John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote, taught, and preached in the 19th century and spent many of his early years at Oxford. After being raised in the Anglican Church and moving through a complex spiritual quest, he decided to become Catholic at age 42. He was ordained a priest four years later and served the Catholic Church with distinction as a prominent theologian. Cardinal Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on September 19, 2010.
Here in San Luis Obispo, the Newman Club began at Cal Poly in the 1940’s as a group of students gathering in various campus spots. Beginning in the mid-1980’s, at the urging of Cal Poly President Dr. Warren Baker, the Diocese of Monterey made a more concerted effort to respond to the needs of Catholic students at Cal Poly and Cuesta.
The Christian Brothers came to San Luis Obispo and started their ministry to college students in a rented office at the University Christian Center on Foothill Blvd. After fundraising efforts and staff growth, the UCC became overcrowded. And so in 1985, the Newman Center came into existence at it’s present location. Since August of 2003 the Newman Center has been under the pastoral care of the Marist Fathers and Brothers of the USA Province. We work in partnership with our local Catholic parishes, and in conjunction with other religious groups through the Cal Poly Interfaith Campus Council.
Today, we serve Catholic students at Cuesta College and Cal Poly through a variety of programs and ministries. We believe that our ministry plays a special and vital role in fostering the future leadership of our Catholic Christian community.
