Catholic Brotherhood and Sisterhood: Faith Households at Franciscan University

At Franciscan University of Steubenville, the truth of the Gospel is lived throughout every aspect of campus, from the classroom to the chapel. But a unique part of student life are faith households. Started in 1974, households are communities of men or women who help each other grow in Christ-centered friendship, both in college and beyond.

Faithful Devotion

Franciscan University has 48 different faith households, each with a distinctive mission and spiritual focus that shape the members’ lives together. One household focuses on Divine Mercy, another on the Theology of the Body and pursuing purity, and still another on St. Joseph.

For example, a devotion to Mary is what inspired alumnus Jamie Gonzales to join the men’s household Knights of the Holy Queen.

“The Knights were known for having this beautiful love for Our Lady that seemed to inspire,” he says. “The vulnerability they each had when petitioning Our Lady and pouring out their hearts was also touching.”

For alumna Debbie Pienta, the very name of Sacrifice of Life Household is what struck her, saying, “It stirred something deep within me. It got me pondering what it means to sacrifice out of love and, ultimately, Who is the Sacrifice of Life.”

No matter how each household lives out its communal life of faith, all household students have the same goal: following the will of God in their lives and journeying with their brothers and sisters in Christ to become his joyful disciples.

Across Franciscan University’s campus, household members spend time together. They attend Mass in Christ the King Chapel. They eat lunch together in the dining hall. They pray in their residence hall’s common room or chapel. On weekends, they sit outside in the sunshine for a Lord’s Day celebration or go on a retreat.

Authentic Community

“Everything I wanted to do, I could do with a household sister,” says alumna Maggie Craig of the women’s household Carae Domini. “Need to study in the library? There was already a table of Carae Domini girls waiting for me. Need a quick sandwich before class? Household sisters were already walking over. Want to go to Mass? Carae Domini was already sitting in our spot.”

Students proudly wave banners representing their households before campus-wide Household Life Masses. Each year, they also navigate obstacle courses and compete in physical challenges to claim victory in the annual Household Olympics. Many also engage in friendly rivalry by forming intramural athletic teams.

Households truly make Franciscan University a home away from home. In households, students find other young adults who are passionate about their faith and who genuinely care about each other. Their household brothers and sisters help them live as the men and women God created them to be in the classroom, on the intramural field, on mission trips, and beyond.

Sophomore student Thaddeus Becket says his Guardians of the Divine Will Household is forming him now for a life in service to God.

“My brothers are helping me grow in my authentic masculinity as a man with a pure heart for just the Lord’s heart,” he says. “This gives me the proper predisposition to give my entire life to him, and through which, he will send me forth from this University to a life of mission.”

Lifelong Friendship

Households create friendships that last a lifetime. Even years after graduation, household sisters and brothers get together for vacations, attend weddings or priestly ordinations, and support one another through all of life’s ups and downs. They also carry the lessons they learned at Franciscan University into their future vocations and careers.

“Households helped me to learn to live in community and to love unconditionally,” says alumnus Gregory Sisco, adding, “It helped me to prepare to be a witness in the corporate world.”

Debbie Pienta still returns to her household, Sacrifice of Love’s charism in her everyday life as a mother.

“Household taught me not to fear sacrifice but to expect it,” she says. “Motherhood has stretched me so thin at times with very little in return, but I know that in the discomfort of emptying of self, that is exactly when I am closest to Christ.”

Faith, community, and friendship—that’s why households have been an important part of Franciscan University for more than 50 years and why they continue to form young women and men who can confidently share the truth of Jesus Christ in the world.

– By Allison Barrick

“A Sense of Belonging” by Franciscan University alumna Allison Barrick. Originally published in Franciscan Magazine. Used with permission.