About UW-Green Bay Catholic Campus Ministry · Green Bay, Wisconsin
Phoenix Catholic Campus Ministry is the diocesan Catholic ministry serving students at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Housed in the Richard Mauthe Center on the UW-Green Bay campus, it gathers the Catholic community for Sunday Mass, Worship Wednesday praise and Eucharistic Adoration, weekly student dinners, small-group Bible studies, retreats at Camp Tekakwitha and Wynncliff, and a student-led Phoenix Catholic Student Organization. The ministry is staffed by Sr. Laura Zelten, OSF (Director), Becky VanKauwenberg (Assistant Director), Fr. Kevin Ripley (Sacramental Minister), Heather Roberts (Music Ministry & Student Engagement), and undergraduate Student Outreach Coordinators, all working under the Diocese of Green Bay.
- Established
- 1965
- Rector
- Sr. Laura Zelten, OSF (Director of Campus Ministry)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
Phoenix Catholic offers a complete rhythm of Catholic student life: a weekly Sunday Mass celebrated in the Mauthe Center auditorium, weekday Worship Wednesdays with Eucharistic Adoration, free home-cooked student dinners, small-group Bible studies, overnight retreats at Camp Tekakwitha and Wynncliff, a fall SEEK conference trip, the diocesan Walk to Mary pilgrimage, and the student-run Phoenix Catholic Student Organization with leadership roles for anyone who wants to serve. Sr. Laura and the staff are bilingual in Spanish and English, and the OCIA inquiry process welcomes anyone curious about the Catholic faith — whether unbaptized, returning after time away, or already baptized and seeking First Communion.
Mass times at UW-Green Bay Catholic Campus Ministry
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM (before Mass) or by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Worship Wednesdays (with Eucharistic Adoration)
Our Story — A 50+ Year Catholic Presence on the UW-Green Bay Campus
Catholic ministry at UW-Green Bay began in the early 1960s when Fr. Richard Mauthe established a Newman Center for Catholic students at the then-new UW Extension in Green Bay. In September 1965 he was joined by Rev. David Steffenson, a Methodist, forming an ecumenical team. Within a decade the Newman Center had broadened into a full Ecumenical Center; in 1981 a $500,000 Byron L. Walter Family Trust grant enabled groundbreaking for the present building on Leon Bond Drive. It was renamed the Richard Mauthe Center for Faith, Spirituality, and Social Justice in 2010, the year after the University celebrated its own 50th anniversary. Today the Catholic mission under that roof is known as Phoenix Catholic Campus Ministry.
- 1965: Catholic chaplain Fr. Richard Mauthe joins with Methodist minister Rev. David Steffenson to begin ecumenical campus ministry
- Within a decade the Newman Center evolves into an Ecumenical Center
- 1981: Ground broken on the current building with a Byron L. Walter Family Trust grant of $500,000
- 2010: Building renamed the Richard Mauthe Center for Faith, Spirituality, and Social Justice
- 2017: Fr. Richard Mauthe passes away; his legacy continues at the Center bearing his name
Staff & Leadership
Phoenix Catholic is staffed jointly by the Diocese of Green Bay and by student leaders. Sr. Laura Zelten, OSF serves as Director of Campus Ministry and Newman Club Co-Advisor; Becky VanKauwenberg is Assistant Director; Fr. Kevin Ripley is Sacramental Minister; Heather Roberts leads Music Ministry & Student Engagement; and Mike Kline serves as Phoenix Catholic Advisor. Undergraduate Student Outreach Coordinators — including Mark (Men's Ministry) and Morgan (Women's Ministry, new-student outreach) — and small-group coordinator Bree round out the team, alongside the elected student officers Mark (President), Sawyer (Vice-President), and Chloe (Treasurer).
- Sr. Laura Zelten, OSF — Director; Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross; M.A. Theological Studies; Spiritual Direction certification, Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse; bilingual Spanish/English
- Fr. Kevin Ripley — Sacramental Minister; UW-Madison Mechanical Engineering; six years at Mundelein Seminary; former Parochial Vicar of St. Raphael the Archangel, Oshkosh
- Becky VanKauwenberg — Assistant Director of Campus Ministry ([email protected])
- Heather Roberts — Music Ministry & Student Engagement ([email protected]); B.M. UW-Green Bay; Boston Conservatory at Berklee Certificate of Distinction in Vocal Pedagogy
- Mike Kline — Phoenix Catholic Advisor
- Bree — Coordinator of Small Groups
- Morgan — Student Outreach Coordinator (Women's Ministry)
- Mark — Student Outreach Coordinator (Men's Ministry) & Student Org President
- Sawyer — Phoenix Catholic Student Org Vice-President
- Chloe — Phoenix Catholic Student Org Treasurer
Retreats & Trips
Retreats are a signature part of the ministry. Each year Phoenix Catholic offers three distinct retreat experiences: a Fall Retreat at Camp Tekakwitha, a Silent Retreat at Wynncliff Retreat Center, and the on-campus 'Busy Persons Retreat' designed for students who can't leave campus but want a week of daily prayer, reflection, Mass, and one-on-one spiritual direction. Students also participate in the annual Walk to Mary pilgrimage through the Diocese of Green Bay, and the ministry organizes trips to the national SEEK conference (next scheduled for 2026).
