The University Catholic Center seeks to equip Catholic students at UT Austin with the tools to understand their baptismal call to holiness and to provide them with opportunities to discern their career and life choices through the theological lens of vocation (i.e., within the context of their relationship with God). By “vocation,” we mean one’s state in life, understood as a call from God (in Latin, vocatio) to a gift of self in service to God and others, whether in marriage, the ordained or consecrated religious life, or single life.
Empowered by the Spirit is the University Catholic Center's programming initiative focused on aiding students in vocation discernment and providing them with opportunities to develop as confident Christian leaders. Students are invited to participate in small vocation discernment groups, retreats, and spiritual direction focused on identifying, cultivating, and employing their gifts in service to their communities of faith. In addition, students are provided with Christian leadership formation through professional networking and mentoring with Catholic faculty and staff at UT Austin, the greater-Austin Catholic community, and Catholic alumni of the university.
Called to Holiness
Through programs focused on vocation discernment students are accompanied on discerning their vocation.
Called to Mission
Through programs focused on discipleship formation students are taught to listen to how God is calling them to serve.
Called to Service
Through leadership development students use what they learn from vocation discernment and discipleship formation to practice Christian leadership at the Catholic Center and to expose students to a variety of models for professional Christian ministry and secular professional Christian leadership.
Do you have a passion for encouraging vocations?
As our ministry continues to grow, we need to expand our capacity to offer spiritual direction to students and to more intentionally integrate vocation discernment into our programming.
Our students are the future leaders of the Church, and their faith-formation and preparation for lay Christian ministry, religious and consecrated life, or the priesthood is crucial especially during college.