Why Student Liturgies Matter - and How to Grow Participation Without Burning Out
By Krista Kutz, MDiv
Growth & Impact Manager, Ministry Scheduler Pro
A Student Mass That Changed Everything
As a college student, the highlight of my week was the 10:00 pm Student Mass on Sunday nights. These days, staying up that late for Mass feels ambitious! But back then, we wouldn’t have missed it.
By junior year, I was part of the student-led liturgy committee. A small group of us worked closely with our campus ministers to prepare for each Sunday’s Mass:
Reflecting on the readings
Selecting hymns
Writing the petitions
Recruiting other students to volunteer
Those (very) late nights of planning and organizing student liturgies at Xavier University planted seeds for my own calling - eventually leading me to study ministry in graduate school, serve as Director of Liturgy in a parish, and now work closely with liturgical leaders on campuses across the country.
It all began with a Student Mass on campus. And the same is true for countless students today who discover—through campus ministry - the joy and calling to serve on Sundays.
When the “Work” of Student Liturgy Becomes Stressful
Liturgy translates as “work” from the Greek.
And on campus, it really can feel like work.
Behind the scenes, there’s a lot that has to happen for student liturgies to run smoothly.
Recruiting student ministers.
Hosting training sessions.
Making schedules. Sending reminders. Filling open slots.
Updating rosters every semester.
It adds up quickly.
When the administrative work of liturgy becomes stressful, it can create barriers to participation - for students and for campus ministers alike.
If you’ve ever coordinated student liturgies, this may sound familiar.
Students are stretched thin.
Between classes, jobs, and relationships, volunteering at Mass can feel like one more thing competing for their attention.
Campus ministers are stretched thin, too.
Liturgy is central to campus ministry, but when time and energy are limited, it’s tempting to rely on whatever system already exists - even if it’s manual or exhausting.
So the question becomes:
How do we organize and schedule liturgical ministry in a way that’s sustainable for staff and welcoming for students?
Why This Matters Even Beyond Graduation
Being intentional about how student liturgies are coordinated has a long-term impact.
When college students serve at Mass, they:
Gain confidence to serve in parishes after graduation.
Form habits of accountability and generosity that carry into family life and careers.
Discover leadership potential that can grow into roles on parish councils, committees, or even vocations to ordained ministry or religious life.
Every lector on campus today is a parish leader tomorrow.
Every altar server mentored in college may become a parishioner who encourages their own children to serve, too.
This work of organizing student liturgies isn’t just about filling roles on Sundays this semester—it’s about growing participation in the Church for decades to come.
3 Practices That Sustain Student Liturgical Ministry
Through my own experience and in conversations with campus ministers across the country, I’ve noticed a few practices that grow student involvement in liturgy - without the stress.
1. Personal Invitation Comes First
Campus ministers consistently point to the same strategy for growing student liturgical ministry. As Fr. Andrew Auer from the Newman Center in Columbia, Missouri, shares:
“The best way to engage students in liturgical ministry is personal invitation. Announcements at Mass are not nearly as effective as intentionally seeking out students to begin assisting in worship.” Read more here.
Offer training every semester - first at the beginning of the academic year, and again after winter break. This creates natural entry points. It helps replace volunteers as seniors graduate, and keeps ministries from feeling closed or intimidating to newcomers.
2. Empower Student Leaders to Share the Load
Appoint student coordinators for each ministry role, especially Lectors, EMHCs, and Hospitality Ministers. Give them responsibility for checking schedules, training peers, and encouraging participation. This frees staff from carrying all the weight.
For example, Katie Anderson Kuo, Director of Catholic Life at Fordham University, appoints two student "co-chairs" of each ministry. Read more here.
3. Create a Pre-Mass Ritual
Before Mass, invite all scheduled liturgical ministers to check in together. Have students arrive a few minutes early and meet in the Sacristy or Narthex. Confirm all positions are covered with a clipboard or sign-in kiosk. Share any helpful notes, like if there’s a special blessing or extra collection during Mass. Pray together with the presider and campus minister.
Chase Becker, campus minister at Creighton University, has been doing just that for years:
“Ten minutes before Mass, we gather all liturgical ministers for prayer and quick announcements about the liturgy. Students meet parishioners, see familiar faces, and begin to feel part of something bigger. We’ve had students continue as volunteers from freshman year through medical school, because this becomes their community.”
It’s a simple practice that reinforces accountability and helps students see themselves as part of a shared ministry.
Next Steps for Growing Participation
If coordinating student liturgies feels overwhelming today, remember: you don’t have to do everything at once.
Start small.
Create one ministry schedule where all roles are organized together
Enable automatic reminders via text or email to prevent no-shows
Empower one student leader to help plan liturgies
Host one training session for new students
Invite ministers to pray together before one Mass
Each small step you take now is preparing students not just for Mass this week, but for ongoing participation in the liturgical life of the Church, long after their service on campus.
Ministry Scheduler Pro (ministryschedulerpro.com) is an online tool that helps churches and campus ministries organize and schedule volunteers, liturgical ministers, and team members. It makes planning easier by allowing leaders to create schedules, manage availability, and communicate assignments all in one place. For more information, reach out to Krista Kutz (krista@rotundasoftware.com).