About Allegheny College · Meadville, Pennsylvania
Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, hosts the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, which provides Catholic worship, formation, and fellowship to students, faculty, and staff at this liberal-arts college in the Diocese of Erie. Sunday evening Mass is celebrated in the historic Ford Memorial Chapel, a Gothic Revival sandstone building dedicated in 1902. The ministry is led by Fr. Jeff Lucas, a priest of the Diocese of Erie who serves simultaneously as pastor of The Epiphany of the Lord Parish in Meadville and St. Hippolyte Parish in Frenchtown. Newman's programming — weekly Mass, retreats, mission trips, Stations of the Cross, Tenebrae, dinners with the Bishop, and fellowship outings — anchors Catholic life on campus within the college's broader Spiritual, Religious, and Personal Well-Being (SRPW) office.
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Jeff Lucas
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Why belong here
Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Allegheny offers a complete rhythm of Catholic student life: weekly Sunday evening Mass in the historic Ford Memorial Chapel, retreats, Stations of the Cross during Lent, a Tenebrae service with ACO, a January mission trip, dinners with the Bishop, and fellowship events like the Family Weekend Brunch, Corn Maze outing, Easter Egg Hunt, and the end-of-year 'Mass on the Grass.' Fr. Jeff Lucas keeps regular office hours on Tuesdays (1–4 PM, Campus Center Room 310A) and is also available by appointment, so pastoral guidance and sacramental preparation are close at hand. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome, and the ministry is a gateway into the wider Meadville Catholic community, including The Epiphany of the Lord Parish.
Mass times at Allegheny College
Weekly Mass schedule
About Newman Catholic Campus Ministry
Newman Catholic Campus Ministry is the Catholic student organization at Allegheny College, part of the college's broader Spiritual, Religious, and Personal Well-Being (SRPW) office. The Newman Association 'provides faith and fellowship events for Alleghenians who are interested in the Catholic Christian faith,' creating opportunities to practice, learn about, and share the Catholic Christian faith and culture with the wider Allegheny community. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome. The ministry is affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Erie, and its campus minister is also the pastor of two local parishes, giving students a direct link to the wider diocesan Church.
Catholic Clergy and Staff
Catholic ministry on campus is served by Rev. Fr. Jeff Lucas, a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Fr. Lucas is Catholic Campus Minister, Newman Advisor, and pastor of The Epiphany of the Lord Parish in Meadville and St. Hippolyte Parish in Frenchtown. He celebrates Sunday evening Mass during the academic year, meets with the Newman community on Monday evenings, and holds office hours on Tuesdays from 1–4 p.m. in Campus Center Room 310A, with appointments available outside those hours. Newman can be reached at (814) 332-2800 and by email at [email protected].
- Rev. Fr. Jeff Lucas — Catholic Campus Minister, Newman Advisor
- Office: Campus Center Room 310A, Tuesdays 1–4 p.m. or by appointment
- Newman meetings: Monday evenings
- Phone: 814-332-2800
- Email: [email protected]
Ford Memorial Chapel
Sunday Mass and most Catholic worship on campus takes place in Ford Memorial Chapel, one of the most architecturally distinguished buildings at Allegheny College. The chapel sits along North Main Street, just south of Ruter Hall, and serves both as the home of Newman worship and as a venue for college-wide ceremonies including initiations and the College Honors Convocation. When not in use for events, it is open to students seeking a quiet place to pray or meditate, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekends.
- Sunday Roman Catholic Mass at 6:30 p.m. during the academic year
- Occasional Protestant services
- Periodic praise and worship services
- Lenten services
- Candlelight Christmas service
- College Honors Convocation and initiation services
Architecture and History of Ford Chapel
Ford Memorial Chapel was constructed in 1901–02 as a gift of industrialist John Baptiste Ford in memory of his wife Mary, and was dedicated in June 1902 with Bishop E.G. Andrews preaching the dedicatory sermon. It was designed by Philadelphia architect Charles Webber Bolton, already known for his church designs and for buildings at Lafayette College, and at President William Crawford's direction it was modeled on the chapel at Mount Holyoke College. The exterior is rock-faced Cleveland sandstone in a Gothic Revival style with Romanesque rounded arches. Interior features include a pipe organ, stained-glass windows (gothic on the north and south, a rose window to the east, and smaller chancel windows to the west), wood-and-plaster decorative work, and replica chandeliers.
