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Catholic students have been coming together at Illinois State for over a hundred years. A Newman Club was founded on campus in the 1920s. The original Newman Club met in a small house and its active members attended Mass at Holy Trinity Parish since they did not have their own chapel.
In 1967, the ministry was changed by the construction of the Newman Center. With its industrial warehouse construction, this center was initially meant to be temporary but remains to this day as the back portion of the current Newman Center. In the early 2000s the diocesan capital campaign, “Rooted in Faith,” under Bishop Daniel Jenky emphasized Newman Centers, and funds were allotted for an addition to the Newman Center for a space to better serve the students of Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Heartland Community College. This project added the portion of the building closest to ISU's campus and the chapel. In addition to the chapel, the front included office spaces and other spaces for activities. The project began in 2008 and the first mass celebrated in the new chapel was on August 22, 2010. Bishop Jenky dedicated the St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel on November 7, 2010, and the Center after St. John Paul II (at the time Blessed). This new portion of the building was a great expansion to the ministry and was beloved by students. In this period, the Newman Center was faithfully served for over a decade by sisters from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SCTJM). Several Sisters were part of the center and served as directors. In 2022, Bishop Louis Tylka, assigned Father Kyle Lucas to the St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center, as director and chaplain. During the 2022-2023 school year, plans began to update the front of the building and make significant changes in the back. This renovation project began in May of 2023, with the front renovation being completed in August and the major renovations in the back wrapping up in October 2023. This project added two new offices, a new conference room, and classroom space, updated bathrooms, and other cosmetic updates in the front of the building. In the older back portion, the project included a new commercial kitchen, bathroom updates, new flooring & lighting, and the creation of a dedicated quiet study space. The newly renovated space was blessed by Bishop Tylka and a celebration was held October 29, 2023 in honor of the renovation being complete and the back reopening to the community. In the Fall of 2023, FOCUS missionaries joined the ministry. FOCUS, or the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, is an organization that trains and equips young adults to go on mission at university campuses across the United States. The presence of a team of missionaries helps further the mission of the St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center and reaches even more students through discipleship and Bible studies. As the Center looks to the future, there are hopes of expanding and increasing the impact of the Newman Center at the three campuses they serve. The Newman Center has been and continues to be a place where people foster lifelong connections and has been the starting point for many friendships and marriages. The Center has also supported many who have answered the call to religious life. Several women over the years have become religious sisters, as well as men who entered seminary. Most recently, in the spring of 2023, two ISU alums were ordained, one to the transitional diaconate and one to the priesthood for the Diocese of Peoria. We daily rely on the intercession of our patrons, St. John Paul II, St. Robert Bellarmine, and St. John Henry Newman, as we strive to lead all students closer to the heart of Jesus Christ. |
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Articles
"Newman Center Remains a Place to Pray and Play," August 3, 2009 from Illinois State News
"Expanded Newman Center, new chapel opens at ISU-Normal," August 20, 2010 from The Catholic Post
"Newman Chapel Dedicated; Center Renamed for Pope John Paul II," November 13, 2010 from The Catholic Post
"Bishop Tylka Welcomed Into the Family at St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center," November 14, 2020 from The Catholic Post
"It’s ‘Welcome Home’ as Renovated St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center is Blessed," October 30, 2023 from The Catholic Post
"Newman Center Remains a Place to Pray and Play," August 3, 2009 from Illinois State News
"Expanded Newman Center, new chapel opens at ISU-Normal," August 20, 2010 from The Catholic Post
"Newman Chapel Dedicated; Center Renamed for Pope John Paul II," November 13, 2010 from The Catholic Post
"Bishop Tylka Welcomed Into the Family at St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center," November 14, 2020 from The Catholic Post
"It’s ‘Welcome Home’ as Renovated St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center is Blessed," October 30, 2023 from The Catholic Post
