In this episode of “Religion on Campus,” contributor Lauren Miller and Podcasts editor Olivia Miller interview Sister Kathy Schneider from the University Catholic Center to discuss her duties as well as community events and programs for Catholic students at UCLA.

Lauren Miller: Welcome to Religion on Campus. I’m Lauren Miller.

Olivia Miller: And I’m Olivia Miller. We’re sisters and UCLA Bruins exploring faith at our university.

LM: From ancient traditions to modern practices, join us as we uncover the spiritual side of UCLA life.

Today we’re joined by Sister Kathy Schneider from UCLA University Catholic Center.

Sister Kathy brings over 30 years of teaching experience from kindergarten through college, including time at UC Riverside, Claremont and Cal State LA.

OM: Holding a doctorate in modern European history with a focus on Spain, her academic background is as impressive as her spiritual journey.

Sister Kathy is a member of the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady dedicated to serving the church.

LM: Being at UCLA for one year, she’s worked to build a vibrant Catholic community on campus.

OM: Join us as we discuss her unique path, insights on campus ministry and how her diverse experiences shape her approach to supporting students’ faith journeys in today’s world.

LM: Sister Kathy, we are so excited to have you today. Thank you so much for joining us. I’ve been really looking forward to it and so has Olivia.

Sister Kathy Schneider: Thank you for the invitation. I’m very happy to be here.

LM: So to start off, I have for the first question: As the campus minister at the UCLA Catholic Center, can you describe your key roles and responsibilities in overseeing the Catholic Center’s programs and ministering to the spiritual needs of UCLA Catholic students?

SKS: Well, the area that I am most involved in is community life. In our student leadership board, we have four students that are part of what we call community life.

Our responsibility is to provide – well, cook – the student dinner every Thursday night. And since I love to cook, I try to make it as good as the budget does allow.

And so we have an opportunity for fellowship over breaking bread together. We also try to plan some activities for the whole center. Let’s see, my other responsibility is I’m in charge of the program that we call the OCIA program (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), which is for those who want to become Catholic, or they’ve been baptized but haven’t completed their sacraments. And so they go through this process to then complete them on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.

And another program that I’m in charge of is what we call our discernment groups. What we’re trying to do is inculcate the idea that God calls us. And we need to take the time in prayer and what we call discernment to see where God is leading us. Is that within marriage? Is it within marriage and as a doctor? Religious life, which is – I’m a religious, is the term we use actually for a sister.

And to teach them the method of discernment, so they can learn how to discern in daily life. Because you hear a lot of students, “I don’t know what to do. I’ve got this and this.” And so I try to walk with them through some of the steps of discernment, so they can come to the best informed decision that they can with the lights that they have.

So that’s another one that I work with, and there’s a men’s group and a women’s group. And then we also do a lot of spiritual accompaniment. So students are welcome to come and basically talk about what they want, and it’s that type of accompaniment. It can be about their prayer lives, their relationship with God and also how they’re handling stress of studies, relationships, crash and burn relationships, sometimes – you know, whether that was with a boyfriend or girlfriend or just a friend, and so those are some of the other things that we work on.

And then, of course, it’s just also a presence. So when there are activities, to be present and to get to know the students, let them get to know us as campus ministers as well and to keep inviting them to go deeper into their faith.

LM: So my question for you to follow up with that is, how long have you been a campus minister at UCLA?

SKS: Actually, this is my first year at UCLA.

OM and LM: Wow.

SKS: Before I was just shy of six years at the other campus.

OM: Okay.

SKS: USC, I was a campus minister there.

LM: What made you do the switch?

SKS: Well, actually, I needed to go to Europe for a while. And so I ended up quitting, and then I ended up coming back a little sooner than I anticipated, and the job opened. So I jumped on it. Because this is a place that I actually wanted to work. I loved my time at USC – great people I worked with, students fantastic. But there is a difference from the two campuses, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here as well.

LM: So my next question is, what have been some of your most rewarding experiences in this work?

SKS: Gosh, that actually is a little hard to tell you because, honestly, there’s been so many. But I think when it comes to the dinners, it’s when they hang around a long time after, actually. That tells me that the environment is good, they’ve enjoyed the food, and that’s very important to me as someone who loves to cook.

LM: Right.

