Newman Center launched for the Elmhurst U Catholic community

On By Vaseline

Elmhurst University has launched the first Newman Center for Catholic Ministry on campus, creating a center for support, resources, community and more for the university’s Roman Catholic community.

University Chaplain H. Scott Matheney the Newman Center announced on Tuesday, April 30, at the start of the annual Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Lecture and after a day of activities exploring Catholicism and what it means to the campus community. Newman Centers are Catholic campus ministries located at universities across the country and around the world. They are named after Cardinal John Henry Newman and are inspired by Newman’s writings, esp The idea of ​​the universitythe subject of this year’s Bernardin lecture.

Rev. Matheney noted that while the Newman Center in Elmhurst does not have a physical location, “it is really organic to who we are and what we want to be, and to what the Catholic community needs here.

“I wish we could say to our Bluejay Catholics (student body), to our staff, faculty and administrators that there is and always has been a place in this institution for Catholic life, and the joy of what that means. ”

Justin Reyesdirector of the Catechesis and Evangelization Department of the Diocese of Joliet, agreed that the center serves an important purpose “because the purpose of a Newman Center is to help Catholics better integrate their faith into their lives, into their experiences as students.” and that’s what’s happening in Elmhurst.

The Newman Center offers a number of resources and capabilities, including:

  • Weekly student mass at Immaculate Conception Parish in Elmhurst
  • Bluejay Catholics student organization, which meets regularly on campus to plan programs, hold conversations, and provide community service opportunities
  • The annual Cardinal Joseph Bernardin lecturethat brings prominent Catholic theologians to campus to discuss faith-related issues
  • Service options with groups such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and other Catholic organizations
  • Community outreach

“This center celebrates our ongoing work to build our Catholic life together at Elmhurst University,” Matheney said. This type of caring community provides students with support and confidence to excel throughout their lives. For more information, contact the Chaplain’s office at [email protected] or (630) 617-3025.