About University Catholic · Nashville, Tennessee
University Catholic (UCat) is the Catholic college campus ministry of the Diocese of Nashville, officially serving students at Belmont, Lipscomb, and Vanderbilt Universities while welcoming all Nashville-area college students. With the mission 'to Propose Jesus Christ and Form His Disciples,' UCat is rooted in sacramental life, offering daily Mass, adoration, confession, retreats, Bible studies, fellowship, and service opportunities led by a diocesan chaplain and a team of FOCUS missionaries. Centered at the Frassati House near Music Row in Nashville, the ministry has accompanied thousands of students on their path to holiness since its founding in 2006 and has since expanded to a visible presence on 14 campuses throughout Middle Tennessee.
- Established
- 2006
- Patron
- Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (patron of the Frassati House and namesake of UCat's campus hospitality house)
- Rector
- Fr. Rhodes Bolster, STL — Chaplain of University Catholic (Nashville)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville (suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville; bishop: J. Mark Spalding)
Why belong here
University Catholic is built to be a 'home away from home' for college students, offering a serious, joyful Catholic community in the middle of campus life. Students find daily Mass, adoration, and confession readily available, formation through CREDO talks, OCIA, and Thomistic Institute lectures, authentic friendships built through FOCUS Bible studies, Sunday Supper, retreats, and the Frassati House, and concrete works of mercy through service to Dismas House, Heart of Mary, Room in the Inn, and spring break mission trips. Whether you are a cradle Catholic, a curious inquirer, or somewhere in between, UCat makes the Sacraments the center of student life and walks with you through every stage of college.
Mass times at University Catholic
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Thursday: 4:30 pm – 5:20 pm (Cathedral of the Incarnation, before daily Mass)
- Sunday: 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm (Cathedral of the Incarnation, before 8 pm Sunday Mass)
- Sunday: 7:30 pm – 8:50 pm at Vanderbilt's Benton Chapel (listed on confession page)
- 2nd Saturday: after the 8:30 am Mass at Vanderbilt's Benton Chapel
Adoration times
- Monday–Thursday: 4:30 pm – 5:20 pm (before the 5:30 pm daily Mass)
- Sunday: 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm (before the 8 pm Sunday Mass)
Our Story — The History of University Catholic
University Catholic was founded in 2006 as the Catholic college campus ministry of the Diocese of Nashville. It began with a strong presence at Vanderbilt University, quickly spread to Belmont University, and over the years extended to Lipscomb University and other Nashville-area colleges. In 2019, UCat committed itself to establishing new chapters on every campus in the Diocese of Nashville; over the following five years, ministries at Tennessee Tech University, Middle Tennessee State University, and the University of the South (Sewanee) began to flourish. Today, University Catholic reports a visible presence on 14 campuses across Middle Tennessee, accompanying thousands of college students on their path to holiness.
- Founded 2006 as the diocesan college campus ministry
- Started at Vanderbilt, expanded to Belmont, then to Lipscomb
- 2019: commitment to a chapter on every diocese campus
- 2026–2027: 14 campuses across Middle Tennessee
- Namesake building: the Frassati House, after Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Mission and Four Dimensions of Formation
UCat's mission is 'to Propose Jesus Christ and Form His Disciples.' All programs are built on four dimensions of formation — spiritual, intellectual, apostolic, and human — intended to help students deepen their faith and become well-formed, well-rounded Catholics. Whether at CREDO on Thursday, FOCUS lunch on campus, or Sunday Supper around the table, UCat seeks to do everything in and for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
- Spiritual: Worship, Sacraments, Prayers, Retreats, Bible Studies
- Intellectual: CREDO sessions, Thomistic Institute lectures, Catechesis
- Apostolic: Blessing Bags, Heart of Mary, Dismas House, service trips
- Human: Hiking, Alley Parties, Bonfires, Men's and Women's days
Leadership & Staff
University Catholic is led by a Diocesan chaplain and a lay Director of Campus Ministry, with a permanent deacon, FOCUS missionaries, and student leaders.
- Chaplain: Fr. Rhodes Bolster, STL (since 2022)
- Deacon: Deacon Craig Thomas (ordained 2023)
- Director of Campus Ministry: Nick Aguirre (Vanderbilt '14)
- Assistant Director of Campus Ministry (listed in leadership)
- FOCUS Team Vanderbilt — Director Shannon Gregory ([email protected])
- FOCUS Team Belmont — Director Olivia Alexander ([email protected])
Chaplain — Fr. Rhodes Bolster, STL
Fr. Rhodes Bolster was born and raised in Nashville, TN, and remains ten minutes from the house he grew up in. A graduate of Father Ryan High School, he attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, then entered seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio (B.A. in philosophy). He continued at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, earning a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) and a License of Sacred Theology in Liturgical Theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Ordained to the priesthood in 2019, he served two years as Associate Pastor at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Franklin before becoming Chaplain of University Catholic in 2022. He is also an Episcopal Master of Ceremonies, loves speaking Spanish, plays ultimate frisbee, and enjoys reading.