SKS: That the food is enjoyed. But that’s just to see them relating with each other and hanging around. I know there was one activity that we had that was a lot of work, but it was worthwhile. We called it prayer, play and pizza.

LM: I love it. That’s awesome.

SKS: And so we – it was during Lent – and so we did what we call the stations of the cross, where we remember the journey to Calvary. And so there’s a whole set of prayers that go with that. And so they did that together first in the chapel and then downstairs in what we call our community room. We set up different tables, put out a bunch of games, and then we called table by table to come make their homemade pizza.

LM: That’s awesome. How many students attended this event?

SKS: Well, I can tell you, we made 40 pizzas.

LM: Wow. You got a pizzeria in there.

SKS: I know exactly how many we made just because I started making the dough recipes the day before.

LM: You made the dough?

SKS: Yes.

LM: Oh my goodness.

SKS: And so I know how many pizzas you can get out of each recipe. So I knew I had made nine recipes. So therefore that’s why I know exactly how many.

LM: And how many students come to the dinners?

SKS: We range anywhere from 40 to 60 for dinner.

LM: Wow, amazing. And then following that, my next question is, so as you noted, the college years can be a challenging time for students’ faith journey, like what you were saying, going back to balancing your work.

OM: And just the disconnect in general.

LM: So what are some of the common spiritual struggles or questions UCLA students bring to the Catholic Center?

SKS: What does their faith mean? That’s probably one of the most important conversations we have because many of them have already gone through a stage where they decided that the faith is theirs.

SKS: And so they come to the center kind of already pretty strong in that. Many are still trying to figure out if they want to. And so they go through a process of deciding, will this be now my faith, not just because of my parents and my family, etc.

And I think that’s one of our biggest conversations to help the student realize that this is actually quite normal, that because you do need to go through something that makes you decide, “This, I want to continue as mine.”

And so I think it’s important that they do. So that’s probably one of the biggest – and then those who maybe are, you know, I don’t know if I could really say what place in the journey, but it’s like, how now do I pray?

You know, when I was a kid, it was more formulaic prayers, and they don’t work so much now, which I actually usually will tell them, that’s not necessarily a bad thing because it means your relationship has grown, and you need a new way to keep that connection and that communication.

And so, yes, I encourage them their discovery at different types of prayer that they can use and to try different ones and see what works for them.

LM: Amazing.

SKS: That can support them. And I said the Catholic Center is a place where we want students to be themselves, to develop a good circle of friends that does help support them to help them make better decisions through their journey here at UCLA.

LM: To follow up, because I remember you mentioned this before, but I do want to hear a little more about this, is what counseling or resources does the center provide for those questioning their religious upbringing?

SKS: I actually just let them talk and share. It’s not about, none of us, actually – and I know this, there are four of us that they could come and talk to, or five, really – and none of us has the perspective of trying to convince them of something.

And so it is, I’m here to answer your questions. I’m here to challenge you with some questions, to think more deeply about what it is you’re questioning and why. Because I tell them, you know, there’s some heavy lifting, if I can say it that way, when you’re questioning something that is so core, has been at least so core in your being.

So I want them to be able to share. I mean, I’ve had students that think they’re gonna shock me if they say, “I don’t know if there’s really a God.”

OM: Right, yeah.

SKS: It was kind of often my response. Yes. Now, where do you want this to end? A lot of times helping them even reflect on where they want to end helps them make some choices along the journey, if that makes sense.

SKS: So it really is let them speak out loud, have a place where they can ask questions that they’re maybe afraid to ask somebody else and not be judged.

OM: Absolutely. That’s amazing. Yeah. So there’s a lot of traditions and community building events that are very valuable for college students. Can you describe some of the unique annual traditions, retreats or social activities hosted by the Catholic Center? And how have they been particularly meaningful?

SKS: Some of the things that I would say are really part of the Catholic tradition, of course, starts with Mass. We do offer Mass actually every day. It’s at 5:15 and then on Friday at 12:15, except Saturday.

LM: And how many students attend Mass?

SKS: It goes between 20 and 30 that are coming on a daily basis. On Tuesdays, we also do something that is very Catholic that we call adoration. The Eucharist, because in Catholicism, we do believe that it is the body and blood of Christ, that there is something called transubstantiation.

