Duke Catholic Center

About the Duke Catholic Center

The Duke Catholic Center (DCC) is the official Catholic community on the campus of Duke University. A ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, it serves a Catholic student population that is the largest single denomination on Duke's campus — about 20% of the university's roughly 13,300 students. Its mission statement reads: "The Duke Catholic Center is a spiritual home where Duke students encounter the transformative love of the Heart of Christ—in the Gospel, in the Sacraments, and in community with one another—so that students become formed as Christian leaders and apostles." The DCC fosters the formation of future Catholic leaders and promotes the integration of students' spiritual, intellectual, and social lives.

• Official Catholic community at Duke University
• Ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
• Serves approximately 20% of Duke's 13,300 students (the largest single denomination on campus)
• Over 1,000 Duke students engaged in DCC programming

Mission & Vision

The DCC envisions making present in Duke University the mystery of Christ who goes out to people, reveals the love of His heart to them, gathers them together, and forms them as His apostles. Through rich sacramental experiences, intellectual formation, Scripture study, prayer, and discernment opportunities, the Center equips students to bear joyful witness to the Gospel in building relationships on campus and in outreach to the broader community. Staff and students accompany one another on this transformative journey as missionaries of Christ's love, forming in each student the heart of an apostle who goes out glorifying God through the pursuit of holiness and the building of Christ's Kingdom.

History of the DCC

Catholic campus ministry at Duke has been active for decades. Until 2018 the DCC staff worked out of a small office in the basement of Duke Chapel on a five-figure budget — a setup that mirrored the Center's earliest days. Under Father Joseph G. Vetter (Director 1998–2010), the Center professionalized its staff and acquired the 5,000-square-foot Falcone-Arena House on Buchanan Boulevard, which became the heart of East-Campus student life. Father Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. (2010–2022), a Conventual Franciscan, expanded the team further and re-introduced daily Masses on campus. In October 2018 the staff moved into renovated third-floor offices in the Page Auditorium building next to Duke Chapel. On July 1, 2022, Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama appointed Father Juan José Hernández, L.C., a priest of the Legionaries of Christ, as Director — beginning the DCC's current chaplaincy era.

• Close to 50 years in the Duke Chapel basement until 2018
• Falcone-Arena House acquired under Fr. Vetter, now the East Campus student center
• Daily Masses reintroduced under Fr. Martin after a ~10-year pause
• October 2018: staff moves to Page Building third floor
• July 1, 2022: Legionaries of Christ assume chaplaincy

Staff & Chaplaincy

The DCC is led by Director and Chaplain Father Juan José Hernández, L.C., appointed by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama on July 1, 2022 after eight years as Head Chaplain at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta. He is a priest of the Legionaries of Christ who studied engineering at Georgia Tech before entering religious life. Assistant Chaplain Father Nicholas Sheehy, L.C., was ordained in 2013 and has served in Germany, Italy, the United States, and Central America; he brings experience in youth work, spiritual direction, and marriage counseling. The wider staff team includes a Director of Development, Campus Minister, Communications Coordinator, Music Director, Business Manager, Development Assistant, and student leaders. (Note: a few staff listings on the Meet the Staff page are loading dynamically and were not fully captured at time of research.)

• Director / Chaplain: Fr. Juan José Hernández, L.C.
• Assistant Chaplain: Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, L.C.
• Music Director (joined April 2025)
• Director of Development
• Campus Minister
• Communications Coordinator
• Business Manager
• Development Assistant
• Student Directors and Peer Ministry Coordinators

Small Groups

Small Groups are described by the DCC as the best way to get involved — student-led communities of friends who meet weekly to pray with Scripture, share how God is working in their lives, and grow closer to Christ together. Under the direction of Catherine Preston (Director of Small Groups in recent years), the program has become a flagship of DCC student life, with alumni frequently testifying that small group was the place where they felt truest to themselves at Duke.

• Student-led, Scripture-based
• Weekly meetings on or near campus
• Open to undergraduates and graduate/professional students
• Recruitment drive each Ash Wednesday

Retreats & Pilgrimages

Retreats are a vital part of DCC life, providing a much-needed counterbalance to Duke's academic intensity. The Center runs a full retreat calendar each academic year — Ignite in the fall at the beach for first-years, the Duc in Altum overnight retreat in early September, Awakening and Ablaze in the spring, and a graduate retreat tailored to graduate and professional students. Retreatants experience Mass, Eucharistic Adoration under the stars, small-group faith sharing, campfire fellowship, and time to reflect on their relationship with God.

• Ignite — fall beach retreat, especially for first-year students
• Duc in Altum — fall overnight retreat (early September)
• Awakening — spring retreat for undergraduates
• Ablaze — spring ministry-wide retreat with adoration and campfire
• Graduate Retreat — overnight tailored to graduate and professional students

Music Ministry

Music Ministry supports the DCC's entire liturgical life — two Sunday Masses, three weekday Masses, the weekly Holy Hour, and retreats — and recruits student musicians, cantors, and choir members. The Director of Music Ministry is a full-time employee of the Diocese of Raleigh who works in consultation with the Director and accesses the world-class organs and pianos of Duke Chapel, Goodson Chapel, and Memorial Chapel. The role includes arranging music for string and wind instruments, training cantors, and forming students to lead worship.

• Music for 2 Sunday Masses, 3 weekday Masses, weekly Holy Hour, and retreats
• Student choir, cantors, instrumentalists
• World-class organs and pianos of Duke Chapel, Goodson Chapel, and Memorial Chapel
• Music Director joined April 2025

Faith Formation & Peer Ministry

Faith Formation at the DCC supports the spiritual development of students at critical transitional moments in their lives — entering college, discerning a vocation, graduating into the world. The Center has historically been staffed by consecrated women (the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, FSE) in faith formation and retreats roles. Peer Ministry Coordinators are student staff who lead small groups, run trainings like the winter-break Catholic leadership formation, and serve as the student face of the DCC.

• Director of Faith Formation
• Director of Retreats & Pilgrimages
• Peer Ministry Coordinators (student staff)
• Winter-break Catholic leadership formation for student leaders

Locations & Contact

The DCC operates across multiple campus sites. Administrative offices are in Page Building, Suite 309 on West Campus (next to Duke Chapel). Sunday and weekday worship happens at Goodson Chapel inside the Duke Divinity School, Duke Chapel itself (with Memorial Chapel inside for weekday Masses), and the Falcone-Arena House Chapel on East Campus. The Falcone-Arena House — at the corner of Buchanan Boulevard and Trinity Avenue — is the DCC's student center, recently renovated with a chapel, study room, coffee bar, and outdoor seating, and is open to anyone with a Duke ID daily 8 AM to 10 PM.

• Mailing address: P.O. Box 90976, Durham, NC 27708
• Phone: (919) 684-3354
• West Campus offices: Page Building, Suite 309
• East Campus student center: Falcone-Arena House, Buchanan Blvd. & Trinity Ave.
• Worship spaces: Goodson Chapel (Divinity School), Duke Chapel / Memorial Chapel, FA House Chapel

Get Involved

Whether you are a first-year looking for a Catholic community, a graduate student new to Durham, or a longtime Blue Devil, the DCC invites you to begin by attending a Sunday Mass (11 AM Goodson Chapel or 8 PM Duke Chapel), joining a small group, signing up for the Ignite or Awakening retreat, dropping by the Falcone-Arena House, or contacting the office to get connected. The Center's calendar and weekly emails keep students informed of all upcoming events.

• Attend Sunday Mass at 11 AM or 8 PM
• Join a small group
• Sign up for an upcoming retreat
• Visit the Falcone-Arena House for coffee, study, or prayer
• Contact the DCC office to get connected