Finding Faith on Campus: The St. Paul Newman Center

BisonCatholic is a faith-based student organization at North Dakota State University that provides students with opportunities to grow in their faith and connect with others through the Catholic community.

Located at the corner of University Drive and 12th Avenue, the St. Paul Catholic Newman Center serves as a home for BisonCatholic, offering students opportunities to attend Mass, participate in the sacraments, join Bible studies and take part in other faith-based activities and events.

Newman Centers are Catholic campus ministries that provide spiritual, educational and social support for students, particularly at secular colleges and universities.

Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman was an influential 19th-century English theologian, educator and convert to Catholicism. Cardinal Newman promoted the idea that faith and reason should coexist, arguing that a higher education is incomplete without God.

The movement began in the United States in 1883, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and just ten years later in 1893, students at the University of Pennsylvania were inspired and formed the first official Newman Club.

From World War I until the late 1960s, campus ministers shifted from informal student clubs to creating dedicated physical spaces, houses, and chapels near secular campuses. Today, there are over 2,000 Newman Centers across the United States, offering services including Sunday Mass, daily Mass, confession, counseling, community events, bible studies, and much more.

The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) was founded in 1998 by Curtis Martin at the Benedictine College in Kansas. FOCUS missionaries work with college students through activities such as Bible studies, discipleship, mentorship and outreach events.

According to FOCUS, the organization currently has 1,062 missionaries serving at 259 locations across the United States and abroad. Six FOCUS missionaries currently serve at the St. Paul Newman Center here in Fargo: three men and three women.

At NDSU, students can experience this Catholic campus community through BisonCatholic. The organization brings students together through Mass, Bible studies, the sacraments, men’s and women’s nights, and other activities, including dances hosted at the St. Paul Newman Center.

In addition to weekly activities, BisonCatholic offers students the opportunity to attend retreats throughout the year, providing time for students to reflect on their faith and connect with others for a weekend. BisonCatholic Nights also gives students an opportunity to gather for faith and fellowship outside of Mass.

The Newman Center also provides opportunities for students interested in learning more about Catholicism. The center offers OCIA, a process for adults preparing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Following the Sunday 5 p.m. Mass, anyone can attend the Buck Luck, which is a $1 meal hosted by BisonCatholic that gives NDSU students an opportunity to share a meal and meet others.

The St. Paul Newman Center offers Mass throughout the week, including daily Mass Monday through Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., Thursday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 12:10 p.m. Sunday mass is at 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m, with a Saturday evening Mass at 5 p.m. Confession is offered Monday through Wednesday from 4:15 p.m. to 5:10 p.m., and Saturday from 4 to 4:45 p.m. The adoration schedule has not been posted for the semester yet.

The Newman Center also serves as a place for students to study and spend time between classes. With study spaces and the Crux coffee shop available, students can work on assignments, grab a drink or snack and connect with others.

BisonCatholic currently has over 600 members. For McKenna Ernst, a senior at NDSU, being a part of that community has become an important part of her college experience.

Ernst is involved in BisonCatholic and leads a Bible study at the Newman Center. Through her involvement, Ernst said she has been able to grow in her personal faith while building friendships with other women on campus.

“Being involved in BisonCatholic has absolutely transformed my faith life and my college experience,” Ernst said. “Having a welcoming place to pray, grow in community and deepen my relationship with Jesus has been the absolute highlight of my time at NDSU.”

Leading a Bible study has also allowed Ernst to share her faith with other students. She said the Newman Center has become a home for her and appreciates how accessible it is for NDSU students.

“I love how easy it is to get involved, go to Mass and receive the sacrament of confession right across the street from main campus,” Ernst said.

For students interested in learning more about joining BisonCatholic, seeing the St. Paul Newman Center, becoming Catholic or for any more information, visit the website bisoncatholic.org