MISSION STATEMENT

We, the eucharistic community of the Catholic Student Center, are committed to living the Gospel of Christ and proclaiming the message of forgiveness and reconciliation to the whole world.

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OBJECTIVES

The Campus Ministry Office of the Diocese of St. Petersburg sponsors the Catholic Student Center at U.S.F. in order to offer undergraduates and graduate students opportunities to grow in faith as they grow into adulthood.

Our community gathers on Sunday, and daily during the week, to celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy. The Catholic Center also offers retreat experiences, sacramental catechesis and adult education in the Faith.

The principal means be which we maintain a presence on campus is through The Catholic Student Union (CSU). The CSU is chartered through the University Office of Student Activities, and is open to all U.S.F. students. The CSU meets every Sunday evening, and participates regularly in social activities and service projects in the local community.

As a Catholic community, we give God thanks for the blessing of witnessing the dawn of a new millennium of Christian history. We commit ourselves to proclaiming the Gospel's message of hope to the university community and to the world.

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POLICIES

The Catholic Student Center abides by the guidelines and Code of Ethics of the Religious and Spiritual Life Association of USF.

All students and faculty at the University of South Florida are welcome to attend our social and spiritual gatherings. Membership at The Catholic Student Center is open to all students, faculty and staff at USF.

All Catholics are encouraged to register as members of her or his local parish; registration is especially important for the purposes of being confirmed, married or having a child baptized. Membership forms for The Catholic Center are available on the Documents Page of this site, from the Chaplain's office and on Sunday after the Liturgy.

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Religious and Spiritual Life Association Vision Statement

The Religious and Spiritual Life Association at the University of South Florida seeks to promote openness, honesty and respect between and for all religious groups by caring for the spiritual life of the campus community, faculty and staff.

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RSL Code of Ethics

RSL recognized groups voluntarily agree to the following Code of Ethics:

As members of the Religious and Spiritual Liofe Association at the I University of South Florida, we agree to abide by the following code of ethics as a requirement for Membership.

1. In order to foster an atmosphere of religious tolerance within the university community we disavow any behavior that seeks to promote one religion by denigrating another. We commit ourselves to eliminating all religious intolerance within and among our groups and communities, while maintaining our right to express exclusive truth claims within our belief systems.

2. In order to respect the values of all people regardless of religious backgrounds we affirm the right of every person to retain his/her own belief system, to explore other belief options, and to make their own decisions without harassment.

3. In order to defend the human dignity and freedom of all people we refuse to use coercive techniques or manipulative appeals intended to bypass one s critical faculties, play on one's psychological weaknesses, and/or undermine ones relationship with family or religious institutions. We affirm the right of religious groups to speak freely about their beliefs and faith in a manner consistent with the solicitation policies of the University of South Florida.

4. In order to promote openness and honesty among religious groups we commit ourselves to state clearly on all printed material and advertisements the names of all sponsoring groups of any religious activity we organize within and for the university community.

5. In order to express both unity and diversity among our religious communities we commit ourselves to work, whenever possible, with other religious groups within the university community to serve the needs of all students, faculty, administrators, and staff.

6. In order to affirm the importance of religious belief and practice in the educational formation of students we commit ourselves to working with the administration, faculty, and staff to fulfill the educational goals of the university.