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Faith U: Catholic Newman Centers provide catalyst for faith life in college
By Ashlie Hand | Photos by Megan Marley and Ashlie Hand
According to Newman Ministry, 80 percent of students stop practicing the Faith when they get to college. Students attending colleges or universities in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph are changing that statistic.
University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg
The kitchen and dining area are the heart of the Catholic Newman Center at UCM.
Students at UCM's Catholic Newman Center worship in the new home's spacious multipurpose garage. Photos courtesy Catholic Newman Center at UCM.
“There’s no one telling you to go to Mass, so it’s important to keep your faith life central to everything you do.”
The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is in Warrensburg, a 40-minute drive from Kansas City. The Newman Center sits across from a new student lifestyle center with Starbucks, Spin Pizza and other popular amenities. The main house is where students gather for Mass, meals, social nights and Bible studies and has several study rooms.
The house also can house 12 students for intentional living, and they regularly draw 30 to 50 students to Mass. Kevin O’Reilly is the on-site director and Father Gabriel Lickteig serves as Chaplain.
Tyler Kohout is starting his sophomore year at the University of Central Missouri where he majors in finance and computer science.
Tyler already knew he would be involved in campus ministry before he ever arrived at UCM and drove by the Newman Center during his first tour of the campus. He attended the student involvement fair at the beginning of the school year with Ashley Mudd, who is dating Tyler, and later learned about the new location of the house.
“I thought the house was pretty cool,” Tyler recalls. “Everyone was really welcoming, and we heard about the future plans for the building and how we were going to grow. I got to get involved in painting and getting the house to where it is now.”
It was that sense of personal ownership that led Tyler to get more involved during his second semester. He plans to live in the house this year and says he’s looking forward to the opportunity to live with a group of guys growing in their faith.
“There will be five of us living in the house ... trying to grow closer as brothers,” Tyler explains. “Waking up every morning and praying together, praying together at bedtime, sharing meals together. Keeping each other accountable for the goals that we have and fortifying each other to make us better faith leaders.”
Ashley will be living in the Lourdes Women’s House this fall. This intentional Catholic living community includes prayer partners, weekly prayer time and shared meals. The women live in the same house and support each other in their spiritual life and building friendships. Ashley is looking forward to living next door to the men’s house and growing in faith together.
Tyler’s advice for Catholic high school students about to graduate is to seek out the campus Newman Center. “There’s no one telling you to go to Mass, so it’s important to keep your faith life central to everything you do.”
A BEACON FOR CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY AT UCM
With the support of a loan, the NewmanCenter at UCM acquired two adjacent propertiesto its original house, allowing for anurgently needed expansion. The main NewmanCenter is in a former fraternity houseon one of the most visible corners on theentire UCM campus. Behind the main houseis a smaller residence that has been renovatedinto the Lourdes Women’s House, anintentional Catholic living community.
Kevin O’Reilly, Director of Campus Ministry at the UCM Newman Center, said, “I am beyond EXCITED and PUMPED at how God is moving at UCM! Opening Mass this year had seven students and closing Mass had almost 50. My favorite part of this year was that so many students were coming to daily Mass in our upstairs chapel that the floor could not physically support the number of students coming. We had to move Mass into our multi-purpose garage to accommodate God’s growth and faithfulness.”
Visit ucmcatholic.com to learn how you can contribute to the Newman Center loan repayment fund.
Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville
The Newman Catholic Center at Northwest Missouri State University has become a second home to junior year student, Laura Vrbka.
Northwest Missouri State University is in Maryville, 45 minutes north of St. Joseph. The Newman Center is located across the street from the main entrance to the campus and includes a main house for social gatherings, Newman Center staff offices, a chapel and meeting space; The Guadalupe House, a residential home for women; and Frassati House for men. There are about 100 students actively engaged in Newman Center campus ministry activities throughout the school year. Staff includes Director of Campus Ministry, Max Pawlowski and Father JoshuaBarlett as Chaplain.
Laura Vrbka heads back to Northwest Missouri State this fall as a junior, majoring in early childhood education.
Her freshman year, Laura and her roommate were playing Ultimate Frisbee and met another student who invited them to a bonfire where they met the rest of the Newman Center group.