And so part of that, and it actually is a tradition that comes out of the medieval time. And if I let myself go, because I’m a historian by career –

OM and LM: Oh, that’s awesome.

SKS: And so I can just go on how it developed, so I won’t do that to you. But it’s a tradition that developed during that time that helped bring the Eucharist to the ordinary people without necessarily receiving. And, like I said, there’s a whole history behind why that happened.

But so we have from 7:30 to 8:30 at night, on Tuesdays, an opportunity to come together for what we call, then, Eucharistic Adoration. One week we’ll have music, and the other week it’ll be silence. And so it gives even students an opportunity really to experience silence.

Because I did discover very quickly that silence is a little scary. Because at USC, we offered silent retreats. And I was the person that arranged all those, and a lot of students, when I would say sign up for a retreat – and I do mean a silent retreat – no talking during dinner, no, you know, and they’re like, “I can’t do that.”

LM: Yeah, because we’re not used to that because silence can be very uncomfortable for people.

SKS: But I will say my experience of talking to students after the retreat, they were our best advertisement after, in encouraging students that they can in fact do it, and it is very important in turning everything off for a weekend. And they do it.

So another thing I would say that we offer, we do offer retreats. This particular year we had to do it at our own center. A lot of that has to do that retreat centers around here are booked solid with all the groups they lost during COVID. But we do offer the retreat. And it’s not silent, although I would like to encourage to try it here as well.

The groups were always much smaller than our regular what we call Bruin retreats. But nonetheless, the students really do learn a lot and grow much more in their spirituality.

So that’s just a few of the things that are more specifically what we do within the Catholic realm, so to speak.

OM: So following up on the silent retreat, so is it just silent for how long? Are there like periods where you’re allowed to speak, or is it just–

SKS: The only time they would speak is when they talk with their spiritual director.

SKS: So we have people that come on the retreat that are meant to be there for the student. So he or she can have a conversation about what’s going on during that retreat, they’re given material, so they’re not just told, you know, off you go.

So it’s very organized with scripture readings, reflections, questions, encouraged to take opportunities to just go on walks, maybe take a nap – and sometimes a student desperately needs that because of just, you know, you often find that once you kind of turn everything off, you realize just how tired you are.

And so it’s like, if you need to take a nap, take one. We don’t take anybody’s phone, but we do encourage to turn their phones off. And so we try to really put them on their honor code and say keep the phone off. If you’re expecting something important because of family or whatever, of course, make your decision. But they do cooperate very well. They’re silent during dinner. And you can see them going walking, and they maintain that silence.

LM: And how often would you host the silent retreats?

SKS: We were doing it two to three times a year at USC.

LM: Wow. And then have you done it for UCLA?

SKS: Not yet, not yet. It’s something I would love to do, but we want to get our regular Bruin retreats going the way we want first and then see, might give it a try.

LM: Yeah, that’s awesome.

OM: So it would be for like a few days, the retreat?

SKS: Friday evening through Sunday, usually about 12 to 1.

OM: Wow. I bet the students come back feeling so refreshed.

SKS: Some of the students often have said it was hard to start talking, which I find interesting. They kind of finally got into that silence and was like, it’s difficult to go out of it now. And so I always actually enjoy hearing that they got so into it that it was hard to leave it.

OM: Well, focused on Catholic students, the center’s role is also to serve as an educational resource about Catholicism. What initiatives or interfaith dialogue opportunities exist for non-Catholics to learn about Catholic beliefs and practices?

SKS: We have very much a very open door. I mean, we have students from various faiths that will join us for something, and quite often none of us even knows. I mean, it’s just, you’re welcome, come, kind of thing.

And then every now and then a student is just kind of checking things out on their own. And then will eventually say, you know what? I think I’m interested in doing the OCIA program.

I actually had a young man approach me somewhat recently saying that next year he would like to do the program. And, you know, I’d been seeing him at Mass, but didn’t realize he wasn’t Catholic. And so he finally said, you know, I think I’m ready. I want to learn more about it. And so, you know, I have him on my list, and I will invite him when we start the program again next year.

And also we have, I want to start a program – and I was talking to the director of campus ministry, Father Jamie Baca – and I said, you know, I think maybe it’s time to do a Catholicism for Catholics. He says yes. Because a lot of times, they don’t always know what they don’t know. And so it’s an opportunity to, you know, have a set amount of time, I don’t know, a month, two months or whatever. I haven’t really set it up yet, but it’s been in my mind on wanting to work on something for that.

