Catholicism is an integral part of BSM. Campus Minister Ms. Becca Meagher is an essential part of the BSM community as she constantly works to incorporate faith into the daily life of students.

Meagher’s journey in Catholic education started back when she attended a Catholic school in kindergarten. Ever since then, she has been in a Catholic institution on a daily basis. Meagher went to St. Mary’s University in Winona to study Theology and Pastoral Ministry. While at St. Mary’s, she also obtained a Culturally Responsive Teaching Leadership Certification. She went on to do graduate work at St. John’s University in Collegeville. Here, Meagher concentrated on Catechetical Leadership, leading Catholic in preparation for the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. After college, she worked as a youth minister, but not for very long. “I ended up working for a year and a half and just decided I wanted more structure and thought maybe I could teach,” Meagher said. After putting out many letters of interest, Meagher started at BSM in the 2000-2001 school year.

During her eighteen years at BSM, Meagher has taught every religion class BSM offers except for Discipleship in Society and the new sophomore curriculum in Jesus Christ’s Mission in the Church and The Paschal Mystery classes. Along with her role as a Campus Minister, Meagher teaches two World Religions classes, which she hopes to see as a required course for seniors in the future. “I just think that we live in a global society and we should not just be isolated in our own little zone of what we know and what we do, but really have the ability to talk intelligently about other faiths and other parts of the world,” Meagher said.

Meagher recently transitioned from a full time teacher to a part time teacher, while also serving as BSM’s Campus Minister. BSM’s theology department tried out various people for this role, and ultimately decided Meagher was the best fit. “I think it was just one of those things where people respond better to people they have known for a little while. And so me, being a known commodity in the building lent itself better to what retreats and Campus Ministry needed,” Meagher said.

As a Campus Minister, Meagher helps plan retreats, organize before and after school prayer, plan Liturgy, Sacramental offerings and the Common Basket, and advises RKVC and Link Crew. “My job is to help navigate and highlight the opportunities people in the building––students, faculty, and staff––have to grow in their faith, to grow in their service to others, and to grow in the community that is BSM,” Meagher said.

Meagher wants every retreat to have a theme of wholeness and holiness. She achieves the wholeness aspect through community building. “[It] needs to happen in order for people to understand who God is calling them to be…for [students] to start to identify as a class, for them to understand that while they play an important part as an individual in the class, their class has an identity in and of itself,” Meagher said.

In addition to community building during retreats, Meagher made her office into a place for all people at BSM. The Campus Ministry office is now a place where members of the community gather and serves as a safe space for everyone. Meagher wants her office to be somewhere that everyone is welcome whenever they need someone to talk to or just a place to be. “Kids come to eat. They come to work on homework. They come to hang out with each other. They come to nap sometimes. I like that it can be a space for all things for all people,” Meagher said.

While helping others to grow in their faith, Meagher is able to grow in her own faith as well. BSM helps Meagher strengthen her faith by allowing her to take part in such a tight-knit community, building relationships with students, and discussing her faith at work. “It is inspiring to see young people who are able to be so empathetic and have a strong desire to help others. And I think that that helps me be hopeful…In the work that I see the kids do here, I see the image of God,” Meagher said.