A Message from Fr. Kevin Kolker

Dear friends of Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU,

We recently heard the Sunday gospel reading about the laborers who worked unequal shifts in the vineyard but received equal pay (Matthew 20:1-16). Some had been there since dawn and borne the heat of the day; others started working at noon; still others only put in one hour. Yet, the owner of the vineyard paid every one of them a full day’s wage, to the great disappointment of those who started at sunrise and thought they might receive more.

If you feel a sense of injustice when you hear this parable, that’s exactly what Jesus expects! One lens that I find helpful for reframing this seemingly unjust economic exchange is the one that Jesus tells us is essential for our spiritual lives as a whole: “unless you turn and become like little children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

I have several nephews who remind me what it looks like to “turn and become like little children.” At five years old, one of them loves to “do projects” with his dad. He’s always looking for more work to do, whether it’s changing a light bulb or fixing a sprinkler head (even though, in truth, he’s not all that helpful). But to him, this “work” doesn’t feel like labor at all. He’s just happy to be spending time with his father. Unlike the laborers in the parable, he’s not thinking about some reward he’ll get afterwards. To him, the relationship is the reward. This is why Jesus tells us to become like children: that sense of injustice melts away, and we realize it’s better to be with the landowner all day, regardless of the compensation.

There is no champion for this spirituality of being childlike that can match St. Thérèse of Lisieux, whose memorial we celebrate tomorrow. She says, "holiness does not consist in one exercise or another, but in a disposition of the heart which renders us humble and little in the hands of God." She’s not denying the value of particular spiritual exercises, like going to Mass and confession or saying one’s prayers – these were essential elements of her daily life. Rather, she is saying that true holiness means doing all those exercises with a heart that is “humble and little,” a heart that is childlike, a heart that values the relationship itself as the reward.

May we be renewed in our sense of spiritual childhood and treasure our relationship with our Heavenly Father as the reward for which we long.



In Christ,

Fr. Kevin Kolker

Marie Schrampfer (PhD ’26) has been an integral part of the life of The C over the past several years. A steadfast presence at Mass and Adoration, Marie led our OCIA program for two years and became deeply involved in our graduate student community, even starting a Bible study for graduate students.

Throughout her time at SMU, Marie was also discerning a call to religious life. Now, after completing her PhD, she is spending time with the Passionist Nuns in Whitesville, Kentucky, prayerfully discerning where the Lord is calling her.

We are grateful for the ways Marie has shared her gifts with our community, and we invite you to hear more about her journey of discernment and the role The C played along the way:

"About two and a half years before I graduated from SMU, I realized I had to start taking seriously something I had long suspected: namely, that the Lord was probably calling me to religious life. That realization turned out to be the beginning of a long journey of wrestling with God’s will and navigating some difficult tensions that the call to religious life stirred up between me and my family – all while I tried to finish my dissertation and complete my PhD. During that time, the Catholic Center was a crucial lifeline for me.

As a convert to Catholicism myself, I was blessed with the opportunity to coordinate the SMU Catholic OCIA program, which brought me much joy and kept me grounded in what truly matters. As I got to know the students and staff members at The C, I was regularly inspired by their earnest love for the Lord and his Church and encouraged by the sense of community I found among them. And as the challenges of vocational discernment continued, Fr. Kolker’s faithful witness and patient guidance continually helped me stay focused on Jesus and attentive to his voice.

Moreover, the daily rhythms of Mass and Adoration at The C provided a space in which I could step back from the busyness of academia and the other difficulties of life and simply be with the Lord and rest in his presence. It’s in no small part because of those things that I was able successfully to finish and defend my dissertation and then find the courage to take the next steps in my vocational journey. I will always be tremendously grateful for the incredible gift the Catholic Center was to me during those formative years."

Are you an alumnus with a story about how Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU has shaped your faith journey or vocation? We'd love to hear from you! Share your story with us at catholiccommunications@smu.edu.