LM: Like a certain set of curriculum, are you working on for that?

SKS: Yes. And so it would allow them to come and really by various themes, really what does the church teach? Because sometimes it’s misunderstood, or it’s partially understood, but there’s so much more depth that they can go into.

And it gives them, like I said, an opportunity to also ask those questions, you know, is what does the church teach about this, and what’s our perspective about that? And many things will surprise them. And so it gives that again, that opportunity to take that faith that they have decided to embrace and go much more deeply.

LM: Wow.

OM: So back on misunderstandings. So there are many misunderstandings with the role of just religion on campus and particularly with Catholicism at a public university. What are some common stereotypes or misconceptions your work has helped dispel about Catholic campus life?

SKS: Many of them actually will say Catholics aren’t Christian. So that when someone comes with that one, it’s a little more of a struggle to dispel because it’s so basic that we are Christian. And we are the first Christian church, contrary to what I have heard on campus actually from some groups.

I mean, this is just some. They’ll say that no, Catholicism didn’t actually begin until around 3 or 400 AD. And I said, you know, let’s go through our history. And you’ll, I said, if I really get that opportunity to do that, there even very briefly, no, many of our beliefs were there from the very beginning.

And so, we are Christian, and we did start at the beginning, kind of thing. Many will argue that we don’t care about Scripture, whereas the whole entire mass, really, many of the prayers are actually coming from Scripture.

It’s why we say them the way we do. One is just before we receive communion, we say, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come into my home and to my house. Only say the word and I shall be healed.” Very slight change, but it’s straight from Scripture.

And of course, we have three readings every Sunday, you know, so, and we have Bible studies at the center. So, yeah, Scripture is very important. Sacraments are often misunderstood, but that usually takes more time because Catholicism is, I don’t know if this is really the right word, but it is more, it’s a faith that one can sort of touch more easily because of the Sacraments.

You know, we have oil. You know, when one is confirmed, oil is put on you. And actually some priests really go for the oil, and they pour it. I know the pastor at USC used to pour the oil on them.

LM: Really? Like a big thing? Boom.

SKS: He would just, you know. Which I actually kind of liked. And most of the students knew about it, was going to happen. But there’s something so real. I mean, it’s there. And one of our students actually that became Catholic this past year, the priest in this particular case took the oil, put it on the forehead and with a whole hand made the sign of the cross and on both cheeks.

And he said, “I don’t want to ever wash my face.” And actually I was very touched by that because it was something he said, “I’ve never been so moved by a religious act.”

LM: Yeah, that’s such a beautiful moment for you to see.

SKS: Yes, yes. And so those are some of the misconceptions because, like I said, for us, Catholicism does have a lot of very concrete signs and symbols. And you know, whether it be from holy water, bread that we say becomes the body, wine that becomes the blood that we offer this to the students as well, confession where it allows the person to not only confess to God but also to the community through the priest.

Since he can’t ask forgiveness from the whole community, the priest does it in our name. And so there’s that realization that it is about your personal relationship with Christ, but not only. It’s also about the whole community.

OM: Wow. That’s wonderful. Looking back on your years in this role, what have been the most personally meaningful or impactful aspects of working in Catholic campus ministries at UCLA or in general, and what lessons will you carry forward?

SKS: Actually, it’s really being moved by what some of the students say and how they really extend their hand to others. That moves me. You know, something that they’re passionate about.

I’m thinking of one student that’s going to be on our leadership board next year. And the way she talked about extending her hand to those – we always say less fortunate, she had a much better line than that. It was really about actions and service that humanized the other.

I don’t remember, like I said, exactly how she said it, but as I was listening to her share about it and ideas that she had, it was just very moving that it was something that excited her so much as well, and that she really wanted to share that with other students in a way that I think will be catchy. And so I’m really looking forward to working with her next year.

So those are some of the things that really move me. Students who are so quick to serve, even in the simplest of things, of putting the tables away after dinner. I don’t have to say a word.

LM: Wow.

SKS: You know, they just do it. They can’t have to hurt my back, you know, because I couldn’t do it. And the four students that work with me have put in a lot of good work preparing the dinner. And it’s just, they just know what to do.

