03/27/2020
Campus ministry was not originally on Tricia Wilder’s radar.
A 1999 graduate of Ithaca College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Wilder worked as an insurance underwriter for 16 years. The job involved reviewing insurance renewals, ensuring that policies followed guidelines and regulations and communicating directly with agents and insureds.
“It was a lot,” Wilder said. “It was monotonous. A house is a house is a house. You’re sitting at a desk all day, staring at a computer. There’s just not that fulfillment.”
She worked at Security Mutual Insurance Company and then Dryden Mutual Insurance Company, where she was employed until taking the job as director of Catholic campus ministry at SUNY Cortland.
At Ithaca College, Wilder had been involved with Catholic campus ministry. After graduation, she spent three years as an assistant recreation supervisor at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center before launching into her career as an underwriter.
In 2017, Wilder began working as a faith formation assistant at St. Margaret’s Church, the first step to her work with Catholic ministry. A website for Vibrant Faith Ministries defines faith formation as “equipping people to live as disciples of Jesus.”
Currently Wilder is completing her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies through St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, based out of Rochester, N.Y. She will graduate in May.
Her original plan was to take the job as director of faith formation at a local church. But former campus minister Shawn Allen encouraged Wilder to send a letter to Monsignor Jim Lang, who presides over Sunday Mass at Newman Hall, inquiring about the job as director of Catholic campus ministry.
Wilder didn’t expect to receive a call back.
“Never, in a million years, did I think I’d be doing this,” Wilder said.
The job presented a challenge.
“I was not only trying to figure out how to do a job I’d never done, I was also trying to figure out the students and the faculty and the staff and how to interact with them,” she said.
Completing her degree while working with college students helps Wilder relate to them.
“I’m in school with them. I just had a midterm. We’ll talk about how stressed out we are,” she said.
Growing Catholic ministry on the Cortland campus is Wilder’s mission.
“I think a lot of people get scared,’” Wilder said. “They hear ‘Catholic’ as opposed to ‘spiritual,’ and they think we just sit around and read the Bible all day. It’s not. We have power-hours where we will do scripture reading, but we also just hang out and have fun trips.”
Since her arrival last September, Wilder has overseen the creation of a confirmation retreat team of students, who run confirmation retreats for high school freshmen and sophomores at local parishes.
Cortland students also complete service projects with the local YWCA.
Until the campus was closed on account of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many goals were achieved. Some of Wilder’s students helped supervise and carry out activities for the YWCA’s “Girls’ Day Out” on Feb. 8, when the local community youth took part in activities and games at the Cortland campus.
For Valentine’s Day, the Newman Club, the university’s Catholic club, made cards for the students at St. Mary’s School.
Moreover, Wilder noted an increase in attendance to Mass and the Newman Club.
At least for the rest of the semester, her ministry continues with an email list of followers and on social media.
“The biggest challenge for me was not knowing where to start,” Wilder said. “We’re trying to make ourselves known at SUNY as well as in the wider community.”
In branching out to the community, Wilder’s students also attend Theology on Tap on Wednesday nights at Hairy Tony’s. Young adults, Catholic or not, are encouraged to meet for food, talks and fellowship.
Close to 200 people attended across all three Masses held on Ash Wednesday this year.
“It was amazing how many people came,” Wilder said. “There’s a Catholic population on campus. It’s just a matter of tapping into them and seeing what they want out of it.”
“Some of the younger underclassmen are coming to the club meetings. We also added Wednesday Mass, but that’s hit or miss,” she said.
Wilder is hopeful for the future of Catholic campus ministry at the university.
“It feels good. It's fun and fulfilling,” she said.
Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Victoria VanEvery