Sharing God’s Word is the duty of all Christians, but knowing God’s Word is a re­quirement. Through St. Isidore’s Bible Study, any student can come to understand and proclaim the truth revealed in Holy Scripture.

The Bible study, led by Fr. Keith Weber and Cam­pus Minister Maria O'Halloran, has been under-way since August and covers the entire Bible. They took extra care to make sure the weekly meetings are accessible to students.

“The great thing about these Bible stud­ies is that they are stand alone,” O’Halloran said. “While it helps to have been to previous ones, it’s certainly not necessary.”

The format of each meeting is similar. An outline of the book of the week is handed out and Fr. Keith shares highlights and facts about the Bible.

“I found when I came the first time that Fr. Keith shares some other related stories that are not mentioned in the Bible,” said Giselle Cino, a veterinary resident in ana­tomic pathology from Paraguay. “Those kinds of things helped me to under­stand better.”

After Fr. Keith finishes his presentation, the students mingle with each other and then separate into two discus­sion groups led by O’Halloran and Fr. Keith.

Alexander Crownover, a junior in archi­tectural engineering from Wichita, comes to the Bible study for the stimulating discus­sions.

“I think one of the best studies I came to was when we covered the Book of Job, and discussed the question of why bad things happen to good people, which was a common theme throughout the book,” Crownover said. “It was really thought-pro­voking and the discussion extended into the evening after Bible study.”

This year’s Bible study is different from years’ past. In the past, men and women had separate Bible studies and different topics were studied rather than different books of the Bible.

O’Halloran said the variety of different genders, ages, and majors gives students a chance to have fruitful discussions.

“The benefit of a larger Bible study is meeting new people and gaining new per­spectives,” O’Halloran said.

These new per­spectives have cer­tainly influenced Crownover. Al­though he attended both Catholic and public school, he sometimes had troubles explaining his faith.

“I never really had a Bible class,” Crownover said. “Evangelizing has become easier because I am more acquainted with the Bible.”

Father Keith said he hopes the Bible study encourages more students to study the Scrip­tures privately as well.

“I think looking at the Bible on your own is a very good thing and it will help a person’s relationship with God,” Father Keith said. “I think coming to the Bible study will hope­fully give a better under­standing of God so that when they do pick the Bible up on their own, they can understand it better.”

St. Isidore’s Bible Study is open to any stu­dent and meets every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Newman Hall. Videos of each Bible Study are available on the St. Isidore's website at www.stisidores.com

Want to find a way to volunteer time, but also have fun at the same time? Then look no further than St. Isidore’s Phonathon.

The Phonathon is a fundraising event for St. Isidore’s that has been going strong for more than 19 years. During the Phona­thon, volunteers call alumni and parents of Catholic stu­dents and ask for donations to help fund the ministries and activities of St. Isidore’s. This year’s 19th annual Phona­thon took place in November 2010. The Phonathon consists of three weeks — two weeks of calling potential donors and then a third week of mailing out pledge cards to supporters that callers didn’t get a chance to talk to.

Stewardship Direc­tor Marinda Johnson said that the Phona­thon was an amazing success.

“Last year’s Phona­thon raised a little over $170,000. This [the phonathon] is the only time of the year where we call and ask specifi­cally for financial sup­port,” Johnson said.

Johnson and her team of St. Isidore’s Ambassadors kept the Phonathon running flawlessly and kept the callers enjoying their task of asking for do­nations.

Autumn VanLeeu­wen, a junior in Eng­lish from Girard, Kan., who serves as one of eight St. Isidore’s Am­bassadors, said she loved being a part of Phonathon and help­ing to support the Center.

“My most important role during Phona­thon was keeping smiles on people’s faces,” VanLeeuwen said. “By having a cheerful atti­tude, we’re representing the true St. Isidore’s, which is full of joy.”

Phonathon callers help represent St. Isidore’s in a cheerful way, and remind alum­ni and parents that St. Isidore’s is not only a place of worship, but also is a home away from home for the students. Allison Lemke, a freshman in food sciences and industry from Olathe, Kan., said that St. Isidore’s has been a big part of her college experience, and that is part of what motivated her to volunteer for Phonathon for the first time.

“I think it is important to have a center just for the students here on campus. There are so many new things to do and try here at K-State,” Lemke said. “It is nice to have a place to go to recol­lect yourself. Father Keith does a good job making it feel like a community rather than just an­other church.”

P h o n a t h o n plays a crucial role in meeting the fi­nancial needs of St. Isidore’s – it is responsible for one-third of the yearly budget for the Center. Students also find that Pho­nathon is a great way to meet other Catholic students, have fun, and win prizes while rais­ing money for St. Isidore’s.

Christine Dowl­ing, a senior in bi­ology from Hays, Kan. and a St. Isidore’s Ambas­sador, said it is a blessing to be able to give back to St. Isidore’s.

“I am thankful to be a part of something that is so lucrative for St. Isidore’s, because I have received so much in return,” Dowling said.

St. Isidore’s Ambassador Janet Peak, a se­nior in family and consumer sciences educa­tion from Scammon, Kan., said she enjoyed getting in touch with alumni and supporters.

