Today we’d like to introduce you to Dezirée Slusher.
Hi Dezirée , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The Catholic Church has a long and rich history in West Georgia, including at the University of West Georgia. Records show that a Newman Club was formally chartered in 1958. In the early years of Catholic Campus Ministry at UWG, students gathered weekly to celebrate Mass in Kennedy Chapel. The chapel itself has deep Catholic roots: it was originally an Episcopal church that became the first home of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in 1953. As the parish community grew, plans were made for a new church, which was eventually built, and in 1964 the original church building was donated to the University and became an ecumenical chapel for the campus. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, students chose to name the chapel in his honor, recognizing both his legacy and the chapel’s Catholic history. In May of that same year, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy visited the campus for the dedication. For many years afterward, Catholic Campus Ministry experienced periods of growth and decline. While weekly Mass continued, formation opportunities, Bible studies, and social gatherings were limited, largely because the ministry lacked a dedicated space—a Catholic Center—to serve as its home. This began to change in 2009 with the assignment of Father Rafael Carballo as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
When Father Rafael arrived, he quickly recognized the need for a dedicated Catholic Center at the University of West Georgia. He formed strong relationships with students through weekly Mass, formation opportunities, day trips, and shared meals, and participation steadily grew. Although Kennedy Chapel served as an important spiritual refuge, Father Rafael understood that students needed more than a place to worship. He envisioned a space where they could gather, study, meet, relax, and find spiritual comfort in the support of their Catholic faith and peers, a vision highlighted in the Georgia Bulletin in December 2014.
To bring this vision to life, Father Rafael partnered with Advisory Board Member Jerry Mock and Father Richard Morrow, the first pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and a trusted mentor. Through their advocacy, the Archdiocese of Atlanta purchased land directly across from Kennedy Chapel in 2015, and preliminary architectural plans for a future Catholic Center were developed. Shortly thereafter, Father Rafael was reassigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Rome, Georgia, leaving behind a strong foundation for what was to come.
In 2019, recognizing the importance of sustaining momentum, the Archdiocese and Our Lady of Perpetual Help hired Norma Rothschadl as Director of Campus Ministry. Having previously served for nearly a decade as the parish’s Director of Religious Education and Youth Minister, Norma brought deep experience, passion, and vision to the role. She launched the “It’s Time to Build” campaign, uniting Catholics throughout West Georgia around the shared goal of creating an intellectual and spiritual home for Catholic students. That year, nearly $300,000 was raised, Campus Ministry became the top-grossing ministry in the 2019 #iGiveCatholic campaign, and the first Campus Catholics Gala was held in early 2020.
Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic brought fundraising efforts to a halt and placed construction plans on indefinite pause. In the midst of this uncertainty, however, an unexpected opportunity emerged when a home adjacent to the proposed site became available for rent. Norma successfully petitioned the Archdiocese to use the house as a temporary Catholic Center, ensuring that students would not go another year without a place to call their own. Permission was granted on June 15, 2020, and the Catholic Center at UWG officially opened for the Fall 2020 semester.
Today, as we continue to build upon this strong foundation, we remain deeply grateful for the leadership and vision of those who came before us. The story of the Catholic Center at the University of West Georgia is still being written, and we move forward with hope, gratitude, and faith in all that God has in store.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The St. John Henry Newman Catholic Center officially opened in the fall of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when engaging students was especially challenging. In the beginning, only a small group of students were involved, but they were deeply committed and remarkably impactful. During those early months, they helped launch a food pantry to serve families who were losing their jobs, providing groceries and essential items to those in need.
In the years that followed, more students began to find their way to the Catholic Center through the social events we hosted and through weekly Mass. As our community grew, so did our need to invest more intentionally in meals, activities, and leadership retreats that support students’ formation and sense of belonging. With this growth came increased expenses, which required us to expand our fundraising efforts. Each year, we now host an annual campaign, and we have been truly blessed by the generosity of parishioners and supporters whose faithful donations continue to sustain and strengthen our small but vibrant apostolate.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Catholic Center at the University of West Georgia ?
Father Joe Wagner became the Chaplain of the Catholic Center at the University of West Georgia in the fall of 2024 and also serves as the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. He brings a deep zeal for walking alongside college students and young adults, forming them in their faith and offering spiritual direction as they discern God’s call in their lives. Father Joe is especially passionate about investing in this generation, recognizing that today’s students are the future priests, religious, and parish leaders who will carry the torch of faith for generations to come.
