New campus ministers leading Catholics at UA, ASU

Outreach will include liturgies, music, Bible studies, service projects and more

Published: September 12, 2015

By Aprille Hanson
Associate Editor

Adam Koehler and Anna Frein are the new Catholic campus ministers at St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish. Both graduates of University of Arkansas, Frein said she’s excited to help students “grow that relationship with Christ.”

While studies show more and more millennials leaving the Church or not identifying with a religion, Catholic campus ministers are on the front lines of a battle for Christ.

Armed with the Gospel truth, young adults Brandon Weisenfels, Anna Paige Frein and Adam Koehler are ready to catch souls on fire with the Holy Spirit. Weisenfels is the new director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Blessed John Newman University Parish in Jonesboro on the Arkansas State University campus. Frein and Koehler have been named campus ministers at St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

“As Pope Francis said, it’s not enough just to open our doors but go out of our doors and reach out to people,” Frein, 24, said. “You can invite someone to Bible study or to Mass, but it’s better to get to know someone and their own faith journey and walk along beside them to grow that relationship with Christ.”

Frein and Koehler, 25, are both graduates of the University of Arkansas. Frein, who grew up attending St. John the Baptist Church in Brinkley, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and was active as an undergrad at St. Thomas.

“It got me excited, it connected me to a community,” she said. “St. Thomas helped me discover more about my faith.”

Because of that, Frein took a leap of faith — for the past year, she worked on the south side of Chicago with AmeriCorps through the Archdiocese of Chicago, ministering to those in poverty.

“I met with clients one on one, I did intake for our food pantry,” Frein said. “I think the biggest thing for me in terms of my faith, I’d ask my clients how are you doing today even though you know they’re having a difficult time managing, they said with gratitude, ‘I’m just thankful God let me have another day and to be alive talking to you.’ That put it in perspective, to take that gratitude into every aspect of my life.”

For Koehler, who grew up attending Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock, he learned similar lessons by being a Catholic Youth Ministry volunteer at Christ the King Church in Little Rock and for the Search team through the Diocese of Little Rock.

“Being a part of more of a parish environment and Search inevitably prepared me really in relationship-building, being around those that are so passionate in their faith,” Koehler said. “To see 16- and 17-year-old kids let their heart out and provide bold, powerful witness talks to their peers was humbling for me, to see how much Christ plays a role in their lives.”

Koehler graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and knew Frein through being involved with campus ministry at St. Thomas. The two will tag-team various responsibilities throughout the year, including organizing more Bible studies, growing the music and liturgical ministries, hosting retreats and outreach to students.

“Especially for new students, we want them to feel comfortable and welcome,” Koehler said.

For Weisenfels, it’s another step forward in his path of full-time ministry. In the past, Weisenfels, who is married with three adopted children and two foster children, has served in various capacities of youth ministry, including as the director of children’s and youth ministry at Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro and as the faith and fun director at Blessed John Newman.

“One of my passions has always been to build discipleship and leadership in the Church … The college age group is where that really flourishes,” Weisenfels said. “The goal is they go back into the parishes with discipleship and leadership and impact all the parishes they end up in.”

Weisenfels joined the Catholic Church when he was 6 years old, after his mother married a Catholic. Prior to that, he was Assembly of God and still attended their Royal Rangers, which discussed spirituality because at the time, his parish, Christ the King Church in Fort Smith, didn’t have a spiritual, prayer-based youth ministry.

“My thinking was, why don’t we have this in the Church? My whole youth ministry career came off of a desire to bring spirituality and the prayers of the Church to young people and, of course, it’s grown from there,” Weisenfels said.

As director, Weisenfels handles all the programming for the roughly 45 active members, from music ministry to witness nights.

This year, students will have organized Eucharistic adoration once a month and a new praise team for youth rallies. A new Missionary Leadership Project will train college students to work as catechists or youth leaders at Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro as well, he said.

Though the campuses are different, the goal of building new leaders in Christ is universal, Weisenfels said.

“I honestly believe it’s through ‘disciple-ing’ them one on one,” Weisenfels said of keeping college students committed to the faith. “Once they know the presence of Jesus and want to share it, that to me is what keeps them.”