Catholic fraternity at Iowa State University seeks new energy

Published: 2005-06-27

AMES, Iowa (CNS) -- A Des Moines area man and his friends are trying to awaken an 85-year-old tradition in Ames that has been in a slumber for the past five years. He and other alumni of a Catholic, Greek-letter fraternity at Iowa State University are attempting to breathe new life into an organization called Phi Kappa Theta, which has seen its membership slipping steadily over the past few years. The group, a social fraternity based on Judeo-Christian ethics and a Catholic heritage, currently has only 15 members, the lowest membership since the university's chapter was founded in 1920. Alumni board president Mike Murphy, along with several hundred alumni, and chaplain Father Scott Boone are trying to reverse the decline in membership through an advertisement campaign designed to raise awareness, attract new members for next fall and promote a rebirth of Christian values.

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