“There was an immediate connection and it felt like we’d known each other forever, even just after a couple of months,” Laura says. “That’s what I like most about the Newman Center — the community aspect. Everybody knows everybody and we support each other.”
Laura is at the Newman Center at least every other day and she lives at The Guadalupe House, where the residents pray the Rosary three days a week, host regular Bible study, share meals and are expected to live in union with the Church in all aspects of their life.
Laura explains, “I wanted to live in a Catholic community with women to strive to live out virtue, lift me up and support me in my faith.”
Laura's involvement at the Newman Center has given her friendships, fellowship and great resources on Catholic teaching when she has questions about things she hears in class.
Laura’s advice for future college students, “Seek out your college Newman Center and give it a try. You’ll see others walking the same journey that are your age. It will give you hope that there are other people who want to authentically live out their faith.”
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Chapel and tabernacle at the JPII Commons, UMKC.
Ted Reinhardt dove into Catholic campus ministry as soon as he arrived at UMKC.
The JPII Commons at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is across the street from the UMKC campus and next door to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Kansas City. A handful of students are actively involved and committed to ramping up engagement with the start of the fall 2022 semester. Father Adam Haake serves as Chaplain of Catholic Campus Ministry for UMKC.
Ted Reinhardt is entering his fifth and final year at UMKC. He plans to graduate in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management, and a minor in Spanish.
Ted started his college journey at Johnson County Community College, where he was invited to join a spring break camping trip with the missionaries of St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO).
“I could feel in my heart that the Lord was providing me the brotherhood that I had always wanted. When the time to transfer came, I had two decisions on my plate ... the question I asked the Lord was ‘which school needs more of you Lord?’ The answer was UMKC,” Ted says. “I dove into the Kansas City SPO community, and when I transferred, I moved into their men’s household program, where I still live to this day.”
After diving into UMKC/SPO life, Ted became familiar with the JPII Commons and started getting involved in some of its events.
“The JPII Commons is a place where I was met in my desire to grow in my faith, and the friends I made are a great support in this journey of growth and discovery,” he says. “The Lord knows that I need people in my life that care about me, but also want to see me grow, and that’s just what I found in the JPII Commons community: individuals running after the Lord and bringing those around them along for the adventure.”
Through his experience at the JPII Commons, Ted is grateful to have discovered new forms of prayer, deeper levels to the spiritual life and a greater knowledge of the Catholic Church and what she stands for.
For incoming college students who may not know about the Newman Center, Ted’s advice is to just give it a shot.
“The Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways and looking back on my college experience thus far, I couldn’t imagine it the same if I hadn’t gotten involved. Put yourself out there, strike up conversations, embrace the awkwardness and encounter what incredible gifts the Lord has for you.”
Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph
The Newman Center chapel at Missouri Western State University hosts Eucharistic Adoration each Wednesday before Mass.
Missouri Western State University is in St. Joseph, and its Newman Center is located across the road from the main campus. Allyson Gabler serves as director and Father Jonathan Davis serves as Chaplain. There is a small, tight-knit group of students actively involved with Newman Center activities, gathering dailyfor fellowship, Mass in the on-site chapel and meals.
Lillian Kremer is entering her senior year studying computer science.
“The Newman Center is a family. We’re small as an organization, and we’re very close. We give hugs, ask about our day and pray for each other. It’s a family and it’s a home,” she adds.
Lillian visits the Newman Center every day, sometimes to study because it’s quieter, sit in the 24/7 chapel and take some time with God or experience the solemn exposition and adoration before Mass every Wednesday.
“Newman helped me to be proud to be Catholic,” she says. “If God is something you really care about, you have to be able to stand up for that. We’re in the world, but not of the world. Newman helped me realize that.”
Lillian’s advice for students getting ready to start college, “Askyourself what the most important thing in your life is. If it’s being Catholic, you have to make time for it ... you have to chase it.”
As Lillian prepares to graduate and go out into the world, she will carry her Newman Center family with her. “The people I’ve met and witnessing their Faith practice have been very inspiring to me. The Newman Center isn’t one person, it takes all of us — celebrating each other, taking care of the worship spaces, cooking for each other, caring for each other.”
