About St. John Paul II Newman Center (UIC) · Chicago, Illinois
St. John Paul II Newman Center is the Catholic campus ministry serving the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), one of the largest Catholic university populations in the Midwest with roughly a third of UIC's 33,000+ students self-identifying as Catholic. Located at 700 S. Morgan Street in Chicago's Near West Side, the Center was built in 1980 as a memorial to Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit to Chicago, with the Holy Father's personal consent for the building to bear his name. It is run by the Archdiocese of Chicago as a parish and Newman apostolate, offering daily and Sunday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, OCIA (formerly RCIA), FOCUS Bible studies, retreats, a student-led coffee shop called Cor Coffee, and an array of social, service, and pilgrimage opportunities for UIC students.
- Established
- 1980
- Patron
- St. John Paul II
- Rector
- Fr. Tim Anastos
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Chicago
Why belong here
St. John Paul II Newman Center is the spiritual home for UIC's thriving Catholic community — about a third of a 33,000-student campus — and offers a true 'home away from home' for both Catholics and students curious about the faith. Whether you are drawn by daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, FOCUS-led Bible studies, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), weekend retreats at Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, service and mission trips, the student-run Cor Coffee shop, or just a quiet place to study between classes, the Center combines authentic Catholic liturgical life with a warm, student-led community right in the heart of the UIC campus.
Mass times at St. John Paul II Newman Center (UIC)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
- Monday 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
- Tuesday 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
- Wednesday 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM
- Friday 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
Adoration times
- Monday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
- Tuesday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM
- Friday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
About the Newman Center
The St. John Paul II Newman Center is the Catholic parish and campus ministry serving the University of Illinois Chicago. It exists 'to help college students encounter Christ so they can become fully alive in Him,' offering a spiritual home for both Catholics and non-Catholics on a campus of more than 33,000 students. The Center combines the sacramental life of a Catholic parish with the rhythms of student ministry: daily Mass, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, FOCUS Bible studies, retreats, service projects, mission trips, and a student-run coffee shop called Cor Coffee. It is staffed by a Director/Chaplain (a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago), a Director of Campus Ministry, a Director of Development, a Director of Hospitality, and a team of FOCUS missionaries.
- Mission: helping college students encounter Christ
- Located on UIC's East Side at 700 S. Morgan Street
- One of the largest Catholic campus ministries in the Midwest by Catholic-student population
Our History
Catholic campus ministry at what is now UIC began at the University of Illinois's temporary Navy Pier branch campus in the early 1950s under Fr. John Marren. After the Navy Pier campus closed in 1965, the apostolate was re-established on Circle Campus in 1967 with the appointment of Fr. Raymond B. Sullivan as the first Catholic Chaplain. The Archdiocese purchased a house at 826 S. Morgan Street that year, which served as the Center until the present building at 700 S. Morgan was dedicated on October 22, 1980 — built as a memorial to Pope John Paul II's October 1979 visit to Chicago.
- 1950s: Newman Apostolate founded by Fr. John Marren at Navy Pier
- 1955: Fr. George Malone succeeds Fr. Marren
- 1965: Navy Pier campus closes
- 1967: Fr. Raymond B. Sullivan appointed first Catholic Chaplain at Circle Campus; house at 826 S. Morgan purchased
- 1968: Sr. Joanne Seise, S.N.D. de Namur joins as first religious woman in full-time campus ministry in the Archdiocese
- 1979: Pope John Paul II visits Chicago (Oct 4–6) and consents to the Center bearing his name
- 1980: 700 S. Morgan building dedicated October 22, 1980
- 1991: Fr. Patrick Marshall appointed Director/Chaplain by Cardinal Bernardin
- 1997: Fr. Marshall founds the Integritas Institute
- 2014: Center renamed to St. John Paul II Newman Center after John Paul II's canonization
- 2018: Fr. Connor Danstrom succeeds Fr. Marshall
- 2021: Fr. Tim Anastos joins as Associate Chaplain
- 2024: Fr. Anastos becomes Director/Chaplain
Becoming Catholic — OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) welcomes any UIC student who wants to learn more about the Catholic faith — whether unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or a baptized Catholic who has not yet received First Communion or Confirmation. The program meets weekly for one hour from September through the end of April and typically culminates in the Easter Vigil sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist after about two semesters. Participants are expected to attend Sunday Mass at the Newman Center, take part in a weekly Bible study, and join the spring retreat.
- Weekly one-hour sessions, September–April
- Open to unbaptized adults, baptized Christians, and uncatechized Catholics
- Culminates at the Easter Vigil
- Contact: Director of Campus Ministry Becca Siar
FOCUS Missionaries and Bible Studies
The Newman Center is staffed by a team of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries whose work is discipleship-oriented: forming lifelong disciples through authentic friendship, Bible studies, one-on-one mentorship, retreats, leadership formation, and evangelization. By the end of the 2024–25 academic year, 179 students were enrolled in FOCUS-led Bible studies at UIC, with 72 of those students in committed small-group discipleship. Missionaries accompany students to the national SEEK conference each January and lead spring retreats.
