About Colgate Memorial Chapel, Newman Community (CU) · Hamilton, New York
The Colgate Newman Community is the Catholic faith community serving Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, gathering primarily at Colgate Memorial Chapel — the iconic golden-domed landmark at the heart of the campus academic quad. Under the umbrella of the university's Office of the Chaplains and the Diocese of Syracuse, the Newman Community offers Sunday Mass, sacramental preparation, service trips, and weekly community dinners, and is dedicated to the four principles of worship, service to the needy, education and intellectual formation, and community-building. It works in close partnership with the parish at nearby St. Mary's Church (16 Wylie Street) for a daytime Sunday Mass and sacramental celebrations such as weddings.
- Rector
- Mark Shiner (Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
The Newman Community warmly welcomes Catholic students, faculty, staff, and neighbors of the Colgate and Hamilton community to a faith life grounded in four commitments: worship of Jesus Christ, service and hospitality to the needy, education and intellectual formation, and community-building. Whether you come for the Sunday 8:30 p.m. Candlelight Mass in the iconic Memorial Chapel, the 11 a.m. Mass at nearby St. Mary's, weekly Wednesday community dinners, sacramental preparation, or service trips, it is an open table at a small liberal-arts campus in rural central New York.
Mass times at Colgate Memorial Chapel, Newman Community (CU)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays 7:30 p.m. before the Candlelight Mass at Memorial Chapel
- Third Tuesday of the month, 5:30 p.m. (Confessions and Holy Hour) at St. Mary's Church
- 30 minutes before each monthly Candlelight Mass, or by appointment
Adoration times
- Third Tuesday of the month, 5:30 p.m. (Holy Hour with Confessions) at St. Mary's Church
About the Colgate Newman Community
The Colgate Newman Community is the Catholic faith community on the Colgate University campus in Hamilton, New York. Part of the university's Office of the Chaplains and the Diocese of Syracuse, it is dedicated to four founding concerns: worship of Jesus Christ, service and hospitality to the needy, education and intellectual formation, and community-building social activities. The community fosters a strong commitment to interfaith dialogue, service, and respect, and welcomes all members of the Colgate and broader community.
- Guiding principles: worship, service, education, community
- Hosted by the Office of the Chaplains at Colgate Memorial Chapel
- In pastoral connection with the Diocese of Syracuse
History of Memorial Chapel
Colgate Memorial Chapel was erected in 1918 as a memorial to James B. Colgate, given by his daughter Mary Colgate, with the chapel's construction first discussed at a 1914 trustees meeting. Its placement on the hilltop anchored what would become the university's academic quad, with the building's neoclassical pediment, ashlar bluestone, and gilded cupola becoming the visual signature of Colgate. A pipe organ was installed in the 1970s, partly obscuring an original Palladian window, and was later restored when Bell & Spina Architects replaced the original wood sash windows with high-performance historical replicas.
- Built 1917–1918; gift of Mary Colgate in memory of James B. Colgate
- Neoclassical/New England church style with gilded dome cupola
- 1970s: pipe organ installed at rear of sanctuary
- Later: window-restoration project by Bell & Spina Architects preserved the original sash design
Clergy and Staff
Catholic life on campus is shepherded by the Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister, supported by an additional Catholic priest on the chaplaincy staff and by an Interim Director of Catholic Student Life.
- Mark Shiner — Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister ([email protected], 315-228-7680)
- Rev. John Donovan — Catholic Priest ([email protected])
- Ashley Bound — Interim Director of Catholic Student Life
Ministries and Community Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the Newman Community sustains a year-round rhythm of formation, fellowship, and service. The student Newman Board plans events for the community and the wider campus; weekly Wednesday Community Dinners pair a free meal with a short talk from a community member or partner organization; service partnerships send students into communities in need, both locally and through volunteer trips such as Nazareth Farm.
- Newman Board — student leadership, meets Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel Garden Level
- Wednesday Community Dinners — supper plus a speaker or reflection
- Nazareth Farm service partnership (home-repair in West Virginia)
- COVE collaboration and other local outreach
- Faith-and-intellectual-life integration with a Catholic liberal arts education
Contact
The easiest ways to connect with the Newman Community are by email, phone, or through the Colgate Calendar and student-life portal.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (315) 228-7680
- Office: 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346
- Calendar: calendar.colgate.edu/group/newman-community
- Engagement portal: getinvolved.colgate.edu/organization/newmancommunity