History
Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Utah dates back to 1920 when Father Duane G. Hunt organized the original Newman Club with fifty-one charter members. As the club grew, it moved into the basement of Cobblecrest House on South Temple in 1933. In 1944 Father William E. Vaughn was appointed chaplain. The club joined the National Federation of Newman Clubs in 1948 and moved from Cobblecrest to our present location which was then known as Emery House. It has been over 90 years since the Newman Center opened its doors to the students of the University of Utah. During that time it has fostered spiritual renewal, intellectual discussion, and a sense of Catholic community where all are welcomed to the Table of Christ. The arrival of the Dominicans in 1981 put St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Newman Center on a new course. The Center has been remarkably successful in inviting young adults into ministry.
Specialties
St. Catherine of Siena University Parish is a campus ministry that complements the secular education provided at the University of Utah. We provide a home for the students, members of the University community, and others who choose to join us, in which they can strengthen their faith, develop their gifts, and grow into passionate, faithful disciples of Christ and leaders of the Catholic Church. To this end, the whole St. Catherine's community is vital and necessary in the task of realizing the Incarnation of Jesus Christ on campus and in the world. We challenge ourselves to make St. Catherine's into a place of welcome and joy as we worship together; to be a place of generous hospitality and resource for those seeking to learn about scripture, sacraments and the Catholic tradition; and to especially be a place of hope and solace for those in time of need. For our Liturgical schedule please visit the parish website.