Dezirée Slusher serves as the Director of the Catholic Center and is a recent convert to the Catholic faith. Working closely with Father Joe, she helps lead the vision, daily operations, and future growth of the Catholic Center. Together, they are committed to building a Christ-centered community where students are formed, supported, and sent forth to live lives of faith, service, and mission.
The Catholic Center at the University of West Georgia exists to serve, form, and accompany college students and young adults as they grow in faith, leadership, and a life of mission. We are a vibrant campus ministry rooted in the heart of the Catholic Church, offering students a spiritual home where they are known, supported, and invited into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Through weekly Mass, the sacraments, prayer, faith formation, and intentional community life, we walk with students during one of the most formative seasons of their lives.
What sets the Catholic Center apart is our commitment to forming the whole person—spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and relationally. Each year, students leave home for college, often during one of the most spiritually fragile seasons of their lives. We recognized a deep need for a consistent missionary presence on campus—individuals who could truly walk alongside students in their everyday experiences and faith journeys.
For the past two years, we were supported by digital FOCUS missionaries, which helped lay an important foundation for accompaniment and discipleship. This year marks a significant milestone as we now have FOCUS missionaries physically present on campus. These missionaries walk closely with our students by leading Bible studies, offering spiritual accompaniment, attending Mass with them, and helping connect students to larger movements within the Church, including participation in the annual SEEK Conference, which draws more than 25,000 college students each year. Partnering with FOCUS has allowed us to place more hands and feet on the ground, deepen authentic relationships, and intentionally invest in the lives of our students as they grow in faith, leadership, and a life of mission.
We are not simply a place students attend; we are a place they belong. In addition to worship and formation, we host weekly meals, social gatherings, retreats, service opportunities, and leadership development experiences that foster authentic friendship and discipleship. Many students encounter the Catholic faith more deeply for the first time here, while others rediscover it in a way that feels personal, welcoming, and relevant to their lives.
We are especially known for building strong student leaders and cultivating a culture of hospitality and service. From launching a food pantry during the height of the pandemic to serving the local community and those in need, our students are encouraged to live their faith in tangible ways. Leadership at the Catholic Center is not about titles—it is about stewardship, responsibility, and learning how to lead with humility, integrity, and love.
Brand-wise, we are most proud of the sense of family and mission that defines our community. The Catholic Center is intentionally designed as a home—a place to gather, study, pray, share meals, and rest. Students often describe it as the one place on campus where they can fully be themselves while growing in faith and purpose. Our identity is grounded in tradition, yet expressed in a way that is relational, joyful, and deeply human.
We want readers to know that the Catholic Center at UWG is more than a campus ministry—it is a launching point for lifelong faith, leadership, and service. Everything we offer is centered on forming missionary disciples who will carry what they receive here into their families, careers, parishes, and communities long after graduation. We are grateful for the generosity and support that allow this mission to continue, and we remain committed to building a faith-filled, hope-driven future for the students we serve.
How do you define success?
At the Catholic Center, we define success not by numbers alone, but by transformation. Success looks like students encountering Jesus Christ in a personal and life-changing way and choosing to make their faith an active part of their daily lives. It is seen when students move from simply attending Mass or events to living as intentional disciples—praying regularly, seeking the sacraments, and allowing their faith to shape their decisions, relationships, and sense of purpose.
We also define success by accompaniment and growth. When students feel known, supported, and walked with during their college years, that is success. When they grow in confidence, heal from isolation or anxiety, learn how to lead with humility, and begin serving others, we know our mission is bearing fruit. Success is present when students step into leadership roles, invite their peers into community, and take ownership of their faith rather than relying on others to carry it for them.
Ultimately, success is measured by what continues beyond graduation. If students leave the University of West Georgia equipped to remain active in their parishes, discern their vocations, serve their communities, and live as missionary disciples wherever God sends them, then we have succeeded. Our goal is not simply to build a strong campus ministry, but to help form faithful Catholics who will carry the light of Christ into the Church and the world for years to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://uwgcatholic.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campuscatholicsuwg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campuscatholicsuwg
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