The Community

The Newman Centre on Peel Street is home to McGill University's Catholic Community. There has been some sort of Catholic club or association at McGill since 1897; in the 1920s Catholics at McGill joined a growing international movement of "Newman Clubs". John Henry Cardinal Newman was a 19th-century Englishman and convert to Catholicism whose vision of Universities did much to inspire the movement that bears his name. In numerous places, but especially in his work "The Idea of a University", he encouraged the University as a place where young men and women are formed to be agents of change and transformation in the world. This mission is central to the Catholic understanding of the role and mission of the lay faithful in the world.

The Centre

The Newman Club at McGill, after moving from St Patrick's Basilica to a house on Union Street, finally found a permanent home right next door to the McGill campus when, in 1954, Fr Emmett Carter (Newman chaplain and later Archbishop of Toronto) bought a private residence and carriagehouse at 3484 Peel Street. The funds for this forward-looking purchase were raised by an association of committed lay Catholics, and the Newman Centre continues to be administered today by the Newman Association of Montreal. The Centre continues to share a particular link with St Patrick's Basilica, of which it is in some respects a mission-on-campus.

The Chaplains

Catholic chaplains at McGill were drawn for many years from the priests of the diocese of Montreal and included such beloved figures in the Catholic Church in Montreal as Fr Russell Breen. In the 1970s and 80s members of the Paulist order served as chaplains at Newman; the last Paulist priest to serve in this capacity was Fr Tom Ryan, who took on new duties in Manhattan in 1999.

Fr Francis McKee served as chaplain from 1990 to 2000. Much beloved by students, he and his collaborators brought a fresh and renewed vision to their work at the Centre that continues to bear fruit today. In 1994 he was joined by Dr Daniel Cere, a layman and scholar whose work covers a broad range of topics including the history and philsophy of religion, political philosophy and the contemporary experience of courtship and marriage. Dr Cere continues to serve enthusiastically today as Director of the Newman Centre.

When Fr Francis took on pastoral responsibilities at St Kevin's Parish in Cote-des-Neiges, Fr Brian Boucher moved into the role of chaplain to the Catholic students at Mc Gill, a task to which he was committed until new assignments in 2002. In September 2002, Fr Robert Clark became chaplain. Fr Robert is chaplain today, along with his other duties as vocation director for the English-speaking sector of the Archdiocese of Montreal and as pastoral coordinator for St Kevin's Parish.

Dr Cere and the priest-chaplains at Newman have been assisted by a community of campus ministers who have been devoted to the care and welfare of the vibrant family of Newman students. This role has been carried out by Ms Cathy McAuley, Ms Renata Furst, Sr Marie Azzarello cnd, and by Mr Richard Bernier, who serves in this role today

The Collaborators

Since the inauguration of the Kennedy Smith Chair in Catholic Studies at McGill, the holders of the Chair have focused their presence at the Newman Centre. The Chair was held first by Dr David Williams, Professor of English Literature, and was succeeded by Dr Christophe Potworowski, Professor of Theology, who holds the Chair today.

Filling out and contributing greatly to the work of the Newman Centre have been the talented and dedicated administrative assistants who routinely serve above and beyond the call of duty. Recently in this role the Centre has been ably staffed by Ms Nadine Taylor, Ms Lorraine Auclair and today by Mrs Linda Diez.

The Future

The Newman Centre entered the new millennium with the first of several major renovations that have spruced up and renewed the facilities, making them more functional and available as a home to new generations of students. Some salaries of Newman staff are provided by the Archdiocese of Montreal, while the Pillars Trust Fund generously provides an additional yearly grant. As a freestanding institution, the Newman Centre is not funded by McGill though it does receive some rental money in return for the use of its space by McGill groups. Thus development and stewardship of financial resources remains a major priority today, to ensure that we can continue to welcome the Catholic community and others at McGill for many years to come.

Contact Information:

Telephone: 514-398-4106
Website: www.newmancentre.org