By Andrew Winter
1.
Cardinal John Henry Newman, a convert from Anglicanism and a Catholic saint and Doctor of the Church, is the patron of the American Newman Center system. Cardinal Newman believed in the power of education to save souls, and today Newman Centers across the nation save the souls of college students in practical ways every day. In Nebraska there are three Newman Centers, one at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), one at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), and one at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK).
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The Nebraska Newman Centers are havens of grace, fellowship, and the sacraments for college students. Thousands of students come to go to Mass and confession, learn about the faith, enjoy good food and company, and take special classes on Catholic topics.
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The UNL Newman Center was founded in 1906 by a group of students seeking better Catholic community. It was not until 1960, however, that the first Newman Center building was completed in the midst of UNL’s campus, and named for St. Thomas Aquinas. It featured a large chapel, as well as gathering spaces and classrooms. In 2015, the current St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center Church was dedicated, and its beauty continues to inspire and improve the hearts of UNL students.
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The UNL Newman Center offers three Sunday Masses each week, with an average total attendance of 1,800, and their weekday Masses attract about 150 people a day. At the 2026 Easter vigil, the Newman Center welcomed 70 people into full communion with the Catholic Church.
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The Newman Center hosts many events, including retreats, community nights, Eucharistic processions, and late-night holy hours. Every year the Newman Center sends a large group of students to the SEEK conference for Catholic youth seeking to deepen their faith. The Newman Center also welcomes new and returning students with events during the first week of school, hosts an annual Phone-A-Thon fundraiser, and celebrates the Easter vigil with utmost solemnity and overflowing participation.
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FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) has a strong presence at the Newman Center. The young FOCUS missionaries come to UNL from all over the country, and their purpose is to build community, start small groups, found Bible studies, and intensify the prayer lives of the students around them.
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One of the most crucial programs at the UNL Newman Center is the Newman Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture, which offers courses at the Newman Center classrooms which can count for credit at UNL. Patrick Callaghan leads the Newman Institute and teaches his students to more fully appreciate their Catholic intellectual heritage and identity.
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The Newman Center’s student outreach extends beyond the borders of UNL’s campus to Nebraska Wesleyan University and Southeast Community College, both located in Lincoln. Representatives from these schools communicate with the Newman Center’s leadership and help to bring the blessings of the Newman Center to their own campuses.
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Outside of Lincoln, the UNO John Paul II Newman Center serves not only UNO but several other colleges in the city of Omaha as well. The Omaha Newman Center currently offers housing to 162 students. The UNK Newman Center, named for St. Teresa of Calcutta, is in the midst of a campaign for a new church. In December 2024, UNK and the Newman Center concluded a land swap agreement for a property that perfectly suits St. Teresa’s needs for a new church. The agreement calls for UNK to take possession of the Newman Center’s existing premises no later than December 2029, at which time the buildings will be demolished and a UNK parking lot constructed.
