College is a time where curiosity and exploration are encouraged. At University of St. Thomas, students are invited into a rich dialogue where faith meets reason, through their academics, and that intersects with life experience and the experiences they have on campus. In this time of discovery, recent graduate Jerry Reyes unearthed his belief in God and longing for the Catholic Church.
“My mom was a Catholic and my dad was a Jehovah Witness, but I never got baptized or confirmed to any church because my mom really wanted me to choose the faith,” Reyes said. “I do remember whenever things would get hard, she would have us pray and, at the time, I didn't really understand what it meant to pray, but in a way, she was already teaching me how to be Catholic.”
It was not until Jerry had his own personal struggle that he realized where he found peace.
“My sophomore year, I started getting very depressed because a good friend of mine from high school had died,” he said. “I started going to Mass because it helped me feel calm. I was lucky to have the Chapel right there on campus because I could sit down, have my notebook and just pray for continued strength and peace.”
Spending time in prayer in the Chapel of St. Basil led Reyes to inquire about the Catholic faith to some of his friends, which allowed him to cross paths with Rev. Eduardo Rivera, CSB, ’14, M.Div. ’20, UST Campus Chaplain.
“At the end of my junior year, I met Fr. Eduardo, and I felt like that's really when everything took off,” Reyes said. “I had never met or interacted with a father that was very engaging and made me feel like I was very special.”
Jerry said after meeting Fr. Eduardo, he began to dive deep into wanting to understand the Catholic faith.
“The first time I met Jerry was after Sunday evening Mass,” Fr. Eduardo said. “He was so energetic and excited to be there. He was happy to just be attending Mass.”
That feeling grew as Reyes started attending classes for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). In OCIA, he found a loving, supportive community who was on the same journey. During this process, and as becoming Catholic became something he desired, he realized something profound – Reyes would be Fr. Eduardo’s first adult Baptism and Confirmation.
“It was a beautiful thing that my favorite pastor was confirming me, and I was going to be his first adult Baptism and Confirmation,” he said. “I had looked up to Fr. Eduardo for so long, and I had built this relationship with him. My mom saw it on my face at Easter Vigil – I am very fond of Fr. Eduardo, and he was the one bringing me into the Church.”
Fr. Eduardo cherished his connection with Reyes.
“My experience with Jerry was incredible,” Fr. Eduardo said. “I had baptized many children in the past, but seeing the way Jerry's face lit up after being baptized and confirmed was amazing. Over the course of the year, I saw Jerry grow and mature in faith. His passion and love for his Catholic faith has become infectious. He now frequently attends daily Mass and Sunday Mass in the chapel. Jerry's faith has really inspired me to reach out to more students who are searching for God.”
Reyes shared how, even through the joy and anticipation of receiving three sacraments – Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation – it was not until he saw a video later that everything felt real.
“I didn't cry for anything,” he said. “I never cried during Easter Vigil. The following Sunday, I was able to lector at Mass for the first time and a video was taken of me reading. And then the camera moves to Fr. Eduardo, and he is just looking at me with a big smile. When I saw that video, I started to cry. The one thing that made me cry was seeing Fr. Eduardo so proud of me. It was a long journey, so I just let everything out, because I was very proud too.”
Reyes, a graduate in the UST Class of 2025, garnering a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in International Studies, will soon join the army and attain military service with the hopes of becoming a diplomat. Reyes’ openness to discovering faith is an example of University’s Quality Enhancement Plan for Educating Students for Purpose. By intertwining Catholic values, traditions, and teachings throughout the university experience, UST seeks to create an environment that nurtures the holistic development of our students, promoting their personal, academic, and spiritual growth.
Fr. Eduardo celebrates Reyes’ journey and said peer-to-peer invitations and conversations allow students to become curious, diving deeper into their relationship with God.
“Many of our students are coming to the university seeking a greater purpose,” Fr. Eduardo said. “They are looking for God. They want meaning for their lives and direction. Many of these students discover their faith in college while they are trying to navigate what they want to do in the future. Some of our students in OCIA have been inspired by what they are learning in their theology and philosophy classes. They discover that there is something greater to life than just chasing after material things. Other students come to OCIA and grow deeper in their Catholic faith because of their peers. They see the witness of their friends who find peace through the anxious final seasons by turning to their faith.”
Reyes is an example of someone who can now witness the peace experienced from faith through challenging and anxious seasons of life. He can now invite others into that conversation of curiosity, openness and support through his experience at UST.