Mount Marty University Student Begins a New Chapter in the Catholic Church

Spring is all about new beginnings, and for Mount Marty University track and cross country runner Liam Vidas this season is a new beginning in his faith journey.

On April 7, 2024 Vidas was confirmed into the Catholic Church at the Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel on the Mount Marty University campus. Vidas was originally baptized Catholic, but after moving to Rapid City, South Dakota at the age of one, he and his family began going to the Lutheran Church. When asked what enticed him to become Catholic, Vidas responded, “I found out Jesus was the one who founded the Catholic Church, and a lot of scripture says we’re saved not just by faith but also by acts.”

Vidas saw the Catholic tradition in action with his friends in the Mount Marty community and started going to Mass every Sunday with them. “At first it was kind of intimidating going to the Catholic Church and not knowing what to do or anything, but I saw how serious they [his friends] took their faith and what they believed in, and anytime I had questions I would talk to them.” Vidas and his friends wouldn’t miss a Sunday Mass or holy day of obligation, a feast day when the Catholic Church requires Mass attendance.. He went on to say that he began to know this was the religion he wanted to be a part of by how everyone acted and practiced their faith. “It was super inviting and you just wanted to be a part of it.”

Vidas says the Mount Marty community had a large impact on his decision. “I saw how strong my friends were in their faith. And… to see my college friends who are just as busy as I am still show up to the church on Sunday, holy days of obligation, and go to confession was just really amazing.”

He went on to express how the school’s Benedictine Leadership Institute (BLI) classes and corresponding trips gave him new insight into his relationship with his faith. “Every time we went on BLI trips I felt very in tune with God. It’s nice to see everyone try to figure out their faith because it is a hard thing we all battle with…. I wanted to stop putting myself first and instead wanted to think more about God in my day.”

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes were held on the Mount Marty campus every Thursday for twenty sessions taught by Father Grant Lacey, the University chaplain. Vidas began reading books about the Catholic faith, watching Youtube videos, and comparing and deciphering why he wanted to become Catholic. Vidas had many questions for Father Lacey, but the small class made it easy for him to inquire and have deep conversations. “I learned more about my faith than I ever did by being able to look at both religions.”

Beside Vidas at the confirmation ceremony was William Rentz who also had a connection with the Mount Marty campus through his fiancée.

Vidas is supported by his family and friends, and is very grateful for the impact of the Mount Marty community in his life.

###

ABOUT MOUNT MARTY UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1936 by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu