Campus Ministries

The Feed A Friend program is a direct outreach to the URI campus community.  Once a month parishioners host a meal in the parish hall for our student friends.  The only ‘admission’ is that each friend bring a friend.   The menus are chosen by the students.  We do this to introduce these young adults to God’s unconditional love, with no strings attached.  During this time of pandemic, we will be offering a monthly grab n’ go meal instead of our usual pot luck.

LGBTQ   St. A’s has a rich history with the Gender and Sexuality Center, and has hosted the LGBTQ Spirit Group, and supported events like the Coming Out week activities.

Campus “To Go” Ministries started in 2013 with “Ashes To Go” on Ash Wednesday.  The Rev. David Dobbins, The Venerable Janice Grinnell and a number of parishioners descended on the URI campus with signs and ashes so that students who were unable to make it to church were still able to receive them.  The response was unbelievable and this has become an annual tradition.

Environmental Issues  St. A’s has many resident environmental activists.  In 2019, we welcomed the campus SUNRISE group to use our space for regular meetings and special events.

COFFEE LOUNGE. While the Rhody Outpost (the food pantry for students) is happening, we offer free coffee, homemade baked goods, and a place to hang out, visit or study.  Because of COVID, the Lounge will take a different form during the fall of 2020.  While the outpost is open, we will have individually wrapped baked items to hand out as well as fresh produce.  All of this happens outdoors, once a week.

The Rhody Outpost is an outgrowth of a talk by the director of the Johnny Cake Center  and two of our URI students who recognized the hunger that exists on college campuses.  With a collaborative effort from the Jonny Cake Center’s, the Feinstein Foundation, the university and St. Augustine’s,  our students created a food pantry in our facility that serves URI students in need of assistance.