Blessed John Henry Newman, a British theologian, was born on February 21, 1801 in London, England. He was an influential churchman and man of letters, who led the Oxford Movement in the Church of England. Later he became a cardinal-deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. His powerful books, particularly Parochial and Plain Sermons, Lectures on the Prophetical Office of the Church and University Sermons, revitalized importance on the church. By 1845 he came to view the Roman Catholic Church as
Newman Centers were named in honor of Blessed John Henry Newman and were inspired by Newman's writings. The first Newman Center was established in 1893 at the University of Pennsylvania. Newman Centers are residence and Catholic ministry centers at non-Catholic universities throughout the world. There are approximately 250 centers in the United States that provide pastoral services and ministries to their Catholic communities, in particular to the Roman Catholic student population within universities throughout the world.
Campus Ministry at Weber State University is a core activity. Proudly rooted in the Catholic tradition, this program is open to all Weber State students regardless of religious background and seeks to meet all students’ pastoral needs. Weber State University Newman Center ∙ 3738 Custer Avenue ∙ Ogden, UT 84403 ∙ Phone: (801) 399-9531∙ Mass times: M, T, W & F at 12:30, Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 6pm and 7pm. Father Charles Cummins oversees the entire Campus Ministry program and runs the Newman Center himself. He is a very warm and approachable priest. Fr. Charles enjoys getting to know the students and serving them. We had a chance to speak after mass and he told me, “There are over 26,000 students here and only about 1,000 of them live in the dorms. We are a commuter campus and so we don’t get too many students here, because they go to their own churches. The biggest mass we have here is at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. We will be filled here and down stairs because we have it on television with help of this camera. The two rooms downstairs are also used for those who are physically challenged or those with little ones.” Most gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for our faithful priests, whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, and devotion is so vital to the faith of your people. Assist all spiritual fathers, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth. May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them. Amen.
The first thing I saw was a long “Catholic Student Center” sign just in front of the tall brick building. There is a tall wooden cross to the right of the front door that spans about ten feet long. Just below the cross is a Newman Center sign and it is easily seen just off the main road around the university. Just pass the front door I felt like I was in a large living room with extra seating. There were statues and art work that adorned the walls. Two stairways lead up to the chapel area. Once upstairs I noticed the rows of chairs and a main aisle that lead to the altar. The altar was adorned in white embroidered linen, two lit candles, and two white angles in front of the table legs. There were poinsettias scattered around the altar area. Behind the altar table is a brick wall with three glass panel windows that allow the light to flow in and illuminate the table. Immediately behind the table and between the glass panels is an elegant crucifix. An adoration area for Mary is to the right along with a baptismal font and the paschal candle. To the left of the altar is a very nice chair for Father Cummins, the podium, a double banner with the tabernacle behind.
There is a large assortment of eclectic artwork displayed both upstairs and down. These items are composed of donations from past and current parishioners. They all work to make the Newman Center special and very homey. May God bless the students, parishioners and Father Cummins.