Tarleton students observe Lent

BY SARA FARMER / Contributing Student Writer

Campus Ministries are using this 40-day Lent season to help students prepare for Easter Sunday, taking place on March 31, 2024. 

Sophomore James Golla, the men's group leader at the Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM), is using these 40 days to prepare himself for Easter Sunday.

“Lent represents, to me, as Christ giving up his life for me and my brothers and sisters and me being able to sacrifice back to him acts of service, fasting, and prayer,” James said. “I try to go to daily mass, do a holy hour and do quiet time prayer.” 

Tarleton’s CCM practices a meat fast every Friday of Lent. A fish fry, put on by the Knights of Columbus, occurs from 5p.m. to 7p.m. in the Newman Hall, located next to St. Brendan’s Catholic Church at 1444 W Washington St. 

Entrance fees are $20 for adults and $15 for students, senior citizens and first responders. Children under eight eat for free. Once admission into the fish fry is paid, the buffet is all-you-can-eat. 

Volunteer Jim Lewis and Knights of Columbus members Daniel Volleman and Karmichael Ramos serve fried catfish, french fries and hushpuppies at the fish fry hosted in the Newman Hall every Friday of Lent from 5p.m.-7p.m.

“One of the things that I will be doing is helping serve at the fish fry… and visiting the old-age home.” Golla said. 

These acts of almsgiving as “doing the things that He (Jesus) did.” This includes prayer, fasting, and ministering to the poor.

Students involved in CCM are also using the days leading up to Easter as a time to focus on prayer. Monday through Friday at 12:15 p.m, a group of students meet to pray the rosary in room 28 in the Barry B. Thompson Student Center on campus.

“We do daily rosaries, which is basically reflecting on the life of Christ and how he served and ministered whenever He was here. Being able to pray that rosary allows me to reflect on how Christ really served,” Golla said.

This prayer is said in this location throughout the year and is not just a prayer said during lent. 

Lent is a Catholic tradition but other Christian ministries are taking their own steps to prepare for Easter.

Freshman Sailor Sutton describes Lent’s importance to her and her faith.

“I think it is important that we remember what this time is about and how important it is to our faith. It is the reason we are saved,” Sutton said.

Freshman Grace Ogari, a member of the evangelization team for the Tarleton Baptist Student Ministry, has a different approach to fasting. Instead of abstaining from food, she is abstaining from materialistic things, like social media. 

“I am fasting from social media. I feel more available for the Lord and I have a lot more opportunities to implement Him in my life. I don’t feel like I am scrolling away my life” Ogari said. “It is a time for me to reflect and focus on Him.”

Grace’s perspective on fasting is not limited to the 40 days before Easter. Students involved in the Baptist Student Ministry church fast from both food and other earthly desires throughout the year and do not partake in required fasting during Lent.

Photo by: Sara Farmer

Volunteer Jim Lewis and Knights of Columbus members Daniel Volleman and Karmichael Ramos serving fried catfish, french fries and hushpuppies at their fish fry event.

Photo by: Sara Farmer

CCM students gather to pray the rosary in the Barry B. Thompson Student Center.