LM: So it sounds like a lot of students really take initiative.

SKS: They do. There is no way we could do what we do without the students. And that’s one of the things actually that I love about here at UCLA. I mean, yes, we would always like more campus ministers, yes. And yet at the same time, because there is such a need for the students and they step forward, that in itself makes a different atmosphere that I love.

OM: At UCLA, what’s the structure of the staff at the Catholic Church?

SKS: For us, we have two priests. They belong to the St. Paul Order, they’re Paulist priests. We have a music minister, we have someone who has been involved in other different ministries, like he did a program for a few years called “Why Catholic?” But he’s also helps us in development and things such as that.

And then there’s me. So we make up the staff, and then we have a student who serves as secretary. But we get an awful lot done because of our students.

LM: And how many students total are at the Catholic Center?

SKS: Registered, I want to say it’s over 500.

LM: Wow. Okay.

SKS: But regular mass also, like our 10:30 is packed, and we can take, I think, almost 300 students. Okay, so that’s full. And then we still have two more masses, fewer students, but still a decent number. So we do have pretty good mass attendance quite frankly.

LM: Wow. And then I also have a question regarding your different prayer groups. I was reading about on the website, and I want to hear a little bit more about that. So you have something called the Vietnamese prayer group.

SKS: Yes, Muoi.

OM: Muoi. And then you also have a Latin prayer group. Is it Maná?

SKS: Oh, yeah, the Latino group. Yes, Maná.

OM: Okay. And then there’s also, is there a Pilipino one?

SKS: Yes, Kawan.

OM: Okay, wow. That’s wonderful. And what is your, what do you do?

SKS: Do we have one more?

OM: Oh, what’s it, sorry, I didn’t mean to.

SKS: Let’s not forget that one. It’s new.

OM: Okay.

SKS: It’s Malabar, Syro-Malabar, Christ Catholic, and they’re Indian.

LM: Wow.

SKS: And so they go by Ruha, the spirit.

LM: Okay, and what are these different prayer groups or just different groups do? Like what’s the –

SKS: It kind of depends on each group. Each one, each group has one of us that kind of serves as an advisor if they need anything, for example, and I work with Maná and Muoi.

And so basically, it’s to kind of meet with leadership, are you doing well, anything you need from me, etc. So it’s that kind of attention. But some groups will actually do something that is a little catechetical.

And so there might be a lesson and then some discussion after. I know one group will often eat lunch or, excuse me, eat dinner together because they meet at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday. So, it’s a little challenging sometimes for students, especially if they have a 7 p.m. class or something.

And so, they’ll have a very light dinner where then they’ll do some kind of, like I said, a presentation and then discussion while they eat. So it’s kind of a around the table kind of thing. They don’t do that always, but that’s one example.

The Muoi group will do also that where there’s some topic that there might be a short presentation to kind of set the stage, so to speak. And then have discussion after and then end with a prayer time.

And so each of these groups allows them to kind of express faith with the cultural component that I think is quite important. One of the things that I have noticed that I’ve really enjoyed is they also find that they’re very open.

LM: So can anyone come join the group?

SKS: Anyone comes and it’s like, yeah, you’re welcome. And there’s been many times I know because I’m often with Maná a little bit more. In part because they meet at six where Muoi meets at eight. It’s getting a little late. But both groups I know and I’ve seen it are extremely open to anybody joining them.

Sometimes the door has been open, and someone will be by the door. Come on in. The invitation comes from one of the students very quickly. But like I said, I think the cultural component is very important. And so in a certain way, it builds the entire community because they feel that my expression of the faith culturally is valued.

SKS: They, like I said, they’re always welcome, you know. And the students overall, I find extremely welcoming because they understand that we have open doors.

LM: Thank you so much for your time.

SKS: Thank you for the invitation and this opportunity to share about what we have.

OM: Yes, no, absolutely. And we’re so excited and we really appreciate your time.

SKS: Okay, well, thank you.

LM: Thank you.

OM: Religion on Campus is brought to you by the Daily Bruin Podcasts. You can listen to other episodes of the show on dailybruin.com or Spotify, SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts and transcripts are available.

My name is Olivia Miller.

LM: My name is Lauren Miller. Thank you for listening.