CAMPUS MINISTRY
Finding God in All Things
Student voice and leadership is an essential presence in O’Dowd’s Campus Ministry. Students build bridges and forge connections between Catholic faith, social teaching, and community action, guiding their peers to embody the spirit of truth, love, peace, and justice - on campus and in the world. Our Campus Ministry includes prayer, worship and retreats, alongside Peer Ministry and Music Ministry.
Mass, Liturgies & Prayer
Every school morning begins with student-led prayer, a moment for our community to ground inward and seek the presence of God. In weekly Mass and monthly schoolwide liturgies, we gather together as one body to grow in our spirituality, pray as a collective, and practice gratitude.
Campus Ministry Team
This senior leadership team guides all dimensions of Campus Ministry. They plan Masses and liturgies to be socially and culturally relevant. They find meaningful and accessible ways for all students to connect to their faith and spirituality through the lens of Catholicism. In all ways, the Campus Ministry Team works hard to make our mission and charism come to life.
Class Retreats
Student retreats are central to the O’Dowd experience. An opportunity for immense spiritual and personal growth, our retreats support students of all religious and cultural backgrounds to form their own unique connection to the Catholic faith, and to build a community culture grounded in meaning and purpose.
Youth and Family Ministry
Our Youth and Family Ministries offer a number of opportunities for students and families to develop deeper relationships with each other, grounded in faith. Offering a Confirmation Program for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders to discern their next step in Catholicism, as well as inclusive Family Masses for O’Dowd families to worship, pray, and serve together, our youth and family ministries foster the spiritual lives of our students, preparing them to "go and set the world on fire.”
Sacred Spaces
We have many sacred spaces on campus for students to seek quiet reflection, prayer and meditation. Our chapel, in addition to holding weekly Mass, is open to students all day. Our Interfaith Meditation Space is also available whenever school is open. In addition, our Living Lab includes many benches and resting spaces among the trees for spiritual contemplation.
Campus Ministry Staff
Ryan Dilag, Director of Campus Ministry
Originally from San Francisco, Ryan has a BS in Psychology and Religious Studies and an MA in Pastoral Ministries, both from Santa Clara University. He empowers students to ask themselves: "Who am I choosing to become?", "Why do I believe what I believe?", and "What is capital T - Truth?"
