St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center
@ the University of Arizona

What is a Newman Center?

Since the beginning of the last century, special parishes and centers have been set up to serve the spiritual needs of Catholic students at non-Catholic universities and colleges. These centers were named after John Henry Cardinal Newman, an English educator and churchman from the 19th Century. Among Cardinal Newman's extensive theological writings was a series of essays called "The Idea of the University" in which Newman pointed out that the university and Church are driven by the same quest: the search for universal truth. The words "catholic" and "university" are respectively from the Greek and Latin words which mean "universal". Newman Centers are established as part of the university community working along side the university staff and faculty to offer students a more complete education. The Newman Center is a registered student organization which participates fully in the life of the University and a functioning Catholic community which provides all the services of a traditional Catholic parish for members of the university community and others who choose to be a part of our primary mission "to be the presence of Christ on the U of A Campus."

Who are the Dominicans?

"Dominican" is a nickname for the Order of Preachers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. Dominic de Guzman in 1216. Men and women of the Dominican Order commit themselves to a life of community, prayer, study and preaching. Since the High Middle Ages, Dominican priests have ministered in the context of universities, with houses at many of the great medieval universities of Europe: Oxford, Paris, Cologne, Salamanca, Bologna, Fribourg, and others. In the United States, Dominican Friars and Sisters have continued that great tradition of ministry to higher education on the campus of many fine institutions, Catholic and secular, around the country. The Newman Center at the University of Arizona is served by the Friars of the Western Dominican Province and the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, California. The Western Dominican Province has Friars working on Campuses all over the Western United States (including 5 of the Pac-10 Universities!). The Mission San Jose Sisters have worked at all levels of educational ministry in their long history. There is also an active chapter of lay Dominicans at the Newman Center. These are lay men and women who seek to live Dominican spirituality and values in their lives in the world. The chapter is open to students who wish to pursue a deeper understanding of Dominican life and spirituality. The Dominicans who minister at the UofA bring the Order's traditions of study, prayer, preaching, community, and service to life in the vibrant context of Arizona's oldest university!

Who is St. Thomas More?

The patron saint of the U of A Newman Center is St. Thomas More, a great English thinker, writer, statesman, and martyr of the reformation period. King Henry VIII's Lord High Chancellor, lost his life when he chose to side with the Bishop of Rome in the 16th Century dispute which split the Church of England from the Catholic Church. This martyr to Church unity and justice is a fine example to contemporary American Catholics who must learn to live their Catholic values more completely in the midst of a very secular society. St. Thomas More was martyred for his unwillingness to compromise his faith in face of public opinion and political pressure. Ultimately, he is a fine example of Christian integrity. He is the patron saint of lawyers, judges, and public officials