About Catholic Campus Parish at RIT · Rochester, New York
The Catholic Newman Community at RIT (also known as RIT Newman or the Catholic Campus Parish at RIT) is a year-round Roman Catholic campus ministry serving the students, faculty, staff, and local residents of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Founded in 1954, the community worships in Allen Chapel inside the Schmitt Interfaith Center at 40 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY. The parish falls under the Diocese of Rochester and is staffed by Rev. Brian C. Cool as Director/Chaplain, alongside a team of campus ministers, deacons, and student leaders. Its mission is to nurture a vibrant, Christ-centered Catholic community through sacraments, prayer, education, service, and social engagement.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman (patron of all Catholic 'Newman Centers')
- Rector
- Rev. Brian C. Cool, Ed.D. (Director / Chaplain)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
RIT Newman welcomes every Catholic student, faculty, staff member, and local resident into a real parish home on a secular, technical campus. The community gathers around Sunday and Wednesday Mass (the 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass is ASL interpreted), offers Eucharistic Adoration in the Interfaith Center chapel, prepares adults for baptism and confirmation through RCIA, hosts retreats such as Kairos and weekend getaways at Camp Stella Maris, and sends students into the wider Rochester community through the Tiger Stripes Service and Outreach program. As one of the larger Catholic campus ministries in the Diocese of Rochester, it pairs sacramental life with the intellectual and service mission of Catholic education.
Mass times at Catholic Campus Parish at RIT
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Reconciliation (Confession) is celebrated each semester during Advent and Lent by guest priests — no fixed weekly time is published; check the parish calendar for the next scheduled communal reconciliation.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: visitors are welcome any time at the sacristy on the lower level of the Interfaith Chapel; a special tabernacle allows you to expose the Blessed Sacrament yourself.
About the Catholic Newman Community at RIT
The Catholic Newman Community at RIT is a year-round Roman Catholic campus ministry within the Diocese of Rochester, serving the students, faculty, staff, and local residents of Rochester Institute of Technology. Founded in 1954 and rooted in the tradition of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the community celebrates the sacraments, builds communal life, and reflects Christ's love to the vulnerable. It is located in Allen Chapel inside the Schmitt Interfaith Center, where it shares worship and programming space with RIT's other religious communities.
- Founded 1954
- Diocese of Rochester
- Worship in Allen Chapel, Schmitt Interfaith Center
- J. Nelson Hoffman '55 & Joan Dutcher Hoffman '55 endowed directorship
Mission, Vision, and Purpose
The community's mission is to 'promote strong Catholic faith formation through sacraments, prayer, education, service, and social engagements, and provide a supportive, nurturing environment' for RIT students, faculty, staff, and neighbors. Its vision is to be 'a growing, vibrant, Christ-centered community rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition where all are welcome and invited to know God's love and mercy.' Newman's stated purpose is to nourish and integrate faith and learning, proclaim the Gospel, develop student leaders, and foster ecumenical and inter-religious understanding on campus.
- Vision: vibrant, Christ-centered, welcoming Catholic community
- Mission: faith formation through sacraments, prayer, education, service, and social engagement
- Purpose: integrate faith and learning, foster ecumenical and inter-religious understanding
Clergy, Staff, and Student Leadership
The community is led by Rev. Brian C. Cool, Ed.D., Director and Chaplain, who holds the J. Nelson Hoffman '55 & Joan Dutcher Hoffman '55 Director of Catholic Newman Community Pastoral Care chair (since 2014). He is supported by Rev. Robert Kennedy and Deacon Dave Hudzinski (campus ministers), Michael Vernarelli, Ph.D., and Kathy Darroch (campus ministers), Kim Winden (Associate Director), Kristen Smith, Jimmy Miller and Darlene Giardina (business operations), and Music Director Kristy Sorochan. A student leadership team — including the President (currently Michael Vernarelli) and Tiger Stripes Student Coordinators — runs much of the programming.
- Rev. Brian C. Cool, Ed.D. — Director / Chaplain
- Rev. Robert Kennedy — Campus Minister
- Deacon Dave Hudzinski — Campus Minister
- Michael Vernarelli, Ph.D. — Campus Minister
- Kathy Darroch — Campus Minister
- Kristen Smith — Campus Minister
- Kim Winden — Associate Director
- Jimmy Miller — Business Manager
- Darlene Giardina — Business Manager
- Kristy Sorochan — Music Director
Mass, Sacraments, and Prayer
Sunday and Wednesday Masses anchor the community's liturgical life. The 9:15 a.m. Sunday Mass is ASL interpreted — a longstanding accommodation given RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Reconciliation is offered communally each Advent and Lent, and Eucharistic Adoration is available any time in the lower-level sacristy of the Interfaith Chapel, where a special tabernacle allows visitors to expose the Blessed Sacrament themselves.
