09/23/2026
"I rejoice in coming home again—as if it were to my long home which extends to heaven, 'the home of our eternity'... Almighty God has brought me home again in spite of all difficulties, fears, obstacles, troubles, and trials." —Saint John Henry Newman
Dear friends and supporters of the Newman Center,
Every year, we ask our students to reflect on their experience of the Newman Center, how they got involved here, and what this place has meant to them. The most common comment is something like “The Newman Center has been my home away from home.” There is nothing accidental about this.
"""To me Newman is more than just a place to go on Sunday. It was my first 'home away from home' on campus. The first place I felt I could truly be myself."""
When St. John Henry Newman left Oxford, converted to Roman Catholicism, became a Catholic priest, and returned to England, the first thing he did was found an “Oratory” in Birmingham. His oratory was meant to be a home, and when he traveled he longed to come back to it. The members of the oratory became his family, because he saw that the perfect model for the parish and for religious life and for education was the perfect love and grace and support of the Holy Family. He wanted to live in a home and family like that, and he wanted to provide that kind of family for his fellow priests, religious, and lay people that lived together in his community.
"""For the average freshman who has never lived away from home before, having a second family here means everything."""
I think of Newman’s commitment to the oratory as his home and family every Fall semester when we welcome our new college students as a part of the Newman family. We schedule all kinds of events to welcome them, like bonfires and slip-n-slide kickball and game nights. We eat a lot of meals around a lot of tables. We give them a place to talk about their futures, their struggles, their faith, and their dreams. We take them on adventures, hiking or swimming or camping. We get them out in the community to serve and to learn about the people in need around them. We pray and study Scripture and celebrate the sacraments. Many of them meet their future spouses and lay the foundation for their own family life.
"""Although I did not expect to when I first came here, I found my home and my faith at Newman."""
The other side of family life is the bills. I mentioned in my last letter our goal of installing solar panels and raising money to help reduce the burden of our utility bills. Food and fuel have been particularly hit by rising costs in the last few years, and our “family” has a lot of mouths to feed! I know that your own families face the same costs and the same demands, so I am grateful for the sacrifices you make to provide this home as a faith family for the next generation of college students. Please consider making a gift or donation today to support our work, to keep the lights on, and to provide our students with a place to discover and renew and live out their faith.
"""The meals are always delicious, nutritious, and remind me of being home again."""
In His peace,
Tim Taylor, Director
P.S. Our Fall Gala is our single biggest fundraiser of the year. Please look at the information about how to be a sponsor and keep this great tradition going. Come back November 7 to hang out with the family!
"""Thank you for your generous support of this place I have come to call my home away from home!"""
