St. Paul Catholic Student Center

About St. Paul University Parish

St. Paul Catholic Student Center — also called St. Paul University Parish — is the Catholic parish serving Wichita State University. It is a personal parish of the Diocese of Wichita with no geographic boundaries, welcoming WSU students, college-aged young adults from other area schools, and community members who want to support its mission. The center sits at 1810 N. Roosevelt Street near 17th and Roosevelt, and its chaplain is Fr. Drew Hoffman.

History of the Parish

Catholic Shockers have gathered on campus as the Newman Club since the late 1930s, with at least twelve charter members documented in the 1942 WSU Parnassus yearbook. The current Newman Center building opened in December 1966, and St. Paul University Parish was formally established on February 10, 1970. The center, built on land owned by the Diocese of Wichita, was renovated in 2012 to add a library, study rooms, humanities classes (with credits that transfer to WSU), a chapel for daily Mass, and a $1 home-cooked Thursday meal in the basement.

• Newman Club organized in Wichita in the late 1930s
• Newman Center building opened December 1966
• St. Paul University Parish established February 10, 1970
• Major renovation completed 2012
• Phase 1 building expansion currently underway

Staff, FOCUS Missionaries, and Pastoral Team

The parish is led by Pastor/Chaplain Fr. Drew Hoffman, supported by Transitional Deacon Kyle Demel and a full lay staff running development, campus ministry, communications, hospitality, sacred liturgy, and the office. The student side is animated by a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) team of five, led by Team Director Ryan Haskell. Maintenance and facilities staff round out the team.

• Fr. Drew Hoffman — Pastor/Chaplain ([email protected])
• Deacon Kyle Demel — Transitional Deacon
• Katie George — Director of Development
• Austin Greathouse — Director of Campus Ministry
• Ben Ornelas — Director of Hospitality and Sacred Liturgy
• Hallie Fritz — Communications Director
• Anthony Cruzeiro — Office Administrator
• Ellie Stewart — Credo Coffee Shop Director / Student Intern
• Ella Porter — Student Intern
• Nancy Graves — Cleaning Director
• Ryan Haskell — FOCUS Team Director
• Olivia Kiernan — FOCUS 1st Year Missionary
• Jose Gonzalez-Valdivia, Alexis Cherveny, Kayla Fleming — FOCUS 2nd Year Missionaries
• Peter Martell — Facilities Manager; Troy & MaryAlice Martell — Maintenance

Student Life and Ministries

St. Paul's Student Life page is the hub for getting plugged in: register as a student, buy a parking pass, sign up for events, meet with the on-site Catholic mental-health counselor, or join a small group. Featured ministries include men's and women's small groups, Bible studies, Roman Rush, the Kerygma retreat, Christ in the City service immersion, the Magnificat, and the St. Dymphna Catholic Mental Health Program. The parish's welcome message from Fr. Drew — 'Our great desire is for St. Paul to be a home for you during your college years' — captures the student-centered ethos.

• Student registration (2025–2026 school year)
• Parking pass (for registered students)
• Student payments portal (Roman Rush, Kerygma, Magnificat, Mental Health, etc.)
• St. Dymphna Mental Health Program — on-site Catholic counseling
• Credo Coffee Shop run by student intern

Liturgy and Sacraments

The Liturgy & Sacraments page of the St. Paul website lays out the sacramental life of the parish, with wedding inquiries directed to Fr. Drew at least six months in advance. Reconciliation is generously available seven times a week, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered five days a week during the school year.

• Weddings: schedule at least six months in advance; contact Fr. Drew
• Reconciliation schedule: Mon–Fri 11:15–11:40 am, plus Wed 7:30–7:50 pm, Sat 4:00–4:20 pm, and Sun 9:30–9:50 am & 6:30–6:50 pm
• Daily and Sunday Mass opportunities listed under the Schedule page

Building Project — Phase 1

St. Paul has launched Phase 1 of a capital project to expand and improve its parish facilities on N. Roosevelt. The parish encourages registered parishioners, alumni, and community supporters to participate through the 'Become a Parish' / 'Donate' links on the website.

Contact, Location, and Visiting

St. Paul is located at 1810 N. Roosevelt St, Wichita, KS 67208, on the Wichita State University campus near 17th and Roosevelt. The office can be reached at 316-684-6896 during business hours, and individual staff members can be emailed at [email protected] (e.g., [email protected] for Fr. Drew). Visitors and students are warmly invited to stop by, attend Mass, register as a student, or join a small group.

• Phone: 316-684-6896
• Address: 1810 N. Roosevelt St, Wichita, KS 67208
• Email: [email protected] (parish-wide); individual staff use [email protected]
• Website: stpaulwsu.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/stpaulwsu/