Personal Perspective: Christianity at Yale

By Kevin Irwin

I remember when I was younger, waking up every Sunday morning to go to church back home. Like any other kid, I always hated getting up--I just wanted to sleep! I found my family's devout level of religious observance frustrating. Why couldn't we be like the occasional Catholics whom I saw at church only on Christmas and Easter? Like many kids, I saw going to church as an obligation rather than something I genuinely wanted to do.

When I arrived at college, I realized that I was free to make my own decision about how often I would go to church, if I even wanted to attend at all. I did go, but I think that in the beginning I went to church only out of habit.Aafter a while though, I started attending church because I enjoyed going every week. Going to church was no longer an obligation, but a choice.

Yale is a great place to be Christian because there are many options available, no matter what type of Christianity you practice.

One can find somewhere to practice almost any denomination at Yale. I have attended two Catholic churches in the immediate area: St. Mary's and St. Thomas More.

Whether you decide to attend church once a week or once a year, Yale has many choices available for all types of Christians; there is great opportunity to enrich your spiritual life. When it comes to religious beliefs and practices, the choice is yours. Back to the Freshman Issue...