St. Thomas More Catholic Campus Ministry at USC

Every year, hundreds of students at USC's Catholic Campus Ministry are searching for something real: authentic friendships, deeper purpose, and a faith that transforms their lives.

We help them find it.

This year, our goal is $30,000 and it starts with something powerful.
And with a $30,000 matching gift, all donations are immediately DOUBLED!

🚍 Getting Students to SEEK 2027

We are raising $22,000 to fund two buses to SEEK Conference 2027 in Columbus, Ohio (January 1–5, 2027).

SEEK is a life-changing national conference hosted by FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), drawing thousands of college students from across the country. Students encounter:

• Dynamic keynote speakers like Fr. Mike Schmitz and Edward Sri

• Daily Mass, Adoration, and the Sacraments

• Breakout sessions that challenge and equip them

• A community of peers pursuing something deeper

Students don’t come back the same. They return with clarity, conviction, and the courage to live, and share, their Catholic faith.

By covering transportation, we remove one of the biggest barriers to attendance. No student should miss this because of cost.

🎉 Building Belonging from Day One

If we reach our $22,000 goal, we will stretch to $30,000 to fund Welcome Week, one of our busiest and most vital weeks of the year!

Why? Because students decide within the first 48 hours where they belong.

Welcome Week creates that space through:

• Food trucks, cookouts, and coffee on the first day of class

• Games on the Horseshoe

• Lake Day

• Catholic Night with the Columbia Fireflies

• And dozens of low-pressure, high-impact moments of connection

This is where friendships begin. This is where students find their people.

🎒 Removing Barriers. Opening Doors.

All funds raised above $30,000 will go to support our Freshmen Go Free initiative!

Freshmen Go Free ensures that cost is never the reason a student misses out on something life-changing.

Why? Because the first invitation only matters if a student can say yes.

Through this program, freshmen can attend retreats, conferences, and key ministry experiences at no cost, giving them immediate access to the community, formation, and friendships that shape their college years.

And the impact is real:

Fall Retreat 2023: 39 students
Fall Retreat 2025: 122 students

That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when students are given the opportunity to show up.

This is where hesitation turns into belonging. This is where students step in and stay.

🔑 The Strategy That Works

We’ve built something intentional, and it’s working:

• Welcome Week → first connection

• Freshmen Go Free → no barriers to say yes

• SEEK → deep, lasting transformation

When students are invited early, included fully, and formed deeply, they don’t just participate. They commit. They grow. They lead.

Make It Possible

This is where you come in.

Your gift today:

• Gets a student on the bus
• Opens the door to life-changing experiences
• Builds a community that will shape their next four years—and beyond

Give now. Send a student. Change a life.