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Purpose Statement
The John M. Jerek Service Scholarship honors the leadership and contributions of Fr. John Jerek, who served as pastor of the University Parish Newman Center from 1995-2008. Fr. Jerek continues to serve the Diocese of Youngstown as Vicar for Clergy and as pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Lowellville.
The purpose of the John M. Jerek Scholarship is to train students with practical skills and provide the spiritual and theological formation necessary to become lay ministers who can assist our parish and the parishes they will eventually join. Scholarship recipient(s) will develop and implement an innovative and creative ministry project that fills an unmet need within the parish community in one of the following areas: liturgy, prayer and worship, service and social justice, religious education, outreach/evangelization, etc.
After graduation, young adults often ask their new parish what services and programs it has for them. The goal of this scholarship is to provide training and leadership experience which will enable current students to not only ask how they can be of service in this community, but also to be able to equip students to be leaders in their future parishes.
Ministry Scholarship Responsibilities- Service hours required: approximately 2-4 hours/week.
- An assigned mentor will help guide your service experience.
- You will meet with your mentor regularly throughout the semester.
- Your mentor will help you to write a purpose statement (less than a page) for your service.
- Both mentor and applicant will sign a letter of agreement which includes your application, the purpose statement and your responsibilities as mutually determined by you and your mentor.
- Submit a written summary and evaluation of the complete ministry experience.
- Meet with the selection committee to evaluate your project near the end of the Spring Semester (late April), or at the completion of your project, sharing your difficulties and your successes.
- If asked to do so, present your work to parish community.
Basic Expectations:- Participates fully, actively, and consciously in weekly liturgies.
- Participates actively in the Catholic Student Association.
- Follows the guidance of the mentor and follows through with commitments.
Scholarship Allocation:- The Scholarship winner will be announced by December 1, 2016.
- Scholarship money will be disbursed in two separate payments or through another mutually agreed upon arrangement.
Examples of Projects
The following list of ideas is provided to stimulate creative thinking about some of the needs that currently exist within the parish community. We encourage you to reflect on the intersection of the parish’s needs and your own gifts and develop your own project.
- Maintaining and enhancing electronic communications with the parish community (e.g. website, social media, parish database, etc.)
- Working with our religious education (CCD) program or high school youth ministry
- Learning how to arrange music for Mass and how to lead a choir.
- Developing a plan for campus outreach and evangelization.
- Learning how to plan for and lead small groups (e.g. Scripture study, faith sharing group, JustFaith group, etc.)
- Planning a retreat or other spiritual program.
- Implementing a project related to a current social justice initiative.
- Working with parish council members to initiate intergenerational programming for the parish.
- Developing a program to welcome new members to the parish (students and non-students).
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