Bishop Blesses Wabash Newman Center

Bishop Higi rededicates the Chapel in the Wabash Newman Center

Since its founding on the Wabash campus in the late 1960s, the Newman Center has been the spiritual home for Catholic students attending the College.

That changed a year ago when the Lafayette diocese closed the Center on South Grant Avenue because it felt it could no longer support the Center in addition to the work of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, which is just two miles away.

On Saturday, Bishop Higi and Father Melvin Bennett, priest at St. Bernard’s, reopened the Newman Center in a partnership that will more closely link Wabash Catholic students and St. Bernard’s Church.

Representing the diocese, Bishop Higi led a prayer service that included a large group of St. Bernard’s parishioners, Wabash students, and members of the Wabash faculty and administration.

“It was Father Bennett’s energy and imagination that brought this about,” said Bishop Higi during the rededication ceremony. “We’ve really had a breakthrough in liking the parish and the College’s Newman Club.

Father Bennett, Bishop Higi, Nancy Kashon, and Mauri Ditzler share a laugh

The Bishop funded a complete refurbishing of the building that houses the Newman Center. While the diocese provided more than $15,000 for the work, Father Bennett estimates that parishioners from St. Bernard’s completed 85 percent of the work themselves in addition to donating most of the furnishings.

Matt Abid, a senior from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the Wabash Newman Club president. He believes there are approximately 20 active members of the Newman Club on campus, which he says is a good number considering the Center was closed all of last year.

“We really want this to be a home, not only for Wabash College students, but for the entire Catholic community,” Abid said.

The refurbished facility includes Chapel and Tabernacle, as well as two small study rooms on the second floor. On the main floor is a large dining table that will comfortably sit 14 students, plus a smaller dining area, a complete kitchen, and a television and study room. The basement will also serve as study space for Wabash students.

Rob Giesting gives Bishop Higi a Wabash T-shirt as Father Bennett looks on

Senior Rob Giesting of Rushville led tours of the new facility for those gathered. Giesting was directly involved with the renovation during the summer.

The Lafayette diocese sponsors Newman Centers at Purdue University, Ball State University, and Wabash College.

“We’ve found that the Newman Centers work well when parishes are directly involved,” said Father Bennett. “Our goal has been to strengthen the linkage between the St. Bernard’s parish and Wabash. And like Matt Abid said, this is the first time we’ve ever had the parish and the club together at the same time, so we’re off to a good start.

In his remarks, Bishop Higi said, “Many of us have hunger in our hearts…Our hope is that this Center will answer, at least to some degree, that hunger for Wabash students. We want them to know that there is a light for them here at the Center.”