Father Brian Dulli
UW-Madison St. Paul’s Catholic Campus Ministry
My name is Fr. Brian Dulli. I am a priest of the Diocese of Madison, WI now assigned at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Sun Prairie, WI. I was ordained May 23, 2008. This was the greatest day of my adult life as you might imagine as I experienced the Holy Spirit flying to the aid of my soul through the church’s Litany of the Saints. We each have to die to ourselves in order to join that company of elect in heaven. Through the prayer of ordination and the imposition of the bishops hands, I was sealed, body and soul, for the service of the Church. This was the springtime of my vocation coming to fruit in recent days. The seed of my vocation was tended and nurtured by priests, lay ministers, and peers during my time as a student at UW-Madison.
As an undergraduate, I had no idea that my search for Christ would lead me to become a priest. After a powerful experience of scripture, I began to seek a deeper understanding of my faith. At first, I thought that I was just trying to get a better perspective on some personal problems I was having. Deep down, I didn’t like myself very much and had accepted many lies about myself. I joined a small group bible study, and after a few months I was tuned into our Savior’s message of salvation. I began to read Scripture in my spare time. I took my first steps in mental prayer. I had several powerful retreat experiences which helped me to connect to other faithful Catholics. I had much to learn, and I can remember many of the conversation I had, seeking answers on everything related to faith and religion. I returned to the sacrament of reconciliation after six years, and eventually began attending daily Mass. By the end of 18 months of activity at St. Paul’s, I was ready to lead a Bible study and be an example for other students in the peer ministry program.
What awakened for me at 18 years of age was the longing of my heart for God. The work of The Evangelical Catholic at St. Paul’s provided me with a reliable language with which to understand my faith. Their programs opened the Word of God for me in ways that I could understand and grow with. They fostered an exciting and lively student community. I remember the first time that I went to Alpha Omega. That year happened to be the year that that large group program started. I was, at first, hesitant about this style of worship which encouraged me to feel free in myself to praise God in a way that was my own. I could feel my resistance breaking and tears came. Alpha-O helped me to feel comfortable in my own skin. After worship, we would have presentations from solid Catholic leaders and an opportunity to discuss what we heard or read in the scripture with peer-led small groups. I grew a lot through this program and I know hundreds of others did too.
EC programs train peer leaders thoroughly in scripture and the vibrant spiritual and evangelical tradition of the Catholic Church. As a priest, the vision of EC complements my vision of priestly service. As God’s people hunger to be fed in the Eucharist, their ears hunger to enjoy the full feast of Holy Scripture. The apostolic task of teaching and preaching the Gospel is central to the heart of the Evangelical Catholic. Upon experiencing inner transformation, the soul flourishes, fulfilling the baptismal call to be priest, prophet and king to the world. Much of the work of the Evangelical Catholic is for equipping disciples to be strong Catholic leaders in their parishes and communities. I have called on EC staff for advice and support as I pursue outreach scripture study to my own parishioners. EC’s approach to ministry can be adapted to different parishes or campus situations. What is needed is vision and leaders willing to heed the Spirit’s call. The Evangelical Catholic can help us to find both.
Student Stories
- Christina Giordano
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After attending a Catholic retreat during her sophomore year of college, Christina felt herself growing closer to Christ for the first time in years.
- Brad Klingele
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After being formed in his faith by one-on-one mentoring and small groups, Brad helped to renew his local campus ministry.
- Melanie Contrestan
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“I feel like the Lord spoke to my heart. ‘The Church needs you, Melanie, and you need the Church.’”
Campus Ministry Stories
- Harvard Catholic Student Center
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Faye Darnall became convinced of EC ministry methods while a campus minister at UW-Madison, so she took them with her when she went to Harvard.
- UW-Milwaukee Newman Center
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Margaret Rhody was a UW-Milwaukee student when she attended her first EC Institute. Then she took what she learned to a campus ministry position there.