About St. Augustine Student Center · Moscow, Idaho
St. Augustine Catholic Center (popularly known as 'St. Augustine's' or 'Vandal Catholic') is the Catholic university parish serving the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Located at 628 South Deakin Street, on the corner of Deakin and Sixth Street, the center combines a distinctive circular chapel — now known as the St. John Paul II Chapel — with an attached two-story student center. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Boise and ministers to students, faculty, staff, and the broader Moscow community through Sunday and daily Mass, confession, faith formation, fellowship, and service opportunities. Its campus coffee bar, Monica's Coffee Bar, is a popular gathering spot for students between classes.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Fr. Chase Hasenoehrl
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
St. Augustine's is the Catholic home on the University of Idaho campus — a parish built specifically for the university community, offering Sunday and daily Mass, regular confession, faith formation, fellowship, and outreach. Students, faculty, and staff find a welcoming place to grow in faith through the sacraments, service projects, small groups, and the social hub of Monica's Coffee Bar. Whether you are a Catholic student looking for an active parish life during the school year or a longtime Moscow resident seeking worship and community, St. Augustine's offers a uniquely mission-driven campus ministry rooted in prayer, evangelization, and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
Mass times at St. Augustine Student Center
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
- Sunday 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM (during the school year)
- Wednesday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- By appointment
About St. Augustine Catholic Center
St. Augustine Catholic Center (also known as 'St. Augustine's' or 'Vandal Catholic') is the Catholic university parish serving the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. According to the parish's own website, 'Our university parish serves the University of Idaho and the surrounding area through Roman Catholic evangelization and worship.' The center combines the iconic circular St. John Paul II Chapel with an adjoining two-story student center at 628 South Deakin Street, just steps from campus at Deakin and Sixth Street. The parish is part of the Diocese of Boise and offers Mass, sacraments, faith formation, fellowship, and outreach to students, faculty, staff, and the wider Moscow community.
History and Architecture
Catholic campus ministry in Moscow traces back to 1960, when Father Andrew J. Schumacher returned to Idaho and was assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Lewiston. In 1963, he became the first full-time Catholic chaplain at the University of Idaho. Two years later, Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen asked Father Andy to design and build a church at the university, and St. Augustine Student Center was completed in 1966. Schumacher deliberately incorporated the liturgical vision of Vatican II into the architecture, producing a building that remains a campus landmark. The building was designed by University of Idaho architecture professors Paul Blanton and Theodore Pritchard. The chapel is a circular structure 84 feet in diameter, with a 72-foot conical roof of cedar shake shingles and poured concrete walls — University of Idaho Library records classify the style as 'International/Mansard/Conical.' An attached two-story rectangular student center houses offices, meeting rooms, and Monica's Coffee Bar. The chapel is now known as the St. John Paul II Chapel.
- First full-time U of I chaplain: Msgr. Andrew J. Schumacher (1963)
- Building commissioned by Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen in 1965
- Building completed 1966
- Architects: Paul Blanton and Theodore Pritchard (U of I faculty)
- Chapel rededicated as St. John Paul II Chapel
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor with the support of a campus minister and parish staff. According to the Diocese of Boise's campus ministry directory, the pastor of St. Augustine Catholic Student Center at the University of Idaho is Father Chase Hasenoehrl. The parish office can be reached at (208) 882-4613 or [email protected].
- Fr. Chase Hasenoehrl — Pastor
- Fr. Caleb Vogel — listed as priest by Catholic Church Directory
- Katie Goodson — Campus Minister
- Susie MacPherson — parish staff
Vandal Catholic: Campus Ministry
St. Augustine's brand 'Vandal Catholic' reflects its identity as the Catholic presence at the University of Idaho. As described on the parish's website and in the Diocese of Boise's campus ministry materials, the parish welcomes all students, faculty, and staff and provides 'opportunities to join us, and grow in the faith; from the sacraments, to service or fellowship.' Campus ministry offerings include Sunday and daily Mass, confession, faith formation, service projects, small-group fellowship, and Monica's Coffee Bar as a gathering space. The Diocese of Boise describes its campus ministry mission as forming Christian disciples, being a prophetic voice for justice, and creating Christ-centered communities that welcome, engage, serve, and love.
- Sunday and weekday Mass for the U of I community
- Sacramental preparation and Reconciliation
- Fellowship, small groups, and service opportunities
- Monica's Coffee Bar — student gathering space
- Encounter — faith-formation program referenced on the website
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners, students, and visitors can reach St. Augustine Catholic Center at 628 South Deakin Street, Moscow, ID 83843, by phone at (208) 882-4613, or by email at [email protected]. The official website is vandalcatholic.com. The center sits on the University of Idaho campus at the corner of Deakin Street and Sixth Street, convenient for students walking or biking between classes and for Moscow residents visiting the parish.
- Address: 628 S Deakin St., Moscow, ID 83843
- Phone: (208) 882-4613
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: vandalcatholic.com
- Location: corner of Deakin St. and Sixth St., U of I campus
Notable Facts and Quirks
Several distinctive things set St. Augustine's apart from a typical parish. The chapel's circular plan and 72-foot conical cedar-shake roof are unlike almost any other church in the region, and the building is considered a campus architectural landmark. The parish also remembers its founder: Monsignor Andrew J. Schumacher, who served as the first full-time Catholic chaplain at the University of Idaho and wove the reforms of Vatican II into the chapel's design. The chapel now bears the name of St. John Paul II.
- Circular chapel, 84-foot diameter, 72-foot conical cedar-shake roof
- Poured concrete walls; International/Mansard/Conical style
- Founding chaplain Msgr. Andrew J. Schumacher was a designer of the building
- Chapel rededicated as the St. John Paul II Chapel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Andrew J. 'Father Andy' Schumacher1963–c. 1974
First full-time Catholic chaplain at the University of Idaho (1963). In 1965, Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen asked him to design and build a church at the university; the resulting St. Augustine Student Center was completed in 1966, incorporating Vatican II liturgical principles into its architecture. Left in 1974 to become rector of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Boise.