Michigan college ministry welcomes freshmen to campus by passing out holy water

Left to right, Victor Fenik, J.P. Ledermann, Jocelyn Reiter, and Anna Picasso distribute bottles of holy water to new and returning students during the involvement fair on Aug. 26, 2024, at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Members of Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry have been distributing holy water at the start of the academic year at local colleges and universities for the past three years. | Credit: Valaurian Waller/Detroit Catholic

For three years, members of Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry have kicked off the academic year at local colleges and universities by offering new students a small, simple bottle of holy water and a prayer.

The gesture attracts students to its table at local college campus involvement fairs, serving as an invitation for new students not only to join in fellowship with Catholics on campus but also to take a blessing with them wherever they live during their first year at college.

Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry serves students at Wayne State University, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and surrounding campuses, including Henry Ford College and the College for Creative Studies.

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