TCU students, alumni gather to celebrate second annual Purple Mass
College students share the sign of the peace during the second annual Purple Mass for TCU students and alumni at Holy Family Catholic Church, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (NTC/Rodger Mallison)
FORT WORTH — A sea of purple, white, and variations thereof converged on Holy Family Church on March 7 for the second annual Purple Mass, offered for TCU students and alumni.
Fittingly, given that the celebration fell during the liturgical season of Lent, the priestly vestments were also purple.
Roughly 75 members of varying parishes, the local business community, and TCU Catholic — a campus outreach organization dedicated to supporting the TCU community spiritually — congregated for the Purple Mass, followed by a catered lunch and opportunity for fellowship.
Monica Molina, pastoral assistant at the Fort Worth parish and TCU graduate, said the idea for the Mass was started thanks to a casual conversation with like-minded Horned Frogs.
“I coordinate the Friends of the TCU Newman Center Ministry at Holy Family Church,” Molina said. “Parishioners and the Knights of Columbus Chapter at Holy Family provide a luncheon during finals week and the welcome gathering for new and returning students in August.
“As Lisa Griffith [alumni] and I worked the events, a conversation with Father Jonathan Wallis [alumni] began about hosting a Purple Mass. Finally, in Lent 2025, we hosted the first annual TCU Purple Mass at Holy Family,” she said.
Father Brett Metzler, director of vocations and chaplain at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, offered a stirring homily this year based on the parable of the prodigal son from the Gospel of Luke.
Students nodded along, laughed, smiled, and at times shed a tear as Fr. Metzler emphasized God's love for them.
"As soon as the prodigal son turns back to the father, the father starts running towards him,” Fr. Metzler said. “The father is probably significantly older than I am — he’s one of the elders of his family. Now, this is what the commentators say: ‘This man of social standing, wealthy enough to own servants and throw a feast, would typically maintain his dignity through measured composure in formal distance, especially when receiving a son who publicly shamed the family by demanding his inheritance early and then squandering it.’
“Running was undignified for an elder patriarch in that culture..., but the father abandons his dignity to restore his son.”
Fr. Metzler said this radical reversal is precisely the point, which is that the father’s “extravagant grace” transcends norms of honor, shame, and authority.
“Lent is a test of faith,” Fr. Metzler said. “But the test isn’t so much whether we are going to fall or fail. The test is ultimately how quickly we are able to get back up.”
New beginnings
Though chants of “Riff, Ram, Bah, Zoo” were absent from the luncheon that followed, the atmosphere was festive and camaraderie ever-present, as students and alumni gathered for a catered meal served on tables adorned with purple tablecloths, cups that bore the TCU logo, and a giant, cowboy hat-shaped cake with purple frosting for dessert.
Fr. Wallis, who serves as vicar general and moderator of the curia, director of theologian seminarian formation, and chaplain & director of the TCU Newman Center, spoke about the newly renovated center and what it will offer the local community.
“The idea was to provide a place for students to gather together to learn about their faith, to grow in their faith, and to meet others who are interested in what they’re interested in,” Fr. Wallis said. “It’s really to serve as a focal point for our service to Jesus Christ ... and it’s for anyone connected to the university.”
The facility, which is two stories with plenty of green space, is located on W. Berry St. Fr. Wallis said the downstairs floor is nearly completed and just about to open.
Looking to the future
Patty Bransford, vice president of vocations with the Serra Club and a parishioner at St. George Church in Fort Worth, said she liked seeing the number of current TCU students present at the Mass and said she hopes some of them will consider a career in ministry.
"I love that they do it, because the TCU Newman Center has grown so much with Fr. Wallis," Bransford said. "I just feel like complimenting those kids on what they do, and to encourage them into vocations. The religious life is so important, because we need so many more priests and religious leaders within the Church."
Support the family
Arizona native and TCU Catholic member Jalyn Gryskiewicz is a senior education major who will likely take advantage of the Newman Center’s services.
Gryskiewicz said her organization and the Holy Family community have embraced her, and she wanted to be a part of the Purple Mass celebration to show her gratitude.
"TCU Catholic is my family and my home," Gryskiewicz said. "Holy Family has been such a big part of that as well, ministering to us as college students. I wanted to come out and show support for all that they do for us, but also what it means to be Catholic."
Fellow education major and TCU sophomore, Sophia Carranza, said the Mass provided her and fellow Catholic students a bonding opportunity that is difficult to replicate.
"The Purple Mass offers us a unique opportunity to connect, not only with our alumni, but other community members who love the Horned Frog family," Carranza said. "It's a beautiful way for us to step off campus and into the Fort Worth community. We get to see our fellow students and our alumni and really just spend the day focused around TCU Catholic."
Betty Mocek, a member of Holy Family who graduated from TCU in 1990, taught for 25 years at both Springdale and Tanglewood elementary schools.
The TCU alum said it is important for young people to share the Purple Mass together, saying “it enriches their lives spiritually," and said her faith has been critical to the success she has enjoyed in life and throughout her career.
"Having the Lord with me, by my side, helped me with patience with children," Mocek said. "But it also gave the gift of love that I could extend to the children, so there is no way that I could have done what I did for so many years and with so many children who have so many different personalities without my faith and without having God with me."