- Fall Retreat — Camp Tekakwitha, Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2025
- Silent Retreat — Wynncliff Retreat Center, Feb 27 – Mar 1, 2026
- Busy Persons Retreat — on-campus, Nov 16 – 19, 2025; daily prayer, Mass, and one-on-one spiritual direction
- Walk to Mary — annual diocesan pilgrimage
- SEEK Conference — next trip in 2026
Small Groups & Faith Formation
Small Groups meet weekly throughout the semester for Bible study and faith-sharing, growing together as a community and giving new students an easy on-ramp into the ministry. For Spring 2026 the groups are working through 'The Search.' Small-group coordinator Bree is recruiting leaders who were part of last year's pilot. OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) provides a parallel inquiry process for anyone curious about the Catholic faith — whether unbaptized, returning after time away, or baptized but not yet in full communion.
- Small Groups — weekly Bible and faith study; Spring 2026 study is 'The Search'
- Small-group coordinator Bree is training new leaders from the pilot program
- OCIA — Becoming Catholic: open to the unbaptized, returning Catholics, and those preparing for First Communion; staffed by Sr. Laura ([email protected])
- Joining OCIA does not commit a person to becoming Catholic — it begins as inquiry
Music Ministry
Music Ministry is led by Heather Roberts, a UW-Green Bay music alumna who also holds a Certificate of Distinction in Vocal Pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. Prior to joining the ministry she served as a choir teacher and parish secretary. The Music Ministry ensemble — choir, piano, acoustic guitar and bass, drums, flute, and clarinet — performs every Sunday for Mass, blending contemporary Christian songs with traditional church hymns. Heather also enjoys landscape photography, ballroom dancing, and time with her family.
- Director: Heather Roberts ([email protected])
- Instruments: choir, piano, acoustic guitar and bass, drums, flute, clarinet
- Repertoire: mix of contemporary Christian songs and traditional church hymns
- Performs every Sunday evening for Mass
Student Life & Community
Beyond the liturgy, Phoenix Catholic offers a steady calendar of community-building events. Weekly home-cooked dinners draw students together after Sunday Mass; the Phoenix Catholic Student Organization — led by an elected student board — runs Men's and Women's Ministry, social events, and service opportunities. The ministry intentionally 'creates a welcoming, joyful space where all students feel seen, valued, and excited to return,' and embraces each person's unique talents through leadership roles as Missionary Disciples.
- Weekly free student dinners
- Phoenix Catholic Student Organization (student-led)
- Men's Ministry and Women's Ministry
- Service, prayer, and leadership formation
- Student Outreach Coordinators pair new students with mentors
Contact & Visit
Mass and other activities are held in the Auditorium of the Mauthe Center on the UW-Green Bay campus. The mailing address is 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001. Staff can be reached directly by email: Sr. Laura at [email protected], Fr. Kevin at [email protected], Becky at [email protected], Heather at [email protected], and the student org at [email protected] or [email protected].
- Address: 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (Richard Mauthe Center)
- Phone: (920) 366-3661
- Email (Director): [email protected]
- Email (Sacramental Minister): [email protected]
- Email (Asst. Director): [email protected]
- Email (Music): [email protected]
- Email (Student Org): [email protected] / [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Richard MautheEarly 1960s – 2017
Founder and guiding spirit of what began as the Newman Center (later the Ecumenical Center, now the Mauthe Center). Worked alongside Methodist minister Rev. David Steffenson from September 1965.
- Fr. Tom (Long)Through at least 2007
Catholic chaplain from at least 2007; also served as Vocation Director for the Diocese of Green Bay, residing at Xavier House in De Pere; celebrated 7 PM Sunday Mass and offered Reconciliation on Sunday evenings.
- Fr. Kevin RipleyCurrent
Current Sacramental Minister; grew up in Pulaski, WI; B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UW-Madison; six years at Mundelein Seminary; previously Parochial Vicar of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Oshkosh; also Director of the Kairos year at the Holy Name of Jesus House of Formation.