St. John's Catholic Newman Center

St. John's Catholic Newman Center is the largest Newman Center in the United States. It is located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Consisting of St. John's Catholic Chapel, Newman Hall, and the Institute of Catholic Thought, the center resides within the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

History

In the early 1900s, the majority of Catholic university students attended private Catholic institutions instead of public schools such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. However, as time progressed, a growing number of Catholic university students began attending secular universities.

To spiritually support these students, small chapels were opened near the campuses of the secular universities. Initially, this was also the goal of St. John's Catholic Chapel.

As plans were made for the construction of St. John's, the Knights of Colombus and other responsible parties decided to expand their vision. Instead of merely building a church building, they also constructed a dormitory structure for Catholic students. This dormitory is directly connected to St. John's Catholic Chapel.

The idea of providing student housing directly connected to a Catholic Newman Center was quite new and innovative. Many sources consider St. John's Catholic Newman Center to be a model example of integrating Catholic student life with campus life.

Timeline of Events

First, in 1905 students organize the Spalding Guild for Catholic students. This organization was quite similar to a Newman Club which was a group of young students who met and shared their faith. Then, in 1908, the Guild acquires Loyola House, its first headquarters, on Main Street in Urbana. Loyola House in 1912 becomes a chapter of Phi Kappa Theta, a national Catholic fraternity. By 1915, the Knights of Columbus agree to support a chaplain for students.

As a result of that request, Father John O'Brien was appointed chaplain in August 1917. In January 1920, the Foundation is formally incorporated as the Columbus Foundation. Classes are offerred by the Foundation starting in February 1920. Plans are created for construction of St. John's Catholic Chapel in May 1922.

In 1924, the Knights of Columbus purchased land at Sixth and Armory Street for $200,000. The current St. John's Catholic Newman Center remains located there today. Currently, an expansion of their facilities is underway. Please consult later portions of this article for details.

Finally, in 1926, the Columbus Foundation was renamed the Newman Foundation. By August 1926, the Cornerstone for the chapel was laid.

After one year, the chapel was completed and on September 28th 1927, the first mass was held in the chapel. Two years later in 1929, the entire Newman Foundation building was completed.

Organization of SJCNC

A reorganization took place in 2005 which organized St. John's Catholic Newman Center into three different groups. All three divisions are located together at 604 East Armory Avenue in Champaign. However, each group has a specific focus towards fulfilling the Newman Foundation's mission.

St. John's Catholic Chapel

Located a block from the Quad, St. John's Catholic Chapel is open every day for private prayer and celebrates mass at least two times a day. The primary focus for the Chapel is to provide for the spiritual needs of college students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Parkland College. Several priests and nuns are on staff at St. John's Catholic Chapel to provide spiritual direction and other services for interested students.

Newman Hall

A coed residence hall is directly adjacent (and connected to) St. John's Catholic Chapel. Approximately 300 students live in the current building. Construction is currently under way which will double the capacity of Newman Hall. Newman Hall is a member of the University of Illinois's Private Certified Housing system which allows freshman and incoming students to live immediately at Newman Hall without having to live in a University dorm.

Newman House (historical)

For many years, St. John's Catholic Newman center also had an all-female house located about a block away from the main Newman Hall. Newman House was originally a sorority that was purchased by the Newman Foundation. Recently, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign purchased Newman House from the St. John's Catholic Newman Center to make room for a new parking lot. The existing structure of Newman House needed renovation, and the sale of the property was deemed to be in the best interests of the Newman center.

Institute of Catholic Thought

The Institute of Catholic Thought teaches credit and noncredit courses on Catholic topics. Several religious studies classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are taught by faculty members from the Institute of Catholic Thought. These classes are taught from an academic perspective and count for University credit. The Institute also teaches faith-based classes at the Newman Center which are for personal enrichment and not for credit. Recently, the Institute of Catholic Thought published a new book titled "Questions College Students Ask" which was co-written by Christine Pinheiro and Dr. Kenneth Howell.

