On September 25, 2024, Bishop Feehan celebrated its annual Mercy Day Mass, with one twist: a flaming bible.
This magic trick, which immediately captured the attention of the entire congregation, was performed by the new Director of Campus Ministry Mr. Deramo as he addressed the student body for the first time. It is just one example of how Mr. Deramo has been working to bring more excitement and vibrancy to the faith life of the Feehan community.
Prior to coming to Bishop Feehan, Mr. Deramo had an extensive background in Campus Ministry, youth ministry, teaching, and more. Most recently, he spent twelve years serving as Director of Campus Ministry and teaching theology at Cardinal Spellman High School; he also spent a year and a half as Dean of Students. Additionally, he has worked with middle and high school students as a parish youth minister and taught part-time at a Catholic elementary school.
Taking on a Campus Ministry role at Feehan wasn’t the plan for Mr. Deramo at first, but after hearing about the opening from a current Feehan theology teacher, Mrs. Allen who had previously worked with him at Spellman, he felt called to respond. “The job description really spoke to me—like it was written for me,” he said. Specifically, Mr. Deramo was drawn to the idea of further integrating Campus Ministry into the culture of Bishop Feehan, making it more accessible to students beyond just retreats and Masses. He has also made changes to the retreats, though: for example, at this year’s freshman retreat, students participated in games and activities meant to help them grow closer to their friends and God.
When asked about other specific changes or initiatives he hoped to bring to Campus Ministry in the future, Mr. Deramo mentioned strengthening the connection between theology class and Campus Ministry through visits in order to “make the connection more visible to students.” He also expressed interest in organizing more service and faith-based trips, both to domestic locations such as Appalachia and international ones like Jamaica. In essence, Mr. Deramo’s goal for Campus Ministry is to increase opportunities for students to engage with their faith, not only during the school day but also outside of the classroom.
In addition to offering them the opportunity to grow in their faith, Campus Ministry is also a way for Feehan students to feel a sense of belonging, according to Mr. Deramo. It fosters a sense of unity and gives the school a shared language by allowing students to come together in a shared space. For students wondering how they can get more involved in Campus Ministry, Mr. Deramo offers two ideas: “One, making yourself known, telling us that you wanna be involved. Second, being present. Coming to the events like Tuesday morning masses, PAWS on Friday, Thursday morning community services, any type of event. I think half the battle is just showing up to an event. And staying aware of the emails and announcements that come up of what we’re going to be offering.”
I talked to Haley Cullinane, a Campus Ministry Senior Associate, about her experience working with Mr. Deramo this year so far. “He started by reorganizing the Campus Ministry Center and was really excited to get to know the seniors first, then the rest of the school,” she said. “He’s also changed the environment during school Masses a lot. It’s just really nice having a figure that wants to get everyone excited about their faith.”
For Mr. Deramo, the most rewarding part about being involved in Campus Ministry is being able to build connections with students and join them on their faith journeys. “I always feel thankful that I get to see students as who they are uniquely,” he stated. “Having them have that connection to God, because when they leave here, the greater part of it is that they have something they will always connect to outside of Feehan.”
There is no doubt that Mr. Deramo has had a tremendous impact on the Feehan community during his first few months as Director of Campus Ministry. We are very excited to see how he will continue fostering growth and connection within our school in the future!
