Peer Ministry

St. Thomas More Newman Center, the Roman Catholic Campus Ministry for The Ohio State University, received a grant as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation Initiative (CMTEV). This initiative supports a variety of campus ministries across the country at public universities that demonstrate that they have the capacity to design and implement high-quality vocational exploration programs. 

The grant supports the Newman Center’s Peer Ministry Program, which provides opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience in various areas of pastoral ministry, discern their vocation and enable students to explore the possibility of a call to professional ministry in the church. Campus ministry peer ministers engage in biweekly formation sessions, supervised ministry that promotes ministerial growth and spiritual development, as well as offers opportunities for practical ministry experiences. Grant funding along with donor support helps the Newman Center integrate our current program offerings with our new Peer Ministry initiative for a strategic focus on vocational discernment and leadership. 
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Newman Center's new Peer Ministry program was fully funded with a grant for three years from 2016-19 and partially funded with an extension grant from 2019 through the present from Lilly Endowment Inc., an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation founded in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family – J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development. Lilly Endowment’s religion grant making is designed to deepen and enrich the religious lives of American Christians. It does this largely through initiatives to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry in American congregations and parishes.  If you would like to help donate toward sustaining our Peer Ministry program, visit our donor page.


​Who are Peer Ministers?

  • Peer ministers are Catholic undergraduate students at The Ohio State University who are passionate about serving the Newman Center community and embody the Newman Center's mission, vision and core values.
  • Peer ministers are student leaders who serve 6-8 hours per week in a particular area of ministry and receive training in pastoral ministry skills, leadership, engagement and facilitation skills.
  • Peer ministers engage in a yearlong program of discernment and formation to theologically explore his or her own vocation.
  • Peer ministers will be compensated a gross sum of $3,000 as an employee of the Newman Center for their nine month commitment to the program.​

2022-2023 Peer Ministers

Our 2022-2023 peer ministers at the Newman Center are:​
  • Josh Bartz, serving in Communications
  • ​Stephen Gairing, serving in Service
  • Tara Shope, serving in Outreach
  • Patrick Kerrigan, serving in Liturgy & Music 
To contact any of the Peer Ministers: peerministry@buckeyecatholic.com

How to Become a Peer Minister

The peer ministry program provides opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience in various areas of pastoral ministry, discern their vocation and enable students to explore the possibility of a call to professional ministry in the church. 

For more details and information, check out the
​Peer Ministry Program Information Packet (pdf).
peer_ministry_information_packet_final_2022.pdf
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