The Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) welcomed seven new members into its ASC Associates program during a Mass and ritual commitment ceremony on Sept. 30 at the Wichita ASC Center, followed by a community dinner.
ASC associates expand the reach of the Adorers’ mission to “heal a broken world through ministry to our dear neighbor” — a challenge created by St. Maria De Mattias, the ASC founder.
The new associates, Georgia Drewes ’12, Lawna Kurtyka, Brenda Whitley, Bob and Debbie Beumer, Sonja Bontrager and President Kathleen Jagger, Ph.D., MPH, joined a diverse network of lay people and religious who share in the spirituality and mission of the Adorers.
History of the ASC Associates
The ASC Associates program traces its roots back more than 200 years to the vision of St. Gaspar del Bufalo and St. Maria De Mattias, who dreamed of building a faith community centered on the redemptive blood of Christ. In the United States, the associates movement began in the 1970s and took root in Wichita in the 1980s.
Today, associates are found in more than 20 states, gathering in small groups that look different in every community. Some meet for prayer or Bible study, others for ministry or social events and many carry the spirituality into their families, workplaces and parishes.
Lori Benge, vocation director and ASC family director, added during a recent campus mission talk that the program is about deepening one’s baptismal call.
“It’s not really about adding something new,” Benge said. “It’s about enhancing what you’re already doing and living it in community instead of carrying it alone.”
A melting pot of spiritual growth
Benge, who has worked with the Adorers for nearly three decades, said one of the greatest strengths of the program is the diversity of its members.
“Every associate brings their unique expression,” she said. “We get to learn from each other, and together we become a loving, prayerful, reconciling presence in the world.”
Matthew Umbarger, a Newman University theology professor and associate, shared that his own journey began when he joined an ASC Bible study.
“I didn’t have a good excuse not to,” Umbarger joked. “What kept me was the spirituality — this reminder that every person we encounter is of infinite worth because Christ purchased them with his blood.”
Serving as a living example
Drewes, senior associate director of admissions, was first inspired by the ASC community nearly 20 years ago as a Newman student. She received the ASC Community Leader Scholarship and was taught and mentored by sisters, including Marsha Wilson, ASC, the late Charlotte Rohrbach, ASC, and JoAnn Mark, ASC.
“Being an ASC Associate and having the charism of helping our dear neighbor is something that’s close to my heart,” Drewes said. “Not everybody I work with is Catholic and that’s OK. But I’d like to be a good example of what a Catholic person is and what service can be. Part of that is living as an example, both at work and outside of work, doing service and inviting others to be a part of it.”
Even with two small children, Drewes makes it a point to take advantage of service opportunities when she can.
“It’s also just a good chance to be more a part of the ASC community,” she added.
Striving to serve ‘our dear neighbors’
Kurtyka was drawn to the ASC Associates program for its encouragement of loving “our dear neighbor without judgment,” she said.
“The ASC sisters’ desire to love those who are less fortunate match my own beliefs,” Kurtyka said. “This step as an associate will help me grow as a person. It’s my hope that the commitment I made will only help make me a better servant leader to my community.”
Allowing Jesus to ‘live through us’
Vice President for Institutional Advancement Bob Beumer and his wife, Debbie, strive to treat others with respect and dignity daily so that Jesus may “live through us,” he said.
“The more I interact with the Adorers, the more I have come to realize the synergy in their beliefs and mine,” Beumer said. “God created everyone in his own image. God is loving and forgiving and we strive to live up to his plan for us on a daily basis.”
As new associates, they committed to living more like the ASCs.
“We’re excited to continue our journey of spirituality with the ASCs,” Beumer said. “We look forward to continued ASC interactions and growing closer Jesus alongside them.”
Interested in being an ASC Associate?
Contact Lori Benge, vocations director for the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, to express your interest in being an ASC Associate.
