The First Year Experience Program recently offered two new events held at the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola after mass in order for students to receive credit for the program, required for first year students.
“The entire church in America and the first world generally has seen significant decreases in mass attendance over the last thirty or more years,” said Fr. Paul Holland, S.J.
In response to this year’s attendance, Holland, who is in his first year at Campus Ministry, guessed that there was a bit of an increase with the addition of FYE events.
Senior Arturo Jaras Watts, who was working in the Campus Ministry building, said, “The use of FYE credits, quite simply, is a form of extrinsic motivation and psychologists know that extrinsic motivation can canalize intrinsic motivation.
“The FYE office should think carefully about how they use this tool for student engagement,” Watts added.
The Campus Ministry First-Year Welcome on Sept. 8 was the first event, and all first year students were invited to join after the 6 and 9 p.m. masses for pizza and conversation.
According to details for the second event, the Sept. 15 Mass of the Holy Spirit, the mass is “Fairfield’s tradition for kicking off the academic year and is core to the Jesuit, Ignatian values from which the University was established. The Mass of the Holy Spirit is open to all, regardless of affiliation or belief.”
Fairfield has been a Jesuit institution since it was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942. It was first established as an all-boys institution that required the students to attend mass daily.
Years later, on-campus mass became a choice, and attendance slowly began to dwindle.
Many students had mixed opinions about the new incentives for attending events held in the Egan Chapel following mass.
Freshman Julia Yacker said, “It seems like a quick and easy thing to do to get credit.” She also said she does not usually attend mass when she is at home, but would consider attending these events.
Holland said Campus Ministry supports the FYE additions since FYE seeks to provide a foundational understanding of the Fairfield experience and to empower students to take advantage of all Fairfield has to offer.
Mass at Fairfield has not been mandatory for many years, but this year as social events continue to follow there may be a little extra motivation for attendance. The next religious event listed for FYE credit is the annual Advent Lessons and Carols Mass on Dec. 15.
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