"Each of you is a unique, unrepeatable masterpiece from a master creator."
Hearing this statement on an early Monday morning was quite the inspirational way for the 428 Ursuline students to start their week! Fr. Matt Williams (pictured at left) brought this message to campus when he came for a special presentation sponsored by the Campus Ministry Office on Monday, October 7.
Fr. Williams is the Director of the Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults of the Archdiocese of Boston and is known as a dynamic and engaging speaker, especially for middle school and high school audiences. His presentation got the students involved: they shouted out answers and even spontaneously broke into a rendition of the church hymn "You Satisfy the Hungry Heart" when Fr. Williams quoted the song.
He had the girls' attention right from the start of his presentation when he opened with a well-known YouTube clip of a 3-year-old girl crying because of how much she loves singer Justin Bieber. Amid the laughter at the cute clip, Fr. Williams explained that this video, silly as it is, illustrates everyone's longing to be loved.
"We all have a desire to be known and loved, and to love," Fr. Williams said. "We have a longing for Jesus' love and we must keep that at the center."
Fr. Williams' talk emphasized the intrinsic and important value of each student. "God loves you uniquely and has a unique mission for your life," he said. "See what is good and true and beautiful about yourself, not the negative, and let your gifts out."
The Ursuline community is already looking forward to welcoming Fr. Williams back to campus later this month, when he will celebrate a special teaching mass for the Feast of St. Ursula and the Junior Ring Ceremony.