Antonio Tomasso

Antonio Tomasso

Post Doctoral Scholar, Stanford School of Medicine

“At CC@S, you can find a place you can call home. Jesus’s words ‘Don’t be afraid, I am with you’, are reminders that He is really with each of us, no matter what, especially in our hardest moments.”

A few weeks after arriving at Stanford, I joined a leadership workshop with the Catholic Community at Stanford (CC@S). Through role-play exercises, we began to get to know each other, and I quickly felt a sense of connection. CC@S’s events, from volunteer activities to study groups and social dinners, are open to everyone. Through CC@S, I’ve met so many warm-hearted people who’ve helped ease my transition from Europe. I’ll always be grateful to God for placing Fr Bob in my path; his kindness and support came at a time I needed it most, and it meant the world to me. My stay at the Woodshop in Redwood City with other Catholic students deepened my sense of gratitude and belonging. In the study groups, I learned the practice of the examen, those quiet moments of reflection, prayer and sharing our joys and struggles became a powerful way to pause, reconnect, and grow in faith together.

What I love most about CC@S is its universal spirit, truly reflecting the openness of the Catholic faith. Everyone is welcome, from lifelong Catholics to those just curious about God and Jesus. At CC@S, you can find a place you can call home. Sunday Mass at Memorial Church brings this sense of unity to life, with so many students coming together in prayer. For me, it’s a moment to open my heart and find inner peace during Holy Communion.

As Blaise Pascal said: "Our heart has a vacuum in the shape of God that can only be filled by God", and you can feel this deeply here. Jesus’s words “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest", and "Don’t be afraid, I am with you", are reminders that He is really with each of us, no matter what, especially in our hardest moments. With Jesus, every challenge can be overcome. When all seems lost, He takes our hands and warms our heart, if we open ourselves to Him.

In CC@S, you can find some of your closest friends, as I did, and together, we’re growing and facing life’s challenges in the presence of Jesus.