- Email: [email protected]
- Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Deacon Craig Thomas
Deacon Craig Thomas was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and earned his engineering degree from Loyola University Maryland. After college he spent four years as a missionary in Campus Ministry at the University of Michigan and serving the poor in India and the Philippines, then worked professionally as an engineer for thirty years. He and his wife Alyson moved to Nashville in 2013; they have four children. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Nashville on April 1, 2023, and serves as UCat's deacon, leading OCIA and offering spiritual direction. He enjoys hiking, skiing, golfing, poetry, and cooking for friends and family.
- Email: [email protected]
- Ordained April 1, 2023
- Available for spiritual direction year-round
FOCUS Missionaries — Vanderbilt & Belmont
FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries are recent college graduates who meet students where they are and draw them into deeper relationships with Christ. Separate teams serve Vanderbilt and Belmont, leading small-group Bible studies, group discipleship, community events, and worship nights, and creating a united University Catholic community across both campuses. To join a Bible study, contact the appropriate team director.
- FOCUS Team Vanderbilt — Director: Shannon Gregory ([email protected])
- FOCUS Team Belmont — Director: Olivia Alexander ([email protected])
- Format: authentic friendship, mentorship, intentional accompaniment
- Activities: Bible studies, discipleship, hospitality, worship nights
OCIA — Becoming Catholic in College
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) is the formal path into the Catholic Church for non-Catholics seeking baptism, for catechized Catholics seeking Confirmation and First Eucharist, and for baptized Catholics who never completed their initiation. OCIA meets Wednesdays at 6:45 pm with dinner at 6:15 pm during the academic year, led by Deacon Craig Thomas. In 2026, 28 students entered into full communion with the Church at the Easter Vigil through UCat's OCIA program.
- OCIA meets Wednesdays — dinner 6:15 pm, session 6:45 pm
- Begins September 9, 2026
- Contact: [email protected]
- 28 students received into full communion at Easter Vigil 2026
Apostolic Dimension — Service & Works of Mercy
The Apostolic Dimension student leaders help coordinate service opportunities both on and off campus, putting faith into action through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Service partners include Dismas House (a hospitality house for formerly incarcerated men), Room in the Inn, 40 Days for Life, Rise Against Hunger, and the Heart of Mary Home for the Terminally Ill. Each year students also travel on spring break mission trips and march in the March for Life.
- Dismas House
- Room in the Inn
- 40 Days for Life
- Rise Against Hunger
- Heart of Mary Home for the Terminally Ill
- Blessing Bags
- Spring Break Mission Trips
- March for Life
- Knights of Columbus (campus council)
Retreats & Formational Experiences
UCat offers multiple retreats during the year for students at every stage of the college journey — from an introductory Awakening weekend, to the deeper Way of the Disciple retreat, to a Senior Night for graduating students. Retreats are typically held at Camp Marymount (1318 Fairview Blvd E, Fairview, TN 37062) and other retreat venues around Middle Tennessee. UCat also participates in the national SEEK conference.
- Awakening Retreat (Catholic weekend retreat, e.g. Feb 28 – Mar 2, 2025)
- Way of the Disciple Retreat (Apr 16–18, 2027 at Camp Marymount)
- Senior Night (Feb 21, 2025 listed)
- SEEK conference
- Men's and Women's days
- Sunday Supper and Wednesday dinners (community life)
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is available to students year-round. Deacon Craig Thomas serves UCat Nashville, while Fr. Gervan Menezes serves other campuses. Students may sign up for a single session or set up monthly spiritual direction times.
- Contact Deacon Craig for UCat Nashville: [email protected]
- Contact Fr. Gervan for other campuses
- Available monthly or one-time
Frassati House — Student Center
The Frassati House at 2004 Terrace Place, Nashville, TN 37203, is UCat Nashville's hospitality and fellowship house — a 'home away from home' for students, named after Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. It hosts Wednesday dinners, CREDO sessions, Bible studies, fellowship events, and is the everyday base for FOCUS missionaries and student leaders.
- Address: 2004 Terrace Place, Nashville, TN 37203
- Phone: (629) 800-5151
- Hosts Wednesday dinners, CREDO, Bible studies, fellowship events
- Namesake: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Gervan Menezes, M.Div.became Chaplain at University Catholic in 2019
Diocesan Director of Campus Ministries and Pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Cookeville, TN; also Chaplain for University Catholic at Tennessee Tech. Originally from Brazil. Currently working on a doctorate in New Evangelization at the Catholic University of America.
- Fr. Rhodes Bolster, STLsince 2022
Current Chaplain of University Catholic Nashville. Born and raised in Nashville; ordained 2019; previously Associate Pastor at St. Philip the Apostle, Franklin.