Ruth Berning

Hello! My name is Ruth Berning. Born and raised in southwest Wisconsin, I’m a Midwest girl at heart with a thirst for adventure. I just spent a year living in the middle of the Rocky Mountains serving as a missionary at a Catholic youth/family camp where our mission was to provide a space for visitors to withdraw from a hectic and busy culture and come to know and experience a true friendship with Jesus. Previous to my missionary year, I graduated from Loras College with a degree in Social Work and an honest desire to encounter others in the messiness of our humanity and be an instrument of God’s grace to reveal to them how deeply they are known and loved. 

I first began to understand how deeply I am known and loved on a retreat my junior year of high school. We were in the dimly lit chapel of the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison, WI. As I prayed that my soccer team would win our upcoming regional match, I suddenly realized the weight of perfection had placed on myself over the years. I thought I had to earn love. And for the first time I heard the voice of Jesus call me by name and say, “Ruth, I don’t want your perfection…. I just want you. I just want you.” 

It has been a slow and gentle process of recognizing my imperfections that can only be made perfect in the love of Christ. St. Augustine is quoted saying, “In my deepest wounds I found your glory and it dazzled me.” I am humbled that the Lord, in spite of my imperfections, continues to call me to minister to His Body, the Church. At the same time, I know that He has created in me a heart for others, a desire to encounter them, listen to them, and lead them to their greatest adventure: a life lived for Jesus Christ. 

This call to lifelong mission of leading others to Christ was solidified for me in college through the mentorship and guidance of the Campus Ministers at Loras College and the FOCUS missionaries I encountered throughout my four years. It was an incredible gift for me to have spiritual mentors who walked alongside me during a time of my life that was filled with seeking for my identity and belonging in the world. As college students navigate their own freedom and grow in their identities, there is a great need for spiritual guidance and support. 

The Lord has called me to journey with college students for the next two years at St. Augustine’s, and my heart burns with desire to share His love with others. We are, however, one body in Christ and I need you. Specifically, I need you to pray for me, for my team at St. Augustine’s and for the students we encounter. I also need you to financially support my call to mission so that I can share with students how deeply they are known and loved. Thank you in advance for your prayers and consideration of supporting my ministry. May God bless you, and may you grow in your own awareness of His great love for you.