- Sunday Mass: 9:15 AM (ASL interpreted) and 5:00 PM, Allen Chapel
- Wednesday Mass: 5:30 PM, Allen Chapel
- Holy Day Masses: check the parish calendar
- Reconciliation during Advent and Lent
- Eucharistic Adoration — open any time in the Interfaith Chapel sacristy
Becoming Catholic, Confirmation, and RCIA
Newman runs an active RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program each year for adults seeking baptism, confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church. Catechumens are typically received at the Easter Vigil. Already-baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation are also welcomed. Recent students like Mondi Mulya (preparing for Confirmation at the Easter Vigil) and others featured in the Catholic Courier have come to faith through this path.
- RCIA for unbaptized adults (Catechumens)
- RCIA for baptized Christians seeking full communion
- Confirmation preparation for Catholics
- Easter Vigil reception
Marriage and Weddings
The Catholic Newman Community coordinates Catholic weddings in the RIT Interfaith Chapel and assists couples with priest/deacon delegation. The Church's six-month preparation period, attendance at a Pre-Cana or Engaged Encounter program, and meetings with a priest/deacon are required. A $350 fee payable to the Catholic Newman Community covers marriage preparation expenses (separate from the Interfaith Chapel's own facility and organist fees). Interfaith marriages are welcomed, and the Director can assist with the special canonical questions those involve.
- Six-month preparation
- Pre-Cana or Engaged Encounter
- $350 fee to Catholic Newman Community
- Interfaith marriages welcomed
Get Involved — Faith Formation
Beyond Mass, Newman offers a full ecosystem of faith formation: small groups, music ministry, student leadership, and interfaith dialogue. The community explicitly encourages students, faculty, and staff — and local residents — to plug in according to their gifts and time.
- Small faith groups
- Music Ministry (Kristy Sorochan, Music Director)
- Student leadership team and officers
- Interfaith Council collaboration
Retreats
Retreats are a hallmark of Newman life. The flagship is the Kairos Retreat, which explores the Catholic Sacraments and how they speak to daily life; recent Kairos weekends took place at Camp Stella Maris. 'Eve Away' team-building retreats supplement the calendar, and a service-learning retreat with the Sisters of St. Joseph is scheduled each November, pairing reflection and prayer with hands-on service.
- Kairos Retreat at Camp Stella Maris
- Eve Away team-building retreats
- Sisters of St. Joseph service-learning retreat (November)
Tiger Stripes Service and Outreach
Tiger Stripes is the community's flagship service and outreach ministry, sustained by an annual grant from the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Foundation. Coordinated by student leaders (recent examples include Maggie Blaisdell and Mondi Mulya), Tiger Stripes sends students to serve at The Margaret Home (housing for pregnant moms experiencing homelessness), the Mercy House of Spirituality, St. Joe's House of Hospitality, the Bethany House (housing for homeless women and children), and even joint service days with the Barakah Muslim Charity. The program pairs outward service with inward reflection.
- Funded by Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Foundation
- Service at The Margaret Home, Bethany House, St. Joe's House of Hospitality, Mercy House
- Interfaith service with Barakah Muslim Charity
- Student Coordinators lead each semester
Knights of Columbus and Other Organizations
Students are encouraged to join the Knights of Columbus council on campus as a concrete way to live Catholic fraternity, charity, and discipleship. Newman's newsletters also highlight collaborations with the broader RIT Interfaith Council, including joint events with Hillel, Chabad, Cru, the MSA, and the Progressive and Buddhist Chapel communities.
- Knights of Columbus student council
- Interfaith Council partnerships (Hillel, Chabad, Cru, MSA)
Contact, Newsletter, and Giving
The parish publishes a periodic newsletter, accepts online donations, and maintains registration forms for both students and local residents. The main office line is (585) 475-5932, with the Director reachable at (585) 275-8523 and the Diocese listing (585) 275-8515. Newman's full-color newsletter (PDF) carries staff profiles, ministry updates, and reflection pieces, and the community is active on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
- Main office: (585) 475-5932
- Director / Rev. Brian C. Cool: (585) 275-8523
- Newsletter (PDF) with staff profiles and ministry news
- Online donation, Student Registration, and Local Resident Registration forms
- Social: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X