Empowered by the Spirit, Boiler Catholics strives to promote an active Catholic lifestyle for students at Purdue University.
By actively living the gospel, students of Boiler Catholics are committed to building our faith community, sharing our faith, strengthening our Christian conscience, working for justice, and facilitating the personal development of leaders for the future.
In order to fulfill our mission we strive to:
We call our members to carry out its commitment in a respectful and joyful manner, consistent with the Gospel, seeking to be a visible, active and welcoming organization for all students.
President | jhaydoc@purdue.edu
Major: Industrial Management & Mathematics, Junior
How I got involved at St. Tom’s: Coming to Purdue, I was eager to get involved at St. Tom’s from the start because I really wanted to have a God-centered college experience. My freshman year at Purdue, I was blessed with many catholic girls who lived on my floor and are now my besties! We started going to mass and brunch together each week, and we also had fun attending various PCS social events like the barn dance and ice skating. I took advantage of many of the ministries at St. Toms right away: New Student Overnighter, Boiler Catholic Women, Ignite, Music Ministry, PCS Sports, and Boiler Awakening. During the spring semester of my freshman year, I signed up to staff BA 2020 and also enrolled in a scripture course through St. Tom’s partnership with Christendom College. Since then, I’ve led an ignite group and was a coordinator for Boiler Catholic Women. I’m honored to lead Boiler Catholics this year and aim to continue cultivating our community of love through peace, faith, and fellowship.
Favorite Bible Verse: “Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” - James 1:12
Bio: Hey, brothers, and sisters in Christ! My name is Josie Haydock, and I’m a junior studying Industrial Management and Math. I was born and raised in Zionsville, IN, with two loving sisters and one brother (also a proud Boilermaker alumnus). I’ve been involved in lots of activities on campus, but my favorite of these is music. I play flute and piccolo in the Bands & Orchestras, and I also love to sing and play the piano. I’m pretty crafty and journal way too much, and I love health and fitness! I strive to make God the center of my life in every way possible, and having a community of faith-filled friends in my life makes that a hundred times easier. Come chat with me during my office hours in St. Tom’s basement from 10-11 am on Mondays and Wednesdays!
Vice-President | jspeigh@purdue.edu
Major: Psychology (major) Human Development and Family Studies (minor)
How I got involved at St. Tom’s: After having an up, down, confusing, and wild Freshman year, I found the only thing constant in my life was attending 9 pm Sunday mass. I had a friend invite me to go to 9 pm mass with him, and from there, I began to participate in 9 pm Mass regularly with him, and I began to feel a desire to get more involved. I had another friend then reach out to me about going on a retreat at St. Toms called Boiler Awakening. I decided to give it a shot and loved the retreat. After the retreat, we came back to St. Toms and had Sunday Night Dinner in the basement. At dinner, it felt like “home” and “family,” breaking bread and sharing food with your brothers and sisters in Christ felt very special, and it was a great experience. My mom is from Calabria, Italy, and in her culture, breaking bread and sharing food with loved ones greatly signifies family. At that dinner, I felt that family and community aspect.
From there, I began to seek more and more opportunities to get involved. My friend told me about Life guides, a ministry here at St. Toms that helps teach grade school children about their Faith. I joined the ministry, and I loved it. I met another friend at a worship night at Slater Hill, and he invited me to get more involved at the Church. From there, I have been helping, studying, and participating in some of the ministries St. Tom’s has to offer, and I have been loving it. It’s a blessing that God put all these people in my life and guided them to reach out to me and help guide me closer to him and closer to the Church. I thank God for putting those people in my life and thank God for bringing me closer to him and the Church. I am thankful for all the amazing family, support, relationships, friendships, ministries, and opportunities God has presented to me at St. Toms. I am excited to keep learning, going, and growing. Thank you, God.
Favorite Bible Verse: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new” - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Bio: Hey everybody! My name is Julian Speights, and I’m a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Development and Family Studies. I am from Beach Park, IL, and I enjoy spending time with my family, sharing and discussing my Faith with others gaining new perspectives and outlooks, growing and learning more about my Faith and academics, reading the word and other books, playing and watching sports, cooking, watching movies, and relaxing with family and friends. It’s a blessing to have this opportunity, and I am grateful God put me in this position. I strive to continue learning about God and grow my relationship with him every day, glorify God in the things that I do, and try my best to show his love to others every day. I look forward to living and learning all by the graces of God, and I am thankful for the opportunity. God is great, and I am truly blessed and thankful for the opportunity to help his Church. My office hours are Mondays 1:00-2:00 pm and Thursdays 10:30-11:30 am, so come by and hang out! I would love to meet you and discuss our Faith, life, school, or whatever you would like to talk about. Hope to see you soon!
Treasurer | abergeon@purdue.edu
Major: Nuclear Engineering
How I got involved at St. Tom’s: I remember walking into the church for Sunday Night Dinner on one of my first days at Purdue, not knowing what to expect. I was greeted by one friendly face after another, everyone eager to tell me all about the great ministries at St. Thomas Aquinas. I ended up joining an Ignite group and finding my first group of friends at Purdue. Since my second semester at Purdue, I’ve served as an Ignite leader and coordinator, working to bring Jesus’ message all over Purdue’s campus. I’ve also been involved in Boiler Catholic Men and Thomas Aquinas Apologetics Club. All told, going to that first SND was one of the greatest decisions I ever made, and I couldn’t think of any other student organization where I would feel more at home.
Favorite Bible Verse: “... For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. All on the side of truth listen to me.” -John 18:37
Bio: My twin brother Matthew and I were born in New Jersey, moving to Lone Tree, Colorado, one year later. Growing up beneath the Rocky Mountains was nothing short of fantastic. Nothing brings me more joy than summiting a mountain, flying down a ski slope, or a hard-fought game of ice hockey. I’m a bit of a nerd for video games, anime, chess, and classic rock music. My mission in life is to be a reflection of Christ’s love to everyone I encounter. I’m in the Boiler Catholics Office from 12 – 1 PM every Wednesday and Friday, so if I haven’t met you yet, come and see me to talk about life or play some ping-pong
Secretary | erwarner@purdue.edu
Major: Psychology, Freshman
How I got involved at St. Tom’s: I was very excited to get involved with St. Tom’s and Boiler Catholics before coming to Purdue. One thing I looked for in a College was a good Catholic community. I joined the flocknote and heard about all the things going on at St. Tom’s. I remember getting a notification for the Boiler Catholic Women callout meeting on my phone, so I decided to check it out. I signed up for the New Student Overnighter beforehand, but I wanted to meet some people before the retreat. I really enjoyed meeting all the young women at St. Tom’s and immediately felt at home. It was nice to walk into NSO and see some familiar faces. Boiler Catholic Women and NSO helped me feel comfortable here at St. Tom’s and Purdue, and I could not be more thankful for that.
Favorite Bible Verse: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7
Bio: Hey everyone! My name is Eileen Warner, and I’m a freshman in Psychology. I grew up in Valparaiso, IN, with one brother and three sisters. My family is very important to me, and I’ve always felt so blessed to have them in my life. I’m just a freshman, so I haven’t gotten super involved around campus yet, but I am very excited! I’m really into crafty activities like embroidery and painting. I also like hiking, kayaking, and other nature-y stuff. I’m excited to grow more in my faith through St. Tom’s! My office hours are from 10:30 am-11:30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so feel free to stop by the office and talk about life or do homework together