- FOCUS Team Director: Olivia Ahlberg
- Missionaries include Sarah Yantek, Jamie Taberna, Jonah Maurer, Gilberto Garcia, Marcelli Vios, Lily Moncivaiz
- 179 students in Bible studies (spring 2025)
- 40 students accompanied to SEEK25 in Columbus, OH
- Weekly Bible studies on various days/times
Retreats and Pilgrimages
Retreats are a hallmark of the Center's ministry. Each spring the Center hosts the 'Father's House Retreat' at Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, centered on themes such as God's fatherhood and healing mercy, with sisters providing hospitality. The Center also runs a Seminary Sprint vocational discernment program and organizes international pilgrimages — most recently a 2025 spring-break pilgrimage through Poland walking in the footsteps of St. John Paul II, attended by 16 students.
- Father's House Spring Retreat at Mission of Our Lady of the Angels
- Seminary Sprint
- 2025 Poland pilgrimage (16 students)
- Fall and Spring retreats for first-year students and core teams
Student Life and Cor Coffee
Beyond the sacraments, the Center functions as a social hub for Catholic and curious students at UIC. The building houses Cor Coffee, a student-run in-house coffee shop that also serves as a community-gathering space (open Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM). Students can use the ping-pong table, board games, and quiet study areas. The Center is located between the Behavioral Sciences Building (BSB) and the UIC Library, making it a natural crossroads of campus life.
- Cor Coffee (in-house coffee shop)
- Ping-pong table and board games
- Quiet study space
- Between Behavioral Sciences Building (BSB) and the UIC Library
Liturgical Ministries
Students serve the liturgy as lectors, ushers, choir members, and altar servers. These roles are coordinated by student leaders and are designed to be accessible even for busy undergraduates. The Center also runs an evangelization team that supports public witness events such as the inaugural campus Eucharistic Procession in 2025.
- Lector Coordinator: Eden Joseph
- Usher Coordinator: Ariana Sosa
- Altar servers
- Liturgical choir
- Evangelization team (Eucharistic Procession support)
Our Staff
The Center is led by a small team of clergy, lay ministers, and FOCUS missionaries. The Director & Chaplain is Fr. Tim Anastos; the Director of Campus Ministry is Becca Siar (who also serves as President of the Chicago Chapter of Young Catholic Professionals); the Director of Development and Director of Hospitality round out the lay staff; and the FOCUS team is led by Team Director Olivia Ahlberg with missionaries Sarah Yantek, Jamie Taberna, Jonah Maurer, Gilberto Garcia, Marcelli Vios, and Lily Moncivaiz.
- Director & Chaplain: Fr. Tim Anastos
- Director of Campus Ministry: Becca Siar
- Director of Development: (staff page)
- Director of Hospitality: (staff page)
- FOCUS Team Director: Olivia Ahlberg
- FOCUS Missionaries: Sarah Yantek, Jamie Taberna, Jonah Maurer, Gilberto Garcia, Marcelli Vios, Lily Moncivaiz
Visit Us
The Newman Center is open throughout the week for prayer, study, coffee, and community. Building hours are Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday closed, and Sunday 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM. Cor Coffee inside the Center is open Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Visitors can stop in anytime, attend Mass or Adoration, and see the entrance-way dedication stone that was once part of the altar at Pope John Paul II's 1979 Grant Park Mass.
- Address: 700 S. Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60607
- Phone: 312-226-1880
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @jp2newman
- Accessible via CTA Blue Line, Pink Line, and campus buses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Marrenearly 1950s–1955
Established the Newman Apostolate on the University of Illinois's temporary Navy Pier branch campus; first chaplain of the Newman Club; left to become pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in the Medical Center.
- Fr. George Malone1955–1965
Succeeded Fr. Marren as chaplain; served until the Navy Pier campus site closed in 1965.
- Fr. Raymond B. Sullivan1967–
Appointed by Cardinal Cody in spring 1967 as the first Catholic Chaplain to the (Circle Campus) university, after student requests led by Paul Russo; oversaw the move to 826 S. Morgan St and the 1980 dedication at 700 S. Morgan St.
- Fr. Patrick Marshall1991–2018
Appointed by Cardinal Bernardin; served 27 years; founded the Integritas Institute (1997), helped establish the Catholic Studies chair at UIC; accompanied eight priestly ordinations and four religious-life vocations during his tenure.
- Fr. Connor Danstrom2018–2024
Appointed by Cardinal Cupich; ordained a priest of the Archdiocese in May 2014; previously associate pastor of St. Benedict Church, Blue Island, IL; UIUC biochemistry alumnus.
- Fr. Tim Anastos2024–present
Joined as Associate Chaplain in July 2021; became Director/Chaplain in July 2024; oversees FOCUS missionaries, Cor Coffee, retreats, OCIA, and the student Eucharistic Procession.