Penn State Catholic Campus Ministry

About Penn State Catholic Campus Ministry

Penn State Catholic Campus Ministry (also known as Nittany Catholic) is the Catholic campus ministry serving the students, faculty, staff, and resident community of Penn State's University Park campus. The ministry assists more than 10,000 Catholic students and employees in nurturing their faith through daily and weekend liturgies, retreats, service and social justice projects, prayer and faith sharing groups, and student organizations. It is part of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and is served by Benedictine priests from Saint Vincent Archabbey.

History

Catholic campus ministry at Penn State took shape as the Catholic presence in State College grew in the early 1960s. Two anchor facilities define the present-day ministry: the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center (an expansion of Eisenhower Chapel dedicated in the early 2000s after a $9 million, 22,500-square-foot addition funded largely by the Pasquerilla family) and the Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center, whose cornerstone and steeple were blessed in 2011 and which opened in Spring 2012. The Paterno Center was named for Sue Paterno in recognition of her support of Catholic Ministry at Penn State since its inception.

• 1960s: Catholic campus ministry formally established at Penn State as State College's Catholic population grew.
• Jan 21, 2000: Penn State Board of Trustees names the Eisenhower Chapel addition the Frank and Sylvia Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.
• 2011: Cornerstone and steeple of the Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center blessed.
• Spring 2012: Paterno Faith Center completed and opened.

Worship Locations

All weekend Masses are celebrated in the Worship Hall of Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, located at the northeast corner of Allen Road and Curtin Road, just north of the Pattee/Paterno Library. The nearby Paterno Catholic Faith Center, 117 East Park Avenue, houses Holy Family Chapel (where the morning daily Mass is celebrated during the academic year), the Great Room, conference rooms, a library, smaller meeting rooms, and gathering spaces — plus a residence for the Benedictine fathers.

• Pasquerilla Spiritual Center — Worship Hall, Eisenhower Chapel, Meditation Chapel, Room 129
• Paterno Catholic Faith Center — Holy Family Chapel, Great Room, library, residence for Benedictine fathers
• Pasquerilla main office: 205A-D Pasquerilla Center, University Park, PA 16802 (hours M–F 8:30 AM–12:30 PM; closed Sat–Sun; reduced hours during university breaks and summer)
• Paterno Faith Center hours: Mon–Sun 7:30 AM – Midnight

Clergy & Staff

The ministry is led by a director and supported by priests, a deacon, and a director of music & liturgy. The priests are Benedictines (OSB) from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA.

• Fr. Barnabas O'Reilly, OSB — Director of Campus Ministry; Johnstown native; former Saint Vincent College campus minister and St. Paul's Outreach missionary at West Virginia University; taught at Benedictine College in Savannah.
• Fr. Joachim Morgan, OSB — Campus Minister; Michigan native; Central Michigan University alumnus; Master of Arts and Master of Divinity (cum laude) from Saint Vincent Seminary, recipient of the Demetrius R. Dumm, OSB, Sacred Scripture Award; came to Penn State in 2024.
• Deacon Laszlo Ivanits — Campus Minister
• Phillip Mackenzie Torbert — Director of Music & Liturgy; Penn State alumnus; Masters in Composition and Choral Conducting; lecturer in the School of Music since 2004; co-author of 'Sight Singing Complete.'
• Past directors include Fr. Matthew Laffey, OSB and Fr. David Griffin, OSB.

Faith Formation & Student Organizations

Beyond the sacraments, the ministry runs a robust calendar of retreats, faith-sharing groups, and student organizations designed to support Catholic students through their college years.

• Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA / RCIA) — weekly Wednesday-evening formation for those entering the Church; alternate meeting times available; starts each Fall semester.
• Newman Catholic Student Association — undergraduate organization meeting weekly for Nittany Catholic Night (Thursday 7 PM at the Paterno Faith Center) with a speaker, meal, and fellowship.
• Graduate & Young Professionals Group — meets Mondays at the Paterno Faith Center.
• Fall & Spring Retreats — student-led off-campus retreats with meals and lodging (financial assistance available).
• Search Retreats — annual retreat at the Bethany Retreat Center in Frenchville, PA.
• Women Seeking God & Men Seeking God — discussion groups on issues facing Catholics today.
• Bible studies and faith-sharing groups.
• Saturday Night Alive in Christ (SNAC) — charismatic prayer group meeting Tuesdays in the Meditation Chapel after the evening Mass.
• Korean Ministry — weekly Korean-language Mass in Pasquerilla Center.

Liturgical Ministries & Volunteering

Both students and community members are invited to bring their gifts to the weekly worship. The ministry always needs more volunteers for weekend liturgies (especially Musicians, Lectors, and Mass Coordinators), and the music program is led by Phillip Mackenzie Torbert, who also serves as a lecturer in the Penn State School of Music.

• Musicians, Lectors, Mass Coordinators, Eucharistic Ministers
• Director of Music & Liturgy: Phillip Mackenzie Torbert
• Text PSU to 84576 to receive ministry communications and volunteer opportunities

Sacraments & Parish-of-Record

For students, the campus ministry serves as parish of record during their time at Penn State. Registering with the ministry allows the staff to provide a sponsor certificate should a student be asked to serve as a godparent or Confirmation sponsor. For non-student community members, the ministry welcomes regular worshippers as part of its Catholic campus community.

• Baptism, Confirmation, and Marriage (through referral/coordination)
• OCIA / RCIA for unbaptized or uncatechized adults
• Sacramental sponsorship attestation for registered members
• Registration available via the website and by texting PSU to 84576

Visit & Contact

Visitors to the University Park campus are warmly invited to celebrate Mass with the community. The main office is inside Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, 205A-D Pasquerilla Center, University Park, PA 16802 (phone 814-865-4281; email [email protected]). The Paterno Catholic Faith Center is at 117 East Park Avenue, State College, PA 16803. The most up-to-date liturgy information is posted to the website's Google calendar and the @psucatholic Instagram account.

• Phone: (814) 865-4281
• Email: [email protected]
• Ministry Instagram: @psucatholic
• Student Instagram: @nittanycatholic
• Facebook: facebook.com/psucatholic
• Schedule changes for inclement weather posted to homepage and Instagram