About University of New England-Westbrook · Portland, Maine
University of New England-Westbrook is a Catholic parish-listed ministry serving the University of New England's Portland (formerly Westbrook College) Campus in Portland, Maine, within the Diocese of Portland. The name reflects the heritage of the former Westbrook College, which merged with UNE in 1996, and the ministry continues a long tradition of Catholic spiritual life on a campus originally founded in 1831. Worship, faith formation, and pastoral outreach for UNE students, faculty, and staff in the health professions colleges on the Portland Campus flow through the diocesan Greater Portland Area Catholic College Outreach program.
- Established
- 1996
- Rector
- Fr. Seamus Griesbach (Chaplain, Greater Portland Area College Outreach)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Portland
Why belong here
Catholic students, faculty, and staff on UNE's Portland Campus — particularly those in the health professions and graduate programs — find here a parish community tied directly to the rhythms of campus life, with weekly Masses, Eucharistic adoration, and fellowship coordinated through the Greater Portland Area Catholic College Outreach. The ministry connects UNE students with a broad network of nearby Portland parishes offering Mass in English, Spanish, French, Polish, Latin, and Vietnamese, plus a Newman-style community and opportunities for discipleship, retreats, and sacramental life. For those seeking to grow in faith while pursuing demanding academic programs, the parish offers a warm, accessible spiritual home grounded in the long Catholic heritage of the former Westbrook College campus.
Mass times at University of New England-Westbrook
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Cathedral Chapel)
- Tuesday: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Cathedral Chapel)
- Wednesday: 6:45 PM – 7:15 PM (Cathedral Chapel)
- Thursday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Cathedral Chapel)
- Thursday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Saint Peter Church)
- Thursday: 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (St. Louis Church during Holy Hour)
- Friday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Cathedral Chapel)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Cathedral Chapel)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 – 7:30 PM: Holy Hour with Eucharistic Exposition, Adoration, Compline Prayers, and Benediction at the Cathedral Chapel
- Thursday 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Holy Hour with Rosary, Eucharistic Exposition, Adoration, general intercessions, and Benediction at St. Louis Parish
- First Friday 6:00 – 7:00 PM: 'Hour of Power' with Eucharistic Exposition, Adoration, reflection, and Benediction at the Cathedral Chapel
About the Parish
University of New England-Westbrook is the diocesan parish designation for Catholic ministry serving the Portland Campus (formerly Westbrook College) of the University of New England in Portland, Maine. As a parish-based campus ministry under the Diocese of Portland, it provides sacramental care, faith formation, and community life to UNE students, faculty, and staff in the health professions and graduate programs. The name preserves the heritage of Westbrook College, founded in 1831 and merged with UNE in 1996.
History
The Westbrook College Campus traces its origins to 1831, when the Kennebec Association of Universalists established Westbrook Seminary as a co-educational school, with classes first held June 9, 1834 in the Seminary Building (now Alumni Hall). The institution passed through five names — Westbrook Seminary, Westbrook Junior College, Westbrook College, Westbrook College Campus of the University of New England, and the Portland Campus of the University of New England — and sat within three successive municipalities: Westbrook (1831–1870), Deering (1871–1898), and Portland (1899–present). Westbrook College merged with UNE on July 31, 1996, and the diocese subsequently designated the 'University of New England-Westbrook' parish to continue Catholic pastoral care on the campus.
Campus Architecture & Heritage
The Portland Campus retains a rich collection of 19th- and 20th-century buildings. Alumni Hall (1833) is a Federal-style structure with a bell tower from Portland's 1825 Market House; its c. 1894 Colonial Revival rear annex houses the chapel. Other landmark buildings include Abplanalp Library (the former All Souls Church), McArthur Gymnasium, Ludke Auditorium, Blewett Science Center, and the Melville Residence. Maine Preservation honored UNE with a 2016 Honor Award for the Alumni Hall restoration.
Ministries & Student Life
Catholic life on the Portland Campus is supported by the Greater Portland Area Catholic College Outreach, with chaplain Fr. Seamus Griesbach and campus minister Abrey Feliccia. Sister ministries on the Biddeford Campus include Nor'easter Catholic, which launched in September 2018 and now hosts weekly Sunday Mass, Monday-night 'Catholic Underground' gatherings, adoration, hospitality, and small-group formation, supported by Good Shepherd Parish and parochial vicar Fr. Brad Morin. UNE students also participate in the Christian Medical and Dental Associations club.
FOCUS Missionaries Coming to Greater Portland
With Bishop James Ruggieri's blessing, the Diocese of Portland is launching a four-person FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary team to reach students at UNE's Portland Campus, USM, SMCC, and the Roux Institute. The team will be based at Saint Joseph's College of Maine in Standish and will offer one-on-one discipleship, Bible studies, leadership formation, sacramental life, and evangelization.
Westbrook College of Health Professions
The Portland Campus today houses UNE's Westbrook College of Health Professions, serving more than 1,000 students, faculty, and staff in graduate programs in Social Work, Physician Assistant, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Nurse Anesthesia, along with undergraduate programs in Nursing and Dental Hygiene. The Catholic campus ministry particularly welcomes these students as they pursue demanding healthcare careers.