From the first meeting of the Newman Club in March of 1938, with more than 100 students and Fr. Howard Sammon in attendance, to current Catholic Student Association meetings, Catholic campus ministry has been a steady presence on the campus of Youngstown State University.
Along the way, chaplains, campus ministers and students, faculty and staff have continued to strive to promote intellectual, moral and spiritual growth, and to help the Christian community on campus serve God, its members, and others.
St. Joseph Church, formerly on the corner of Wick and Rayen, quickly became the Catholic chapel
at YSU (1948). Meetings were soon so full that neither the Catholic Action Center, or Ursuline High School could contain the members. In 1958 the meetings were moved to Cardinal Mooney High School until 1966 when the club boasted 400 active members.
In 1967 the Newman Center was established on the site of the former St. Joseph Church. In 1991, the building was sold to YSU and the Newman Center moved to temporary quarters on Wick Circle. Because of the generosity of the Lyden Family, construction began on the current Catholic Newman Center in October of 1993 and was completed in early June of 1994.
In 2013, the Newman Center celebrated 75 years of ministry. While the club has been housed in several locations, served by many chaplains and campus ministers, and engaged countless students throughout the years, one thing has remained constant: it has continued to be a place for students, faculty and staff to become engaged and empowered by their faith.
