Current Developments

State of the Center Podcast

Listen to Fr. Joe give the State of the Center 

State of the Center 2011

Dear Friends of the Newman Center,

Thanksgiving is upon us, and it’s only right to make time to express profound gratitude to all of you. Let’s celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice for us and give him thanks for our many blessings.

I especially want to thank you for all the ways you support the St. Thomas More Newman Center so that its ministries can nourish the People of God here in the environs of The Ohio State University. 

Because of your gifts of time, talent and treasure, we’ve been able to provide for so many who long for food to feed their souls! 

Our campus ministry continues to expand with new faces and new opportunities for our students.  This year we welcomed a larger-than-ever freshman class, initially making contact with 900 of them. We then felt the energy of many of them hungering for a Catholic connection at both freshman orientations and the OSU Involvement Fair. 

Participation in the Buckeye Awakening retreats continues to grow, too - more than 500
students have taken part in this dynamic faith experience in the last two years!  And this fall, we offered our first-ever freshman retreat, New Beginnings, which helped them get to know us
and make new church contacts and friends.

We’ve also been able to increase our campus presence with more bible study opportunities due to our partnership with St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO). And a couple of years ago, we were accepted to be part of a pilot program with the National Leadership Roundtable at St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel at Yale to develop Catholic leaders. The program is called ESTEEM - Engaging Students to Enliven Ecclesial Mission. We’ve grown from an original seven to 15 student participants.

Along with the students, others are also being fed at our Newman Center table: The wizened generation, who stays connected here, is inspired by all the youthful energy, while – in turn – giving their own witness to faith in service of others.

Families with children, who make this their church home, are served by the catechists of the Montessori based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program. They spend countless hours in preparation to know how to best invite our youth – from the very young through high school - to discover their faith and Catholic tradition.

And the least among us in our own neighborhood are fed – literally - by caring hands and those who help bring in funds through the Mustard Seed Café.

The ministry of the Newman Center is providing a rich banquet – whether at the Eucharistic table of the Lord, the weekly Spaghetti Supper, the RCIA, or Reconciliation teams or a variety of other offerings. Truly, the whole person is being nourished as Jesus continues to feed the multitude!

However, the Newman Center also now finds itself facing some sobering financial realities.

For the past three years, although our expenses have been very carefully controlled, our revenues just haven’t kept up with our needs. After thoughtful consideration, some of our cash reserves have been used to help us through these challenging economic times. But we’re no longer comfortable with this as an option. 

In addition, there’s a NEW financial challenge facing us:  the rebates from the Paulist National
Campaign that started five years ago are coming to an end in 2012.   These rebates – which amount for over 35% of your generous gifts to the Paulist Fathers -- support 10% of the current year’s
budget. 

These rebates must be replaced if we are to sustain our ministries. This is a community concern that requires a community solution, with individuals responding in a spirit of thanksgiving.

I trust that God will inspire each of you to know how you might help our Newman Center realize its promise in providing rich spiritual nourishment for all. Please prayerfully consider whether this may include increasing your regular giving.

I look forward to working together in the days ahead as we seek to get this effort underway.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to introduce our new Development Director, Mathew Treadwell.  Matt comes to us from being the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan – and I’m thankful to have him!

Matt looks forward to future opportunities to meet and work with you.  He and I, along with our Finance Committee also want to specifically invite those who had been generous to the Paulist Campaign
to continue that level of giving now to the Newman Center Promise!

So thank you, thank you, thank you…. as we keep the spirit of Thanksgiving into the coming new year! Saying as well, “Thanks – for giving!!”

Faithfully,

Fr. Joe Ciccone, C.S.P.