- Built 1901–02, dedicated June 1902
- Architect: Charles Webber Bolton (Philadelphia)
- Modeled on Mount Holyoke College Chapel
- Exterior: rock-faced Cleveland sandstone
- Stained glass: gothic (north & south), rose (east), smaller chancel windows (west)
Deagan Tower Chimes
In September 1918, Ford Chapel received a set of Deagan tower chimes, given by alumni to mark the 25th anniversary of President William Crawford's tenure. The chimes were refurbished in 2018 and are reported to be the oldest intact, functioning set of Deagan tower chimes in the United States. They ring throughout the week when classes are in session and on special occasions such as Commencement and Alumni Weekend. (As of the most recent chapel information, the chimes have been temporarily inoperable while undergoing maintenance.)
- Installed September 1918
- Gift from alumni for Crawford's 25th anniversary
- Refurbished 2018
- Reported oldest intact, functioning Deagan chime set in the U.S.
Renovations to Ford Chapel
The chapel's interior was altered significantly during the mid-twentieth century, including a drastic change to the chancel area that removed wood-and-plaster detail and plastered over the decorative windows; the original wooden spire was removed from the south tower due to rot, and the tower was expanded in 1939 to comply with fire codes. A 1993 renovation uncovered the chancel windows, and a 2009 project restored wood-and-plaster decorative work, refinished the woodwork throughout the building, and installed replicas of the original chandeliers. The north and south gothic windows were also replaced with stained glass based on photographs of the originals.
- 1939: south tower expanded, spire removed
- 1993: chancel windows uncovered
- 2009: wood/plaster decorative work restored; chandeliers replicated
Newman Programs and Fellowship
Newman helps students grow in faith through a wide range of liturgical, devotional, and service programming during the academic year. Highlights include weekly Sunday Mass, a special Dinner with the Bishop, Stations of the Cross during Lent, a joint Tenebrae service with ACO, retreats, and a January Mission Trip. Fellowship activities build community across the year — Family Weekend Brunch, a Corn Maze outing, Confessions and Coldstone, and an Easter Egg Hunt — and there are service events such as a Watershed Cleanup and dinners with homebound parishioners at the local parish.
- Weekly Sunday Mass
- Dinner with the Bishop
- Stations of the Cross
- Tenebrae (with ACO)
- Retreats
- January Mission Trip
- Family Weekend Brunch
- Corn Maze outing
- Confessions and Coldstone
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Dinner with Homebound Parishioners
- Mass on the Grass (weather permitting)
- Watershed Cleanup
Other Religious Observances on Campus
Catholic worship at Ford Chapel is one strand of a wider interfaith life at Allegheny, coordinated through the SRPW office. During the academic year, the SRPW office publishes a schedule of services offered when classes are in session, and it maintains a list of Meadville-area congregations and coordinates a fall tour of local churches to help students find a faith home. The office also marks Jewish High Holy Days, Passover Seder, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Advent/Christmas observances, Earth Day, the Islamic celebrations of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Hindu festivals of Diwali and Holi, memorial occasions, and Wheel of the Year and other Pagan rituals.
- Friday Jum'ah Prayers, 1:00 p.m., PAM House — Muslim Life
- Friday Shabbat Service/Dinner, 5:00 p.m., Jewish Community Center or Hillel House
- Allegheny Christian Outreach (ACO) and Lighthouse
- Meadville-area congregation directory and fall church tour
Religious Services in Meadville
Many Allegheny students also attend worship in town. SRPW keeps an updated directory of nearby congregations and the services they offer. The Catholic parish most closely tied to the college is The Epiphany of the Lord Parish (Saturday Mass 4:30 p.m.; Sunday Masses 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. as listed on the college's directory). Other congregations on the list include Stone United Methodist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, First Christian Church, Pleasantview Alliance Church, Meadville Alliance Church, and United Faith Fellowship Church of God, with several offering live-streamed or recorded services online.
- The Epiphany of the Lord Parish — Sat 4:30 pm; Sun 7:30, 9:00, 11:30 am
- Stone United Methodist Church — Sun 9:30 am on Facebook
- First Presbyterian Church — Sun 10:00 am on Armstrong Cable channels 23 and 100
- Calvary Baptist Church, First Christian Church, Meadville Alliance, Pleasantview Alliance, United Faith Fellowship Church of God
Getting Involved
Newman welcomes all students, faculty, and staff of Allegheny College. To learn more about Catholic life on campus, contact Fr. Jeff Lucas at 814-332-2800 or by email at [email protected] (also: [email protected]). SRPW staff are available to meet with students during posted office hours or by appointment, and the Student Life Suite (310) is open to any member of the Allegheny community looking for spiritual or religious resources, a place to hang out, or someone to talk with.
- Phone: 814-332-2800
- Email: [email protected]
- Office: Campus Center Room 310A (Tuesdays 1–4 p.m. or by appointment)
- Student Life Suite 310 — open to all for spiritual/religious resources