About Bucknell University CCM- NEWMAN HOUSE · Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Bucknell University Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) at the Newman House is the Catholic spiritual home for students on the campus of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. A ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, CCM welcomes all Bucknell students to incorporate Catholic beliefs and values into everyday campus life through daily and Sunday Mass, the sacraments, retreats, service, and weekly fellowship. The Newman House itself, located at 610 St. George Street, serves as a 'home away from home' with a chapel, living room, kitchen, big front porch, and fireplace where students pray, study, cook, and gather year-round.
- Established
- 1970
- Rector
- Father Tiburtius Raja (Chaplain for the Catholic Community)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg
Why belong here
CCM at Bucknell offers a complete Catholic life on a secular campus: daily and Sunday Mass in two locations (Rooke Chapel on Sundays and the intimate Newman House chapel during the week), the sacraments including Reconciliation before Sunday Mass, RCIA for adults, and one-on-one accompaniment from a full-time chaplain. The Newman House itself is open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. as a chapel, study space, kitchen, and gathering place, and the community gathers for Thursday-night dinners, retreats, Respect Life Week, Bible studies, and outdoor activities. Surrounding parishes and Knights of Columbus councils in Lewisburg, Milton, and Selinsgrove actively support the ministry by providing food and hospitality — making CCM both an on-campus home and a doorway into the wider Catholic community of the Susquehanna Valley.
Mass times at Bucknell University CCM- NEWMAN HOUSE
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 3:30 PM (Rooke Chapel, before 4:00 PM Mass)
Catholic Campus Ministry at Bucknell University
Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) is the official Catholic outreach to students at Bucknell University, welcoming all Bucknellians — Catholic and not — to incorporate Catholic beliefs and values into everyday campus life. A ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, CCM is part of the university's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life within the Division of Student Affairs' Diversity and Inclusion team. CCM provides spiritual enrichment and sacramental support to a student body at a secular university, where, as chaplain Father Raja has noted, 'it can be a challenge to live the Catholic faith here on campus.'
- Ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg
- Part of Bucknell's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
- Open to all Bucknell students regardless of background
The Newman House
Located at 610 St. George Street, the Newman House is the Catholic community's center for spiritual education and informal fellowship — a 'home away from home' for many Bucknellians. With its comfortable living room, big front porch, piano, fireplace, and kitchen, the house provides space to pray in the chapel, study, cook, watch television, and relax with friends. During the academic year the Newman House is open every day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (closed during breaks), and all are welcome.
- Address: 610 St. George Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837
- Chapel, living room, kitchen, fireplace, front porch
- Open 8 a.m.–11 p.m. daily during the academic year
CCM Leadership & Staff
CCM is guided by Father Tiburtius Raja, Bucknell's full-time chaplain for the Catholic community. He is assisted by the Assistant Catholic Campus Minister and a Program Assistant, who together coordinate the day-to-day operation of the Newman House in collaboration with the student-run CCM organization.
- Father Tiburtius Raja — Chaplain for the Catholic Community ([email protected])
- Timothy Ledna — Assistant Catholic Campus Minister ([email protected])
- Tracey Bobb — Program Assistant / Office Coordinator ([email protected])
Life at CCM: Programs & Fellowship
In addition to weekly Masses, CCM hosts a wide slate of events throughout the academic year that are open to anyone in the Bucknell community. From Thursday-night dinners and cookouts to retreats, outdoor adventures, Bible studies, and Respect Life Week, CCM builds what its staff describe as a community 'with pillars of community service, social activities, spiritual activities and outreach.'
- Thursday night dinners
- Cookouts and community meals
- Retreats (spiritual, outdoor)
- Bible and book studies
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
- Community service opportunities
- Outdoor activities: kayaking, hikes, runs, campfires
- Respect Life Week events
- Fall celebration, Super Bowl Party, holiday parties
- Family Weekend events and Thanksgiving meal
Diocesan & Wider Church Connection
CCM operates under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg and is one of 12 Catholic campus-ministry programs in the diocese. Local parishes and Knights of Columbus councils in Lewisburg, Milton, and Selinsgrove support the ministry by preparing meals for students, helping them feel part of the larger Catholic community while they are away from home. CCM also welcomes visits from the bishop and diocesan leadership — most recently Bishop Timothy Senior in April.
- Diocese of Harrisburg (CLEV — Youth and Young Adult / Campus Ministry office: 570-577-7951)
- Bishop Timothy Senior's visit to the Newman House on April 10
- Parish and Knights of Columbus support from Lewisburg, Milton, and Selinsgrove
History & Archives
Catholic Campus Ministry began in 1970 with the appointment of Rev. Bernie Petrina as moderator of campus ministries for Bucknell, Bloomsburg, and Susquehanna Universities. The institutional history of CCM is preserved in the Bucknell University Special Collections 'Catholic Campus Ministry Records,' which document the organization from 1974 to the present. From this single moderator's appointment grew the present-day Newman House ministry with a full-time chaplain, assistant minister, and program assistant.
- Founded 1970 under Rev. Bernie Petrina
- Bucknell Special Collections: Catholic Campus Ministry Records, 1974–present
- One of 12 diocesan campus ministries today
Plan Your Visit
Visitors and students are warmly welcomed at the Newman House any day during the academic year between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Stop by for Sunday Mass at 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM in Rooke Chapel (arrive early for 3:30 PM confession), or join a weekday Mass in the upstairs chapel of the Newman House followed by Thursday's community dinner. To subscribe to the weekly CCM bulletin or arrange sacraments, email [email protected] or call (570) 577-3766.
- Newman House, 610 St. George Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837
- Phone: (570) 577-3766 — Email: [email protected]
- Open daily 8 a.m.–11 p.m. during the academic year
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernie Petrina1970
Appointed moderator of campus ministries for Bucknell, Bloomsburg, and Susquehanna Universities in 1970 — the founding figure of Catholic Campus Ministry at Bucknell.
- Kelsi Buckley
Served as Catholic campus minister for approximately seven years (mentioned in Catholic Witness coverage of Bishop Senior's April 10 visit).