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Join in on Campus Ministry
The Newman Club is a community of young adults whose purpose is to promote community service while practicing and living the faith. The Newman Club allows students to continue their faith by providing mass once a week and also confession. Being a member is a great opportunity to make lifelong friendships and to be in the company of people with whom you share the same spiritual views. While providing students with great opportunities, the club is an atmosphere where students can share their faith and their struggles, questions, and joys with one another while living out the good news in our everyday lives.
The Newman Club is the Washington and Jefferson college campus ministry run through Immaculate Conception Parish. It is a receptive and friendly environment for the campus Christian community that emphasizes Catholic Views. The Newman Club strives to organize events that will bring members of the campus community together for fellowship, socializing, education, service, and prayer.
Sunday masses are casual evening masses in which members of the club participate as lectors, readers, cantors, and greeters. The masses are conducted by Father Kevin at the Newman Center located on the 2nd floor of the Trades and Labor Building, right across the street from Monticello's. Sunday mass collections are donated to a variety of charities including Helping Haiti, the Baby Drive and also Hurricane Katrina victims. In addition, some collections are donated to the Washington and Jefferson College Library for library books concerning Catholic topics and Bioethics.
With the help of friendly community and faculty volunteers, the Newman Club provides a comfortable environment and companionship for all students - Christians, Catholics and anyone interested. Although focused on Catholic beliefs, the Newman Club welcomes and encourages students with all types of religious views to come and join our club community. Students should not feel intimidated or anxious to join because of their particular religious backgrounds.
The Newman Club exhibits a very welcoming environment in which students feel at home. The club's community and faculty volunteers treat and care for the students like their own children. Birthday cards are displayed for students to sign at each mass for students with upcoming birthdays that are then sent to the students through their W&J campus mailboxes. In addition, during midterms and finals week the club volunteers put their time and effort in making each club member a cookie care package with a small note wishing us luck and reminding us to keep the faith during our time of stress and impatience. Need a place to study? The Newman Center is open during midterms and finals for students to study and help themselves to snacks!
Still Believe in the Easter Bunny?
The Newman Club promotes community service activities with reflection on faith and fellowship. One specific activity is the Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Egg Hunt is an annual Newman Club tradition in which children 12 years of age and under are invited to participate. The event is advertised in the Immaculate Conception Parish bulletin, and a faculty e-mail is also sent out to inform the college faculty of the event. The Hunt is one of the Newman Club's main community activities throughout the year, taking place the Saturday before Palm Sunday. Newman Club members and also members of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta work together to prepare and fill Easter eggs for the hunt which are then dispersed in the lawn in front of Old Main.
This year's Easter egg hunt tallied approximately 60-70 children and about 1400 eggs! Each child is allowed to find 20 eggs with an opportunity to win a prize as well. Advanced Composition professor Jennifer Harding commented about the Easter Egg hunt stating: "My children participated in the Easter Egg hunt this year, and they loved it. Our neighbors were also there, so it seems like the event draws members of the community. I heard there was a big bunny out on Beau street waving people in. I think it's great that the Newman Club does something like this for kids in the area. As a faculty member, I really want to feel like my whole family is welcome as part of the campus community. My kids think it's fun to go do things like the Easter Egg hunt at 'Mommy's School'."
Livin' the Faith
Based on the interview 4/7/07: Stephanie Ferimer, Newman Club President 
I've always had a strong faith background and continuing my faith in college was very important to me. In high school I was very involved in youth ministry. I was a member of the planning team for my parish, Mother Of Sorrows, and had a great experience growing in my faith. I learned a lot of values needed to get through my first year at college and I am happy to have faith to get me through my struggles, problems and decisions I need to make while being here. I had such a positive experience in high school that I wanted to stay involved as a minister. I joined the Newman club right away, and at the first mass I was already doing readings. In the spring of 2006 I was elected secretary of the club, and this year I am serving as president.
The Newman club is not only a club, but a supportive community and a great atmosphere. A variety of people are involved in the Newman Club and it's a good feeling to see so many familiar faces. The adult volunteers are great mentors in faith and in life and they are basically like an extended family. All in all the Newman Club is an enjoyable and intellectual experience and a great way to live out your faith through service, friendship and fun.
We are encouraging people from all religious views to come join us at the Newman Club as we would like to see more faith sharing. We are also trying to create more activities and student involvement to promote faith sharing within the club. It is a great experience and a good way to get in touch with yourself and your faith, and I encourage anyone to come see what the Newman Club is all about.
Where to Start
Join us at Sunday Mass!
Every Sunday evening at 7 p.m. at the Newman Center (2nd floor)
1 South College Street, Washington Pa
Contact Us!
Officers:
President: Stephanie Ferimer ferimersl@washjeff.edu
Vice President: Ryan Sayers sayersrp@washjeff.edu
Secretary: Emily Cerrone cerroneer@washjeff.edu
Treasurer: Doug Edwards edwardsdv@washjeff.edu
Contact Info:
Father Kevin: kpoecking@yahoo.com
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Robert Dodge rdodge@washjeff.edu