2008 Woodie Awards
'Here to help'
Newman Center priest aims to bring
Natalie Lopez
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Campus Life
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The girls joke around with the priest, and seem to feel at ease with him.
Marstall is a young priest, new to Newman Center. This year he became the chaplain, taking over the Newman Center and also conducting masses at Our Lady of Lourdes.
"I'm here to help students get closer to God," said Marstall, "That means praying with them, teaching them and just being a companion to them."
Marstall says he has a lot of time to just "hang out" with the students. He says that students will bring their lunch to eat with him and others.
"In the past it wasn't like that," said Jayme King, sophomore in commercial graphics and president of the Newman Club. "The priest, Father McElwee, had other duties." Rev. Robert McElwee, formerly the Newman Center chaplain, now concentrates solely on the Frontenac and Arma Catholic churches.
Suzanne VanGotten, senior in elementary education, says Marstall is "very approachable."
VanGotten has known Marstall for four years.she says that she knows him well.
Since Marstall acts as VanGotten's spiritual director, she meets with him to talk about her life and how God is working in her life.
VanGotten says that it's easy to relax around Marstall and joke, but he can also be serious when he needs to be.
Born in Wichita to a Catholic family, Marstall says that he was a "good kid" who got good grades in school. He was a straight A student in high school and took all the advanced classes that his high school, Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School, offered. He was also one of the top track and cross country runners and one of the top debaters.
In seminary, Marstall says, he was the president of his class twice, and once the president of the student body. He ran track and lettered in cross country.
He came to Pittsburg because his bishop assigned him to be here.
"I didn't ask to move at all," Marstall said. "The bishop just needed someone to be here and thought that I'd be the best for it. My experience with high school somewhat helped me to prepare to do this."
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