About Wellesley College Newman Catholic Community · Wellesley, Massachusetts
The Wellesley College Newman Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic chaplaincy and student organization serving Catholic students at Wellesley College, a women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Part of the Archdiocese of Boston and named for Saint John Henry Newman (canonized 2019), the community gathers each Sunday for 4:00 PM Mass in Houghton Chapel, followed by fellowship and dinner in the Multi-faith Center. Catholic spiritual care on campus is coordinated in partnership with the nearby St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative, whose priests celebrate the Sunday liturgy and hear weekly Confessions in Houghton Chapel.
- Patron
- Saint John Henry Newman
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
The Newman Catholic Community offers Wellesley students a Roman Catholic spiritual home that takes both intellect and faith seriously, echoing Cardinal Newman's conviction that the two belong together. Weekly Sunday Mass in Houghton Chapel is followed by fellowship and dinner in the Multi-faith Center, and Confessions are offered weekly during the academic year. With pastoral support from the College's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and from priests of the St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative, students find a small but committed community that challenges members to live as 'educated, passionate, and faithful Catholic leaders' who love their neighbor as themselves.
Mass times at Wellesley College Newman Catholic Community
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekly Confessions offered in Houghton Chapel (scheduled through the St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative chaplain)
The Wellesley College Newman Catholic Community
The Newman Catholic Community is the Catholic chaplaincy and student organization at Wellesley College, serving students, faculty and staff who seek to deepen their understanding of the Roman Catholic faith. Drawing on Cardinal Newman's vision of the unity of intellect and spirit, the community aims to form 'educated, passionate, and faithful Catholic leaders' who respect the dignity of every person and live the command to love their neighbor as themselves. The community belongs to the Archdiocese of Boston and gathers most visibly for weekly Sunday Mass in Houghton Chapel.
Newman Catholic Ministry Student Organization
The Newman Catholic Ministry is the student-led Catholic organization at Wellesley, registered through the College's weEngage platform. It is advised by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy at the St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative, and supported by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. The organization plans events, faith formation gatherings and service opportunities that complement the Sunday Mass schedule and connect Catholic students with the wider Wellesley community.
- Student org with elected officers (President, Treasurer, Historian and others)
- Advised by Kelly Meraw (St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative)
- Connected to the Wellesley College Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL) coordinates Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Unitarian Universalist chaplaincies at Wellesley, together with the broader multi-faith 'Beyond Tolerance' program established in the 1990s. Catholic ministry is one strand of this larger team-based approach to spiritual life, sharing weekly practices such as Thursday tea at Houghton Chapel (4:00–5:00 PM) and weekday morning group meditation (8:00–8:20 AM) with other traditions on campus.
- Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life leads the office
- Religious Life Team includes Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Unitarian Universalist chaplains
- Multi-Faith Center for Religious and Spiritual Life opened May 2008
History of Catholic and Multi-Faith Life at Wellesley
Catholic presence on the Wellesley campus goes back decades, originally organized around a Protestant College Chaplain with a Catholic priest and a Hillel Director serving their own communities. In the early 1990s College Chaplain Connie Chandler Ward called for a new model, and in 1993 Wellesley hired its first Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life, Victor Kazanjian, who designed the multi-faith program. The 1993 inauguration of President Diana Chapman Walsh featured a multi-faith celebration that included Catholic worship alongside many other traditions, and the College has continued to expand its religious and spiritual offerings since. Sr. Nancy Corcoran, CSJ, served as Catholic Chaplain from 2007 to 2015, followed by Emily Jendzejec.
- 1992 – College commissions study of religious and spiritual life
- 1993 – Victor Kazanjian named first Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life
- 1993 – Multi-faith celebration at inauguration of President Diana Chapman Walsh
- 2007 – Sr. Nancy Corcoran, CSJ, becomes Catholic Chaplain
- 2008 – Multi-Faith Center opens
- 2015 – Emily Jendzejec succeeds as Catholic Chaplain and Director of Newman Ministry
Partnership with St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative
Since 2024 the Wellesley College Newman Catholic Community has been formally partnered with the St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative, the parish that serves the town of Wellesley. Kelly Meraw, the Collaborative's Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, is Advisor to the Newman Catholic Student Organization, working alongside Pastoral Care Coordinator Sr. Colleen Gibson. Priests of the Collaborative — Parochial Vicar Fr. Gabriel and Scholar Priests in Residence Fr. Lesley and Fr. James — celebrate the regular Sunday Mass and hear weekly Confessions in Houghton Chapel, ensuring a stable sacramental life on campus.
- Kelly Meraw – Advisor to the Newman Catholic Student Organization
- Sr. Colleen Gibson – Pastoral Care Coordinator (SJSP Collaborative)
- Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Lesley and Fr. James – celebrating Sunday Mass and Confessions on campus
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Sr. Nancy Corcoran, CSJ2007 – 2015
Catholic Chaplain and Director of Newman Ministries; previously directed grass/roots: Women's Spirituality Center in Boston and served at Regis College and Regina Dominican High School.
- Emily Jendzejec2015 – c.2021
Catholic Chaplain and Director of Newman Ministry in the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life; later moved to Loyola New Orleans as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Studies and Executive Director of the Ignatian Spirituality Center.