The Saint Paul Newman Center is an apostolate of St. Mary-St. Paul Catholic Church which serves the students of Ferris State University. 

Our primary mission is nothing less than making saints. Through building a rich Catholic community steeped in the intellectual and cultural tradition of the Catholic Church, we seek to foster the faith and personal maturity in the students we serve.

Retreats, events, and more!

Our hearts thirst for a living relationship with our Creator, Jesus Christ. The more we draw into this relationship, we become more authentically ourselves and consequently more free and joyful. The St. Paul Newman Center works to draw students into this life giving relationship by providing a home away from home, community, and all kinds of events.

Student Brunch

Every Sunday after the 12pm Mass at St. Paul’s there is a student brunch. Shoutout to the generous parishioners who volunteer to cook homemade, delicious meals for the Ferris students while they are living up here away from home.

Ignite Retreat

To kickoff each school year, we hold an afternoon/evening retreat as our first big event to help students meet and break the ice. This usually consists of fun activities, a scavenger hunt, speaker, and adoration.

Men’s & Women’s Group

Students will come together every other Monday night to partake in a discussion led by Father Jegar. The topic will vary from Theology of The Body to The Catechism. After discussion, everyone will spend time in adoration before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Fireside Theology

Every other Thursday, students have the chance to hear from different speakers at each event. Topics can range from the vocation of marriage, how to take care of our health (spiritually and physically), or even a Q&A with Father Jegar.

Pints with the Priest

The purpose of this 21+ event is to prepare the older crowd of students for life after college. There is always an activity that teaches a different virtue which students have to guess and then discuss afterwards.

Spring Break Mission Trips

During Ferris State’s spring break, a group of students will go down to Chicago each year to volunteer with The Mission of Our Lady of The Angels. We volunteer to help them with their mission; to assist the materially poor and to share the treasure of our Catholic Faith.

Silent Retreats

During the Fall and Spring semesters, there is the opportunity to attend a silent retreat from Friday evening until Sunday morning. These retreats are completely silent; students have their phones taken once they arrive and talking is not allowed unless in small group discussions or if absolutely necessary. We emphasize the importance of silence in these retreats to provide a spiritual getaway from the busyness of the school year. Parts of these retreats include: a speaker, perpetual adoration, small group discussion, Mass, and a chance to get outside in nature.

Volunteer Opportunities

Outside of classes, students have the chance to volunteer at the local food pantry and with other parish events whether that includes the event itself, set-up, or take-down.

Campus Outreach

The Newman Center isn’t just for Catholic students and it isn’t meant to be in one corner of campus. Getting outside of St. Paul’s and onto Ferris State’s campus is crucial to expanding the community and evangelizing the Faith. This includes a tent set-up with apple cider, root beer floats, or making Christmas cards for the homebound.

Finding the Newman Center on Ferris State’s Campus