The Catholic faith community at the University of Rochester campus will have a new, larger space to gather later starting later this year.
Officials on Monday had a groundbreaking ceremony for what will be a new building to house the Catholic Newman Community at UR.
There are Newman centers across the country on college and university campuses. Up to now, the Newman Community at UR has been part of an Interfaith Chapel on campus.
Director of the Catholic Newman Community, Father Brian Cool, said that they have outgrown the Interfaith Chapel.
He said the new building will provide a dedicated Catholic worship space, whereas with the current setup, the Newman community has to set up and take down its worship space on a regular basis since they share the chapel with other faiths.
Cool said that the number of students that go to Catholic services and attend other activities at the campus ebbs and flows, although he has seen an increase in the last few years.
“To me, it's about engagement.,” said Cool, “and if you engage the students, you provide a strong place for them to go and to live out their faith and make it meaningful to them, they’ll come. And we currently have 900 students that are registered with us at Newman. And we have about 350 or so that come on a monthly basis to services.
The new Catholic center at UR will be named for Joseph Mack, a 1955 graduate of the university who has donated more than $1.5 milion toward the cost of the building. That new building plus an endowment for future expenses, will total about $8.5 million. It’s anticipated it will be ready by November or December.
Cool said even though the new building will focus on the Catholic community, other faith communities are welcome to use it.
“Although we will be in our own building, it provides a building for other faith communities to see how Catholics and why Catholics do what they do, and it also provides us an opportunity," Cool said. "As our students said to us, they want to have a space where they can invite their friends and other groups that they’re a part of, to use this space.”
Plans are also in development for a new facility to house the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life at the University of Rochester campus.
