About Ashland University · Ashland, Ohio
The Newman Community of Ashland University is the Catholic campus ministry serving Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Operating under the Diocese of Cleveland's Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, the community provides a Catholic university experience for students, faculty, and staff through the sacraments, faith formation, retreats, small groups, socials, and service. Sunday Mass, weekly Newman Nights, Eucharistic Adoration, and small-group discipleship are the rhythm of life for this missionary-disciple community centered in the lower level of the Jack & Deb Miller Chapel on the AU campus.
- Patron
- St. John Henry Newman (the community is organized as a 'Newman Community,' the traditional Catholic campus-ministry patron)
- Rector
- Nate Ediger, Catholic Campus Minister (since Fall 2015)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
The Newman Community offers Ashland University students, faculty, and staff a complete Catholic rhythm of life on a campus that is not itself Catholic: weekly Sunday Mass, regular confession, Eucharistic Adoration, small faith-sharing groups, an annual fall retreat, Newman Nights with topical discussion and speakers, and service opportunities in the wider Ashland community. It is a place to encounter Christ through the sacraments, build lifelong friendships, and grow as a 'missionary disciple' alongside other students.
Mass times at Ashland University
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 4:00–4:20 p.m. in the Lower Chapel (when school is in session)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:45 p.m. in the Lower Chapel
About the Newman Community
The Newman Community of Ashland University is the Catholic campus ministry at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, serving students, faculty, and staff of the university. As the website puts it, the community 'seeks to provide a Catholic university experience for students, faculty, and staff on campus. Through the sacraments, social, gatherings, and service to others, the Newman Community fosters a culture in which people encounter Jesus Christ and accompany one another on the journey of faith and life.' The community's culture is built on three pillars: Conversion (changing lives), Community (loving people), and Multiplication (producing disciples) — a way of life the staff describes using Pope Francis's phrase 'missionary disciples accompanying missionary disciples.'
- Three pillars: Conversion, Community, Multiplication
- Part of the Diocese of Cleveland's seven-campus Newman Catholic Campus Ministry network
- Houses in the lower level of the Jack & Deb Miller Chapel on the AU campus
History of the Chapel and Ministry
The chapel that today hosts the Newman Community was built in 1950–1952 as Memorial Chapel at the corner of College Avenue and King Road. By the mid-2000s it was in use around 17 hours a day, according to then-Dean of Religious Life Dan Lawson. In January 2007 it was officially renamed the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel following a $300,000 gift from Jack Miller (a 1974 AU graduate) and his wife Debbie. The renovation added mosaic tile to the façade, a new multimedia center, fresh paint, new carpet, an enlarged stage, and air conditioning, and cemented the chapel's role as the center of religious life on the Ashland University campus. The Catholic campus ministry, which uses the lower level of the chapel, continues to be supported by the Diocese of Cleveland.
- Chapel built 1950–1952, originally as Memorial Chapel
- Renamed Jack & Deb Miller Chapel, January 2007
- $300,000 renovation gift from Jack '74 and Deb Miller
- Nate Ediger has served as Catholic Campus Minister since Fall 2015
Staff and Student Leaders
The ministry is led by a small staff of the Diocese of Cleveland, with student leaders coordinating each major area of parish life.
- Nate Ediger — Catholic Campus Minister; Associate Director of Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Ashland University
- Elizabeth Fick — Coordinator of Discipleship Ministry
- Brenna Heinzerling — Retreats
- Scott Bartlett — Service
- Noah Clegg — Small Groups
Newman Nights and Small Groups
Formation outside the Mass happens primarily through Newman Nights and Small Groups. Newman Nights gather students each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Lower Chapel to consider issues of faith and life through topical discussion, guest speakers, student-led reflections, experiential learning, and prayer/worship. Small Groups are the community's basic unit of discipleship: groups of five to six people, led by both students and staff, that meet weekly to discuss the upcoming Sunday Gospel, pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and build the habits of discipleship. Contact Noah Clegg to join a small group.
- Newman Nights — Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Lower Chapel
- Small Groups of 5–6, weekly Gospel discussion, Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy
- Led by both students and staff
Retreats and Service
The Newman Community runs an annual Fall Retreat and a steady calendar of service projects. The Fall Retreat is described on the ministry's website as 'an awesome way to get to know new classmates at the beginning of a new school year,' built around prayer activities, games, and witness talks. Service is described as 'an essential part of our ministry' — opening 'our minds and hearts to those in need on our campus, within our community, and around the world.' Students interested in retreat life should contact Brenna Heinzerling; those interested in service should contact Scott Bartlett.
- Annual Fall Retreat (contact: Brenna Heinzerling)
- Service opportunities on campus, in the Ashland community, and internationally (contact: Scott Bartlett)
- Service projects scheduled throughout the week
Diocese of Cleveland and the Wider Newman Network
The Newman Community at Ashland University is one of seven Newman Catholic Campus Ministries operated by the Diocese of Cleveland, which also serves the University of Akron, Baldwin Wallace University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Oberlin College, and the College of Wooster. The diocesan director is Dr. Joann Rymarczyk-Piotrkowski, and each campus has an Associate Director; for Ashland University, that role is held by Nate Ediger. The diocesan office's mission statement is: 'Newman Catholic Campus Ministry seeks to encounter and accompany students, faculty and staff to form welcoming communities which invite all into a deeper relationship with Christ.'
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
- Diocesan Director: Dr. Joann Rymarczyk-Piotrkowski
- Ashland University Associate Director: Nate Ediger
- Six sister Newman ministries across northeast Ohio
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Nate EdigerFall 2015 – present
1998 B.A. Religion graduate of Ashland University; came into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2013; previously served as Director of Youth Ministry in a parish and as an Associate Director for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Leads the community as Catholic Campus Minister.