When walking into Wolfington Center for Ministry, Faith and Service each Friday, students are immediately hit with the warmth from the fireplace, laughter, chatter from friends catching up with one another and the delicious aroma of a home-cooked meal.
Run by student volunteers, Wolfington Fridays is a recurring event hosted by Campus Ministry beginning in 2023 that is all about bringing together the St. Joe’s community with the promise of a fresh meal and quality time to spend with friends.
Nate Murawski ’26, also known as “Chef Nate,” is the volunteer student chef who puts together the home-cooked meals. Murawski, alongside his sous chefs Charles Burt ’27 and Conor Lavin ’27, come together to cook various dishes in the Wolfington kitchen.
Some dishes that can be found are baked ziti, lasagna, chicken sandwiches, gumbo and grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Murawski became part of Wolfington Fridays when he was trying to find a place to cook on campus. After speaking to Thomas Sheibley, director of Campus Ministry, Murawski set up shop in Wolfington’s kitchen and volunteered to cook for Campus Ministry events.
“Being a part of such a tight-knit community has been amazing for the last couple years,” Murawski said. “And I’m really happy that I got the opportunity to integrate myself within that community and hopefully have an impact on people who are there every Friday.”
Burt, a student program coordinator for first-year retreats for Campus Ministry, said that while the main feature of Wolfington Fridays is the food, the hidden highlights are the friendships and community.
“Something that [Murawski] likes to say is that ‘a good plate of food is like giving somebody a warm hug,’” Burt said. “So, it’s about the community, about people that come to get the food.”
Wolfington Fridays is open for all students — both affiliated and not affiliated with Campus Ministry — faculty, and staff. Kate Malley ’27, a Wolfington Fridays student coordinator, said she joined Campus Ministry because of the people and how welcoming the event is.
“I am very proud of how diverse the community is within Campus Ministry, especially being the Campus Ministry of a Catholic organization,” Malley said. “The Jesuits make very clear that they want to welcome all people and be open to all walks of life.”
Macy Baker ’27, who is roommates with Malley, said she has been attending Wolfington Fridays since her first year. She has found Wolfington Fridays to be a place where she can feel relaxed and surrounded by her friends.
“Wolfington Fridays was probably the first campus event I ever went to, and so from that perspective, it holds a special place in my heart,” Baker said.
Roman Nepomuceno ’29, a frequent participant of Wolfington Fridays, said he continues to come back every week because of the friendships he’s made within the program.
“I think sharing a meal with people is really important, especially when it comes to building friendships, building community,” Nepomuceno said.
