PRIEST ASKS HIS BOSS TO BLESS THEIR BRAINS 11-YEAR TRADITION MEANT FOR STUDENTS.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

Mary Michelle Moore recently changed her major from astrophysics to anthropology, making finals week more of a challenge for the University of California Los Angeles sophomore.

So she planned to ask for a little help from God at Sunday's special ``Blessing of the Brains'' service at UCLA's University Catholic Center.

``I went through it every quarter last year, and it's really nice to get a last-minute blessing,'' said Moore, 19, of Redlands. ``It helps get rid of some of the stress before you go in and take your finals.

``It's just a release and letting God take care of some of the things I worry about that I can't control. It clears my head so I can concentrate on some of the things I can control.''

The ``Blessing of the Brains'' is an 11-year tradition that the Rev. Bob Carey brought with him when he was transferred from Ohio State University to UCLA, said the Rev. Bob Sadowski, director of campus ministry.

Three times a year - and by request - the priest asks God to bless those who are studying, and students can line up after the service to get an individual blessing from one of the three campus ministers, Sadowski said.

Nicole Foronda, 22, of Santa Clara has been attending the ceremony ever since she came to UCLA three years ago.

``It's a personal experience,'' the senior English major said. ``You get a hands-on, one-on-one personal blessing just for you. It's really special.

``I've got a lot of papers that I haven't started, and I need to just get in gear and focus a little more on my papers and finish them on time - the plight of every English major.''

``It's just knowing that God is there with you, and God is in the quiet moments,'' Foronda said. ``And when stress gets too great to deal with, you need to take a step back and take time out for God and know that he's there with you.''

Usually about 200 students attend each Mass, but on Sunday there were around 400, officials said.

Annual surveys of UCLA freshmen indicate about 25 percent of the student body is Catholic, and about 1,000 students participate in activities at the Catholic Center.

``It gives them peace of mind and calms them so they don't feel overly anxious when they're taking exams,'' Sadowski said. ``They feel happy knowing they're not going into the exams alone, that there's a community that's praying for them and supporting them.''

That doesn't mean the students don't have to do their part, Sadowski said.

``Part of the prayer asks for God to protect the student from undue anxiety, that they might harvest the just fruits of their studies,'' Sadowski said, smiling. ``That's not asking God to give an A to someone who deserves a C, or a C to someone who deserves an F.''

The special blessing, as well as the other programs and services the Catholic center offers, are designed to help students as they develop a mature faith life, and learn to ``see God not so much as a Santa Claus who gives out A's for the asking, but to see God as the great mystery who gives meaning to human life,'' Sadowski said.