On Saturday, April 6, USF graduates from the last 50 years gathered at Bellarmine Hall, the faith-based housing complex on the campus of the Catholic Student Center. The alumni social was an introduction to the newly formed Catholic Bulls Alumni Society, an organization that seeks to strengthen the future of the USF Catholic community by providing opportunities for faith-based fellowship and service that support current students and alumni. Alumni are invited to attend the next event, the Baccalaureate & Confirmation Mass & Social on Sunday, April 28 at 10:00 AM.

Attendees came from parishes throughout the Diocese, with one alumna traveling from Sarasota to attend the event. Meagan Eastman, an alumna and Chair of the Alumni Society was “impressed by the connections that formed between graduates of different generations,” as attendees bonded about graduating with the same major and discussed the many changes that have occurred on campus in the past several years.

The event focused on fellowship and provided alumni with an opportunity to learn about the recent and planned growth of the USF Catholic Community. Participants learned about the growth USF campus ministry has experienced over the last 18 months. There are now more than 400 students registered as members of the Catholic Student Union and last summer Father Justin Paskert hired recent graduate, Carly Bosse, to serve as the first full-time Campus Minister. At the event, Carly discussed the many ways that the CSU is working to reach students directly on campus, including celebrating Sunday Mass in the Marshall Student Center in the Fall and Spring semesters, and hosting small groups in various locations to help the Catholic community be a visible presence on campus.

The Catholic Bulls Alumni Society is an important component of the intended growth of the community. It seeks to provide a continued home for recent USF graduates, as well as a way for past graduates to maintain a relationship with the university and the CSU. To learn more about the Alumni Society, visit https://catholicusf.org/alumni-society or follow on Facebook @CatholicAlumnus.