“Having the one-on-one contact with the donors who help make all of the activities we participate in possible is really humbling,” Peak said. “It makes me feel grateful for their continued support.”

Johnson said that constant support from the community, alumni, and parents is some­thing that everyone can be thankful for.

“The Phonathon is a huge part of what keeps St. Isidore’s doors open,” Johnson said. “It is always incredible to see that there is so much support for St. Isidore’s from the alum­ni, parents and permanent community. I was filled with gratitude after seeing the amount of money we raised every night.”

In a community where almost everyone is between the ages of 18 and 22, St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center is doing its best to bridge the gap between college students and the Catholic community of Manhattan with the St. Isidore’s student ambassadors.

“Our student ambassadors represent the student community of St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center at permanent community and fundraising events in Manhattan and across the state,” said Marinda Johnson, St. Isidore’s stewardship director. As steward­ship director, Johnson works closely with the ambassadors.

“Their primary purpose is to serve as a bridge between the students and the perma­nent community, alumni, and potential do­nors,” Johnson explained.

Currently, K-State students Janet Peak, Autumn VanLeeuwen, Christy Dowling and Ross Conner serve as ambassadors.

“We help with many different activities such as fundraising, social activities, and events involving the permanent community members, alumni, and current students,” Dowling said.

For Dowling, the experience has helped her grow personally.

“Being an ambassador has been benefi­cial to me in that it has provided me with a deeper appreciation for my faith as I work with the various student activities at St. Isidore’s,” Dowling said.

Conner has also seen positive ben­efits.

“The fundraising and events we help with benefit us by providing programs that St. Isidore’s puts on,” Conner said. “Having student ambassadors allows St. Isidore’s to have a face. It allows others to see that it’s not just a building, but that it matters to students, and that we make it a significant part of our lives,” Conner said.

In order to become a St. Isidore’s am­bassador, interested students must com­plete an application and interview pro­cess in the spring. Selected ambassadors serve a minimum of one year, but are encouraged to serve two or more years.

Peak said meeting supporters is one of the best parts of being an ambassador.

“I was initially attracted to the role of being an ambassador because of the one-on-one contact with the donors, permanent community, and alumni who once received benefit from St. Isidore’s and now give back abundantly so that students like myself have a great opportunity to grow in faith,” Peak said. “Being able to witness the ‘pass it on’ mentality of St. Isidore’s supporters is very honoring and humbling.”

Regardless of their motivation to become an ambassador, Johnson said she enjoys working with the students, and feels it has a positive impact on the entire St. Isidore’s community.

“I really enjoy working with our student ambassadors. They are go-getters and are such a good representation of our wonder­ful students,” Johnson said. “I really feel that the ambassador program is a win-win for ev­eryone involved.”

Singing and traveling the Italian country­side might seem like a story from “The Sound of Music,” but for 28 students and permanent community members, the dream became a reality this past May.

The idea for the trip had its roots in a previous trip to Italy that was taken seven years ago, said Father Keith Weber, who helped organize the trip along with Frank Schmeidler, director of worship.

“Seven years ago, Frank and I decided to try to do a choir trip as a way to encourage students to become involved in choir,” Fa­ther Keith said. “We decided this past year we would do the trip again.”

The trip took more than a year to plan. The group traveled to Rome, Assisi, Flor­ence, Siena, Verona, and Venice during the eight days they spent in Italy singing and experiencing the Italian culture.

Katie Young, a senior in mathematics and mechanical engineering, was one of the K-State students who traveled to Italy. She said two places she most enjoyed visiting were St. Peter’s chair in St. Peter’s Basilica and the catacombs.

“ B e c a u s e we were on a choir trip, we got to go places and do things that we nor­mally wouldn’t,” Young said.

For Sch­meidler, the best part of the trip was the choir’s performances. All of the music the choir sang while in Italy was a cappella and in Latin. They also had the opportunity to sing for a Papal Audi­ence.

“To be able to sing and sing well in all the churches we visited was incredible,” Sch­meidler said.

Becca Greif, a sophomore in civil engi­neering, said that Assisi was her favorite stop.

“Going there was so peaceful compared to Rome. We went right after we had been in Rome for a couple days, and it was sort of se­cluded out in the Tuscan countryside,” Greif said. “It was beautiful. It was a great time to sit back and reflect and especially look at St. Francis’ life and to compare my life to his.”

Young and her friend Katie Brennan, another student who traveled on the trip, treasured the time to reflect and enjoy the beauty of Italy.

“One day, Katie and I went off by our­selves and we found this beautiful park that was just grassy area and we ate our lunch there,” Young said. “It was kind of high up on a hill, so we could just look out on Rome and see this big, wide open space.”

Father Keith said the trip was designed for students, and it is important for students to have this type of faith experience.

“The primary reason was to help students’faith,” Father Keith said. “Go­ing to Italy and experiencing the history of the Catholic Church is a powerful way to deepen our appreciation of who we are as a Church.”

To qualify for the trip, choir members had to attend at least two regular choir re­hearsals every month, sing for at least two Masses a month, and attend all choir re­hearsals and concerts. To help fund the trip, choir members rehearsed and recorded Christmas music for the fourth St. Isidore’s Choir CD, which was released in April.