Project Campus Aquino

Project Campus Aquino
Building a residential community of Catholic students and young professionals in Utrecht

Campus Aquino is a thriving residential community for students and young professionals in Utrecht, established in 2010 and led by the Brothers of Saint John. Here, young people explore, deepen, and share the Catholic faith, thereby shaping the Church and society of tomorrow. And in this way, as St. John-Paul II said to the youth of the Church: to build the city of God, within the city of man. Here we share what we do and why this is such an inspiring project.

What do we do?

There are specific programs for students and for young professionals, but there are also activities both groups participate in.

The main activities for young professionals:

Commitment to a ‘kring’ Within the young professional community there are groups of 4 to 6 members (kring) and each group meets once a month during an evening. These evenings have the purpose to grow as community and to deepen the faith intellectual and spiritual. The evening consists of a meal, studying Holy scripture or another text, and prayer.
Campus Aquino community evenings Four times a year, the entire community (students, young professionals, the brothers of St. John) come together on a monday evening. These evenings provide an opportunity to meet and interact. The students and young professionals organize these evenings together.
Holy Mass and sacraments As the Church asks we attend Sunday Mass. Everybody is encouraged to attend Holy Mass also during the week and to receive the Sacrament of reconciliation on a regular basis.
Prayer evening Once a month, there is a prayer evening where we pray together as a community, and we share our prayer intentions.
Service to the parish The first place of missionary commitment of the young professionals is supporting the student parish (KSU) or in the St. Gerardus Majella Parish, for example, by joining the teen ministry.
“Woonin” project The young professionals contribute to the project with Woonin by organizing small events for the neighborhood and to keep the neighborhood clean

The main activities for students:

Community evening The student community meets every Monday evening for a meal, prayer and formation or socializing. In addition, twice a year the entire community goes on retrait to another location.
KSU nights All students of Campus Aquino are involved in the KSU (student parish). This includes working together in a small team organizing KSU nights on Thursday and other activities.
“Woonin” project The students contribute to the project with Woonin by organizing small events for the neighborhood and to keep the neighborhood clean.
Campus Aquino community evenings Four times a year, the entire community (students, young professionals, the brothers of St. John) come together on a monday evening. These evenings provide an opportunity to meet and interact. The students and young professionals organize these evenings together.
Holy Mass and sacraments As the Church asks we attend Sunday Mass. Everybody is encouraged to attend Holy Mass also during the week and to receive the Sacrament of reconciliation on a regular basis.

Are you considering joining Campus Aquino? Please contact us at info@ksutrecht.com

The future of Campus Aquino is fragile. Read more background information and how you can support this project:

Who we are?

Campus Aquino is a proven model. It was established in apartments and houses close to the Priory of the Brothers of St. John and the Gerardus Majella parish in the heart of Utrecht. In our community live both students and young professionals. More than 90 young adults have lived here for one to four years. During their stay, all participants commit to the core values of Campus Aquino:

Community life and friendship As Aristotle puts it, we are “social beings”: we are meant to be part of communities. As Catholics, we are called even further into relational connection, through the commandment to “love your neighbour.” Christ has called us to form together the members of the body of Christ which is the church. In community life, there’s familiarity and companionship that naturally arises, and which helps to create friendships. It’s great to have a home with fellow students and young professionals, a place you look forward to coming home to and where you are not alone.
Growing in Catholic faith We want to seek a more personal discovery of the Catholic faith and the practical choices that go along with it and we want to grow and discover our vocation in the church. Living in this community offers the opportunity to consciously deepen our Catholic faith and life through prayer and formation, and to pursue this together.
Service and mission The Church is sent to serve and to proclaim the Gospel. In this community we feel called to live out our faith by contributing to the growth of God’s Kingdom and sharing His love through service and witness. Together we organize small events for the neighborhood, keep the neighborhood clean and are positively present. The members of Campus Aquino also participate in mission trips that are organised by the student parish.
Study and formation Time for study is an important element in Campus Aquino daily life. All students are aiming for the same goal: to get their degree or diploma. Young professionals have the chance to discover their talents and grow in leadership through a leadership course and personal guidance. The Johannes Academy offers a varied program of lectures and discussions through which young professionals can deepen their faith and form their opinion on different subjects. The community helps them to navigate the early years of working life.

"Participating in this community has provided a wonderful opportunity to grow further in faith and in my relationship with God."
Erik, 22

Br. Ignatius Maria Ringhofer csj.

Provincial, Broeders van Sint Jan -Pro-Provincie Noord Europa

Vice-voorzitter Stichting Vrienden van het studentenpastoraat Sint Jan

Matthias As

Bestuurslid H. Thomas van Aquino Studentenparochie (studenten gemeenschappen)

Dhr. Daniël Vink

Bestuurslid Stichting Vrienden van het studentenpastoraat Sint Jan (onroerend goed)

Campus Aquino brochure
Nederlands

Campus Aquino brochure
English

Campus Aquino
Vleutenseweg 517
3532HK, Utrecht
T 06 44046258
info@ksutrecht.com

Studentenparochie H. Thomas van Aquino
NL42 INGB 0006 2540 18