Student Groups and Organizations

There are a number of groups and organizations which make up St. John's Catholic Newman Center. These organizations include the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, Koinoina, RCIA, Institute of Catholic Thought, Rosary Group, and Network Catholic Fellowship.

FOCUS

There are a total of 8 FOCUS missionaries on campus who lead Bible Studies and meet with students on a one-on-one basis. These Bible studies work to help bring students deeper into their spiritual life by reflecting on scripture passages and by building authentic Christian communities. The one-on-one meetings with students are called "discipleship" and are aimed at teaching the students more about their Catholic faith and how to live out that faith through leading their peers at school and in the work force. Occasional large group meetings allow FOCUS members to meet each other and grow in community. The weekly bible study groups are much smaller and gender-specific. The large group events are open to all students.

Koinonia

Koinonia is derived from a Greek word meaning “fellowship” or “community.” It is often used in the New Testament to refer to the early Christian churches, which met in generally small and intimate settings. A weekend Koinonia retreat is a reminder of those early days, but also an opportunity to live in community with others. During a retreat, participants have the chance to hear about the faith of student leaders and share your experiences with other participants.

Each Koinonia retreat is co-ed and open to those of all faiths. The weekend is experienced from a Catholic perspective, but being Catholic is certainly not required. Generally, participants must be current students of the University of Illinois or Parkland College; a limited number of participants may be from other schools; however, all participants must be college-aged.

RCIA

Rosary Group

The largest rosary group on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus meets Monday-Thursday at 10 PM and Sunday at 10:30 PM at St. John's Catholic Newman Center. Students from across campus come to participate in the rosary. When it's good weather, the group walks around campus as they pray. The rosary is a devotional prayer asking for the intercession of Mary.For information on how to pray the rosary go to http://www.theholyrosary.org.

After the conclusion of the standard rosary, the group also prays for the intention of Pope Benedict and a shortened version of the Litany of the Saints. By praying for the Pope's intentions, receiving the Eucharist on the same day, and going to Confession it is possible to receive a pleniary indulgence by praying the rosary. For more information on pleniary indulgences, see:

http://www.catholic.com/library/myths_about_indulgences.asp

Network Catholic Fellowship

Officially, Network is a Registered Student Organization affiliated with the University of Illinois. The main goal of Network is to provide opportunities for students to learn more about the Catholic faith. The two main components of Network include small group and large group meetings. The small groups involve a leader meeting weekly with a group of 10-20 students. The large groups involve a presentation from St. John Catholic Newman Center staff about an issue of the Catholic faith.

Expansion Plans

Several problems exist with the current building used by St. John's Catholic Newman Center. First, demand for their services has greatly outpaced the capacity of their building. Every year, they are faced with a waiting list of students who wish to live at Newman Hall. Secondly, the existing building no longer meets Champaign-Urbana fire code regulations with regards to sprinklers. Third, the University of Illinois recently acquired Newman House from St. John's Catholic Newman Center. This reduced Catholic housing opportunities for female students. Fourth, the existing chapel lacked air conditioning during the summer months. These factors (and many more) combined to necessitate the current Expansion Plans. SJCNC staff members estimate that there are a total of 12,000 Catholic students on campus being served by their Newman Center.

Presently, construction has begun on the new dorm addition which will double the capacity of Newman Hall and introduce new suite style rooms. Construction of the addition is estimated to cost $26 million dollars and will be completed in Fall 2008. A webcam of the site is available at:

http://www.sjcnc.org/illuminate/images/current.jpg

The next phase of the project involves a $12 million dollar renovation of the existing building. Fundraising for this part of the project is still underway. During the renovation, no students will be able to live in the old part of the building.

Sources

http://koinonia.sjcncministries.org/Koinonia/Home.html

http://www.stjohnsuiuc.org/prayer_groups.php

http://www.newmanhall.org/files/06-07_Guidebook.pdf

http://www.sjcnc.org/illuminate/index.html

http://certified.housing.uiuc.edu/