Christian Leadership Formation

Of the 25,000 students who attend UIC, approximately 15,000 identify themselves as “Catholic.” With such a sizable Catholic population, the John Paul II Newman Center serves a vital role on UIC’s campus as the center of Catholic worship, as well as a resource for spiritual formation and religious education. The Newman Center provides students with a place to call their spiritual home for the years they spend at UIC, and aims to instill in them a strong faith foundation—strong enough to continue to support their faith lives, long after they graduate.

We at the Newman Center recognize the unique role campus ministry can play in the lives of the student community. Students come to UIC as freshmen, no longer dependent upon their families to direct their spiritual formation. This is a critical time in faith development, a point when many young people who have been involved in religious worship and programs in the past simply stop going to church, or engaging in any religious activity. In a secular society that offers little in the way of moral guidance or spiritual sustenance, the presence of the church is all the more crucial on a college campus to help fill these voids.

Through opportunities for worship, faith formation, service to others, and Christian fellowship, the Newman Center seeks to fulfill the spiritual needs of the student community at UIC. The college years are a fertile time in a young person’s life for inquiry and reflection, a time when most are confronted with deeper philosophical and spiritual questions, and the Newman Center provides a supportive environment in which students can explore their faith life and strengthen their Christian foundations.

Ultimately, the goal of the Newman Center is to help students to grow and develop in their faith in Christ, and to send them out into the world upon graduation as strong, dedicated Catholics who make faith a priority in their lives and serve as congregants and leaders in their parish communities. We recognize that our students will be the future leaders of the Church and of society, and feel called to help them on their journey of faith and moral development through worship, education, and opportunities for Christian leadership.