to capture the horror of the sexual abuse scandal … while at the same time presenting a case for the necessity of the institutional priesthood? [T]his is exactly what Calvary manages to do.” We’ll be meeting at 7:30 on Zoom. It’s available very widely.
Click here to find out how to watch.
A Zoom link will be sent the day before, so if you’re not on the email list currently, send a message stating “I’m Interested” to StanfordYRCFilm@gmail.com. Everyone is invited!
Hike & Mass
Come join us for a beautiful hike in the iconic Marin Headlands. Enjoy sweeping views of the ocean and surrounding landscape, including Tennessee Valley, Rodeo Lagoon, and Rodeo Beach. Although steep with some stairs, this hike is well worth the effort. We will celebrate Mass mid-hike, followed by time to enjoy your lunch. We expect the outing to last just over half a day and will be joined by the young adult group from St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in San Francisco. Afterward, there may be optional social time add-on, such as a visit to a café. Since options nearby are limited, however, we may simply drive to one of the nearby viewing pull-offs for the Golden Gate Bridge, and enjoy hot chocolate and coffee together by our cars.
Meet in the Tressider Parking lot at 8:30 a.m. and expect to return around 2:30 p.m.
Click here to sign up.
Undergrads Week 9 Kickback
Undergrads are invited to a Poker night on Friday March 6 from 7-9PM in the Old Union Common Room. While we won’t be gambling, there will be a prize for the winner!
OCIA Moral Theology - OPEN TO ALL!
All are welcome to attend our Crash Course in the Catholic Understanding of Morality OCIA Sessions. This session, “Virtue Ethics,” will teach us how to live habitually in order to become better (more virtuous) persons.
For more information, contact Oriana at orianatp@stanford.edu.
The class will be located in room 200-030 on the Main Quad. This is a classroom in the “History Corner”. When approaching the Main Quad from the Oval it is the first building on the left of the main entrance to the quad..
Family Weekend Mass
Save the Date! – Family Weekend Vigil Mass on 2/28
Happy Family Weekend! We’ll be having a special vigil Mass on Saturday 02/28 at 4 pm for all families. This Mass will count for your Sunday obligation and should help any family members traveling on 02/29. After Mass, join us for a small gathering and high-quality photos with our in-house expert photographer, Father Bart, ready take high quality photos of you with your families in front of Memorial Church. See you there!
We’d love to extend this Family Weekend invitation to your parents and loved ones! Please fill out this form to help us get in touch with your family so we can share event details, reminders, and all the good stuff. Thanks for helping us roll out the welcome mat for your people!
Lent Grad Retreat
Into the Desert: Transforming Trials into Encounters with God
God’s vocation for us is to flourish, yet, like Jesus being sent into the desert by the Holy Spirit for temptation, God often uses trials and difficulties - or deserts - as opportunities to mature us as His beloved sons and daughters. In this retreat, we will delve into the biblical and spiritual significance of the desert, as a place of transformation and encounter with God and evil, and examples for triumph in the battle.
Details
The retreat will be held at the breathtaking lighthouse at HI Point Montara, which sits on a spectacular bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, including trails to their own on-site cove beach. It is the perfect place to retreat from the business of life and reconnect with God. Though it is not a Catholic venue, we will have the Blessed Sacrament reserved during the retreat. Expect chant, adoration, Mass, and free time to sit by the ocean to reflect. Talks will be about 30-40 min with time in your small group to discuss & unpack it after. Registration is $100 via Venmo “Stanford-Catholic” - however, we want everyone who wants to attend to be able to, so scholarships are available (just email cmijinke@stanford.edu).
Our accommodation will be mostly in two Lodges (The Surfside House, and Sea Lodge). Rooms are shared (including some bunk beds) or with some private sites available (reserved first for couples). Men/women will sleep in separate rooms. There are no venue staff for cooking/cleaning, so this is a self-run retreat. Each lodge has a fully stocked kitchen where we will be cooking and doing dishes together. Your small group will double as your chore group. Meals are still being finalized, but you can expect a vegetarian, yet hearty soup-and-bread dinner on Friday, simple but tasty breakfasts/lunches, and a deluxe Saturday night dinner followed by a social.
Retreat for Members of the Legal Profession
43rd Annual Retreat for Members of the Legal Profession
Silent Retreat for Men and Women
Discernment and the Call to Leadership
In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.— Max De Pree, Leadership is an Art
Each of us is called to make a difference in our world. How might God be inviting me to do so, in this place and time, with the experiences and gifts I have been given? Our weekend will provide the opportunity to listen for God’s voice in becoming what we need to be, what we are called to be—for ourselves and our world.
Thomas H. Smolich, SJ is the Rector of the Jesuit Community at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1974 and celebrates the 40th anniversary of his ordination this year. His academic background includes the Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology, the Master in Pastoral Studies from Loyola Marymount University, and the MBA from Stanford University. He has long experience in Jesuit leadership, serving as the first Executive Director of Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission in East Los Angeles (1988-1993), the Provincial of the California Province of the Society of Jesus (1999-2005), the President of the Jesuit Conference of the United States (2006-2014), and most recently, as the International Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Rome (2015-2023).
For more information and to register, please contact Oriana at orianatp@stanford.edu. Scholarships available for Stanford Law students.
Stanford Catholic Alumni Happy Hour
We will gather on the back patio of Bar Darling on Chestnut Street in the Marina District of San Francisco. Drinks are on us! Alumni of all class years, friends and guests are welcome! If you would like to be an Event Sponsor to help offset the expenses for this event, you can make a Venmo donation to “Stanford-Catholic” and let us know in memo that it is for Happy Hour.
Click here to register you and your guests.