Dear Parent or Parents of new students,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to UIC, and, in particular, to the John Paul II Newman Center. Your child has indicated that their faith is important to them while at college, and I want to assure you that, as the Catholic Church on campus, they are important to us.

As the Church on campus, we offer a full and rich sacramental life, including Mass twice daily in addition to Sunday afternoon and evening. Through our Integritas Institute for Ethics, students complement their classroom studies by learning what it means to live ethically both in personal and professional life. And with a range of service programs, from volunteering locally with inner city youth to taking a Spring Break trip to rebuild homes in Appalachia, students at the Newman Center learn the meaning of the words from Scripture, “I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works” (James 2:18).

College offers first-year students unprecedented freedom to learn about themselves and their world. Sadly, for many, this freedom can lead to harmful choices. It is unsurprising that studies show the majority of those who fall away from the faith do so in their college years.

We are confident that in the JPII Newman Center students find a safe place to explore the questions and challenges that arise in their college years. From experience, we are also confident that they will do so not only through the priests and ministry staff, but through the friends and community that they find here.

So I invite not only your son or daughter into the Newman Center, but, if you haven’t already, I invite you to come see for yourself what many students call their “home away from home.”

Sincerely,

Fr. Patrick Marshall
Chaplain/Executive Director
UIC Alumnus

P.S. We estimate that it costs $125 dollars per student per year to meet programming expenses. Would you consider sponsoring a student today?