Katie Balicki

Photo by Andrew Campbell

Rock My Soul


Love God with all your mind, heart and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus’ concept is so simple and so beautiful. It’s free of pretension, jealousy, hate and ignorance. It’s about acknowledging one’s imperfections. It’s about treating others with compassion and respect. Imagine how the world would be if everyone could take this advice to heart.

These teachings lie at the core of my being. My parents have always taught me to give back for the gifts and talents with which God has blessed me. I, as a strong and devout Roman Catholic, try to live my life each and every day based on these principles. Coming to Northwestern four years ago, I was eagerly looking for a community where I could continue my spiritual journey in faith and my friendship with God. Sheil Catholic Center was the answer to my prayers.

On the first Sunday I attended Mass at Sheil, the choir director was recruiting singers. I have been a song leader ever since I was little, having sung regularly at my parish at home. I joined the choir at Sheil, and for the past four years I have sung full-voiced with a heart opened to the Holy Spirit because I believe that when people sing, they pray twice. Music and faith touch people’s hearts at their core, and I craved more of this feeling at Sheil.

Through the incredible outreach of people there, I joined Catholic Undergrads, a group of Catholic students who come together in faith and fellowship once a week. Some of my best Northwestern friendships came out of this group. What I loved so much about CU was the overwhelming spirituality everyone shared. Looking around Northwestern, I see many students who have adopted causes and join activist groups. However, religion is something that not so many college-age students admit to actively practicing. Some are apathetic toward it. Others feel overwhelmed by it. But for me it was very refreshing to meet students who shared my devout faith in God.

During the next four years I continued my involvement at Sheil, participating in its spiritual life retreats, prayer services and volunteer activities. From making Valentine’s Day kits for hospital patients to playing bingo at nursing homes, Sheil’s activities helped put my faith into action. Catholicism for me is about a lifestyle of compassion and charity toward others.

I’ll admit that sleeping in an extra hour after a long night of studying sometimes seems more attractive than attending Mass. However, I feel the least I can do as a Catholic is to give God one hour a week to say thank you for the gifts he has given me. That is my motivation when I am tired. Also, at the university level, one runs into the danger of intellectualizing faith. Some Catholic students fall away from the church because some classes make them think too much with their head and not enough with their heart.

If anything, my classes brought me closer to God. When I feel burnt out, I put my trust in God and everything always works out for the best. Through my time spent at Sheil and at Northwestern, my belief has grown exponentially because I feel God has a "major" for everyone — a plan of action to put his or her life to optimal use. As long as I have trust in that, I know in my heart of hearts everything will work out for the best. Now as I leave Northwestern, my prayer is that my Catholic faith will continue to grow stronger each day, as it has at Sheil.

Katie Balicki of Lockport, Ill., a senior in the Medill School of Journalism, was president of the student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the spiritual life committee co-chair for the steering council at Sheil Catholic Center.

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