Gracie grew up Catholic, but in a small rural parish where she and her siblings were the only young people in the pews. She believed, but she lacked community. She went to Mass, but she didn’t yet have people her age who could walk with her in faith. When she left for college at The College of Idaho, that pattern continued; Sunday Mass, yes, but not much more.

Everything changed because of one simple moment:  A friend asked her questions about the Catholic faith.

Gracie didn’t have all the answers, so she started searching. She picked up the Catechism. She added daily prayer. She read stories of the saints. She bought her first Bible. One question at a time, God slowly rekindled a flame that had been waiting to burn brighter.

A Providence-Filled Invitation

As Ash Wednesday approached, her friend asked her to attend Mass. Since the friend studied at Boise State University, Gracie looked up Mass times there and landed on a late-night Mass at the BSU Newman Center. She had no expectations. She simply wanted to help her friend get to church.

But the moment she walked in, she felt it.

This is different.
These are my people.
This is where I belong.

“I was amazed to see so many college students practicing their faith so devoutly,” Gracie said.

After Mass, a student approached and invited her to join a Bible study. Even after Gracie explained that she didn’t attend BSU, the response was immediate and joyful: “That doesn’t matter, we’d love to have you.”

That simple act of hospitality changed everything.

Finding Her People, Finding Her Purpose

The next night, Gracie drove 35 minutes back to BSU for Newman Night. There, she met more students whose love for Christ radiated in the most authentic ways. Before long, she was making the long drive several times a week, because something at the Newman Center was feeding her spirit in a way she had never experienced before.

Soon she was:

• Attending daily Mass

• Joining a weekly Bible study

• Going to confession regularly

• Praying in 24-hour adoration

• Participating in convent trips

• Growing in friendships centered on Christ

The lukewarm faith she once carried quietly had transformed into a fire.

A Sign From God and a Call to Build Something New

When junior year began, Gracie longed to be closer to the BSU Newman Center. She prayed, discerned, and finally submitted a transfer application to BSU.

The very next day, she saw a poster on her College of Idaho campus:
Weekly Wednesday Mass in the campus chapel.

“I was dumbfounded,” she said. “The timing was absolutely crazy. I guess that was Jesus’s answer!”

For the first time, the chapel doors were open. A priest began building a new student community. Newman Nights began on her campus. Students were shuttled to BSU for shared events. And Gracie felt a new mission forming in her heart.

She is now working to launch a Catholic club at the College of Idaho, using everything she received at BSU to bring faith, community, and belonging to students who have never experienced it.

“I’m incredibly excited to see what we can do on my campus. Maybe one day, we can build a Newman Center here too.”

Why Gracie’s Story Matters

Gracie’s journey is what Faith Forward is all about.

A single invitation.
A single connection.
A single “Yes” at the right moment.

That is how young adults rediscover their faith.
That is how new communities take root.
That is how lives change.

But none of it happens by accident.

It happens because someone welcomes a student.
It happens because a campus ministry is ready to receive them.
It happens because donors make this mission possible.

You Can Help More Students Like Gracie

Every year, more than 1 million young Catholics step into adulthood. Many, just like Gracie, are searching for purpose, connection, and faith. Newman Connection exists to ensure that no student walks onto a campus alone.

You can join this mission in two powerful ways:

• Donate to Newman Connection
  Your gift strengthens campus ministries, fuels student connections, and helps build communities where young adults encounter Christ and each other.
• Connect the Students in Your Life
  Parents. Teachers. Pastors. Youth ministers. Family members. You can make sure every high school senior you know is connected to their campus ministry before they arrive.
• Help Light the Way Forward
  Gracie’s story began with lukewarm faith and limited community. It grew into belonging, discipleship, and a mission that will change countless lives. Now she is leading others toward the same encounter that transformed her.

This is what Faith Forward does. This is what your support makes possible. And this is your invitation to help bring more students home.