On September 10, we kicked off our first Catholic Professionals Speaker Series event of the year! We have been especially excited to launch this program after the Associates of St. John Bosco generously awarded Catholic Campus Ministry a RISE Grant this summer to make the initiative possible.

This talk series is part of our new Virtue in Vocation ministry designed, to equip business students to live out their Catholic faith in the workplace after graduation through speaker events, mentorship opportunities, and networking with faithful Catholic professionals. Our hope is to help students pursue excellence in their careers while remaining rooted in virtue and a relationship with Christ.

For our inaugural event, we welcomed Brian Parro to SMU for a conversation on “Choosing a Principled Employer.” A seasoned finance executive, Brian shared how his Catholic faith and personal principles have shaped the way he approaches his career and chooses where to work. Drawing from his extensive experience in the finance industry, including leadership roles at Cypress Equities, Staubach Retail Services, Inc., and AMRESCO, Inc., Brian offered students practical wisdom and lessons learned from his own career.

It was a great opportunity for students to begin thinking more intentionally about how virtue, faith, and career can intersect, and how they can prepare now to bring their Catholic faith into the workplace after graduation.

This month, we welcomed three speakers who explored the theme from different perspectives. Fr. Kolker kicked off the series with “The Fire Within: Encountering the Living God,” followed by Sr. Tatum of the Apostles of the Interior Life, who spoke on the Sacred Heart in “The Fire of Divine Love.” We closed out the month with Dr. David Moser of the Augustine Institute, who explored the sacrificial nature of the Mass in “Fire, Sacrifice, & the Mass.”

We’re excited to continue exploring this theme throughout the year. It has been a gift to see students gather at The C on Wednesday nights to dive deeper into their faith and engage with questions that go beyond their normal studies.

The first session, “The Measure of Man: Jesus Christ,” welcomed 55 men to the third floor of the Catholic Center. Together, they reflected on Christ as the model of authentic masculinity, particularly His sacrifice and the call for each of us to become more like Him.

It was inspiring to see so many young men eager to grow in their faith and seriously consider what it means to become the men God is calling them to be. Please keep the men of SMU in your prayers as this series continues and we explore authentic masculinity through the lives of other saints.

Ranch Retreat: Fall 2026

This year, we moved our annual Ranch Retreat from the spring to the fall, giving students a chance to step away from the busyness of campus and begin the semester with a weekend of rest, prayer, and community. One of our students’ favorite retreats each year, Ranch Retreat is all about slowing down, spending intentional time with Jesus, and enjoying the beauty of creation.

Our ministry traveled to cabins in beautiful Broken Bow, Oklahoma, where students spent the weekend hiking and kayaking, exploring the outdoors, sharing meals, and enjoying plenty of time together. Between outdoor adventures and quiet moments of prayer, students had the opportunity to step away from their normal routines and make space to hear the Lord.



Ranch Retreat is a reminder that rest is not simply about taking a break. It is about making room for the Lord, receiving the gift of His creation, and being renewed in the company of good friends. For many students, the weekend offered a much-needed chance to unplug from campus life and reconnect with what matters most.

Thank You for Making North Texas Giving Day 2026 A Great Success!

Thanks to your incredible generosity, we raised $133,384 on North Texas Giving Day, exceeding our largest goal ever!

We set an ambitious goal in anticipation of an exciting year of continued growth and an even greater opportunity to serve SMU students. Thanks to you, we reached it. This support allows us to begin the year with the resources to fully fund some of our most impactful ministry programs and continue creating a home where students can encounter Christ, grow in their faith, and find a community that helps them live as His disciples.

We’re especially grateful to our anonymous donor for the $25,000 Early Giving Match, Michael Fogarty for the $15,000 morning match in honor of John Michael Fogarty, Jackie and Colin Edgerton for the $10,000 afternoon match, and Danielle and James Conforti for the $10,000 final match. Their generosity helped make this incredible day possible.

Thank you for investing in the lives of SMU students and helping us continue our mission to form Servant Leaders at SMU!

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Family Weekend 2026

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