Alumni
If you would like to continue the experience by connecting with our budding CNU CCM Alumni Community,
contact John today.
Josh McMillen
Catholic Campus Ministry was the bedrock of my experience at Christopher Newport University. Going into college I wanted to be a part of a group that would help me strengthen my faith and allow me to share our wonderful Catholic faith. From serving breakfast to our downtown brothers and sisters to raising awareness on several issues of justice and joining in on the celebration of Mass on campus, CCM offers a wide variety of opportunities for college students to delve deeper into our rich faith. CCM nourished many wonderful, long-time friendships for me, including that of our wise and loving campus minister, Mary Lynn “MURPH” Murphy. Also, through one of the many retreat experiences offered by the diocese, I met the woman who is now my wife. I definitely made the right choice to go on that retreat. I was active in campus ministry all four years, teaming on several retreats and chairing our Justice and Peace Committee for two years. CCM guided me along my path to where I am today as the Coordinator of Youth Ministries at Blessed Sacrament parish in Norfolk, VA. This summer we took 21 teens on our parish’s first mission trip. It was a huge success. At Blessed Sacrament I now have the honor of guiding others on their faith journey. It’s a gift I thank God for every day. Several alumni are slowly building community and continuing the experience we shared in campus ministry during our time at CNU. I highly recommend CCM, especially at Christopher Newport, to anyone preparing to enter college this fall.
Josh McMillen, CNU Class of 2008
Josh McMillen, CNU Class of 2008
Matt and Diane Shea
Matt and I became involved in CCM when we entered CNU as freshman, and we are so glad we did. We each enjoyed the many opportunities for growing in faith, practicing charity, and developing friendships with our fellow CCMers. Before long, CCM became a sort of spiritual home on campus for us. Matt went on to serve as Worship Minister and then Student Campus Minister, and I went on to help lead Viaticus for three consecutive years. We got to know each other through our involvement in CCM, fell in love, and were married in the spring of 2009. We now live in Manassas, VA, and are parishioners of All Saints Catholic Church. Matt works as a contracts administrator, and I am a home-maker. With the continued blessings of God, we look forward to raising a family in the near future.
If you aren’t already, we highly recommend getting involved in CCM. It made all the difference for us!
-Diane Shea
If you aren’t already, we highly recommend getting involved in CCM. It made all the difference for us!
-Diane Shea
MV Banks
Campus Ministry at Christopher Newport University offered me what I yearned for in college - a community based in Christ. Through the support of fellow CCMers and the guidance of my campus minister, Mary Lynn Murphy, I was able to grow in my faith and was offered a variety of leadership opportunities. CCM became a kind of home-away-from-home for me, where I was embraced by my fellow Catholics for who I was and was always encouraged to grow in my faith. Upon graduation, I joined AmeriCorps*VISTA where I volunteered a year to do fund development for nonprofits in the Roanoke Valley, with aspirations to make a career of nonprofit development. Campus Ministry taught me the importance of service to others; it taught me that I must always preach the gospel and only use words when necessary.
Andy Doye
I can't remember what year it was that I got involved in CNU CCM but collectively it was some of the best times I had while I was in college. It was always a humbling experience and could definitely put our everyday lives in perspective. Whether we were meditating at the Viaticus Retreats, feeding our downtown brothers and sisters at St.Vincent's Soup Kitchen or just celebrating mass together at various location around the growing early 2000's CNU Campus, I always had a wonderful and inspired time. I met some of the best friends, peers and mentors I've ever had while participating in CCM. And if you don't know by now, Murph is the real deal. There is no bones about it. With her behind the wheel, CCM will never fail.
My wife, Amy, and I are currently living in the Newport News area and when afforded the free time we'd like to get re-involved with CNU CCM. But If you haven't already, go meet Murph and/or attend mass. You'll get the picture pretty quickly...
My wife, Amy, and I are currently living in the Newport News area and when afforded the free time we'd like to get re-involved with CNU CCM. But If you haven't already, go meet Murph and/or attend mass. You'll get the picture pretty quickly...
Sarah Janeski
College is the time when you’re really getting to know who you are. It can be kind of a scary time, filled with all kinds of trials and tribulations, mistakes and learning experiences. Throughout my four years at CNU, CCM was my anchor - a way for me to figure out all of the messy stuff but still maintain a balance at the same time. I would use my Sundays with CCM as a way to meditate on the kind of person I wanted to be and the part I wanted God to play in my life. It hasn’t always been an easy road, but I’ve come out the other side stronger and more confident, and I owe a lot of that to Murph and the wonderful fellowship I found through CCM. Every Sunday I was able to spend time with some great people and have an honest conversation with God in a non-judgmental, loving environment. It gave me the strength to believe in myself and to trust in God, which are lessons I don’t think you can learn without help. Upon graduation I joined the Peace Corps and have just completed two very successful years teaching English in a remote village in Kazakhstan. I’m certain I wouldn’t have had the ability to do this without the strength and faith that was nurtured through my time with CCM, and I would recommend CCM to anyone who is looking to have a very fulfilling college experience.