A Parish Built Around a University
Newman Catholic Parish sits at 110 Garfield Avenue in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, within easy reach of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. Founded in 1969 by Bishop Frederick William Freking, the parish carries a specific mission: serving as a spiritual home for Catholic students at UWEC and Chippewa Valley Technical College, while also welcoming stationary members from the surrounding city. Its patron is Saint John Henry Newman, the 19th-century English theologian whose leadership of the Oxford Movement drew many into the Catholic Church near England's most famous university. The first Newman Club in the United States was established at the University of Wisconsin in 1883, and the parish in Eau Claire carries on that long tradition of Catholic campus ministry.
Two years after the parish was founded, the Ecumenical Religious Center opened on the UWEC campus as a shared space for Christian ministry. The ERC still houses Newman alongside University Lutheran Church, anchoring the parish's presence in the daily life of the university.
Mass, Confession, and Adoration Throughout the Week
The parish keeps a steady rhythm of prayer across the academic year. Weekend Mass is offered Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 8:30 am, 11:30 am, and 7:30 pm. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Wednesday at 12:05 pm and on Thursday at 6:05 pm. Before each weekday Mass, the Eucharist is exposed for adoration: Monday through Wednesday from 10:45 to 11:45 am, Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, and Sunday from 6:15 to 7:15 pm. Morning Prayer gathers the community together Monday through Thursday at 8:00 am, a quiet start to the day rooted in the Psalms.
Confessions are heard before every Mass: Monday through Wednesday from 11:15 to 11:45 am, Thursday from 5:05 to 5:45 pm, Saturday from 4:00 to 4:45 pm, and Sunday from 6:30 to 7:15 pm. The parish's stated mission is a brief one: to help college students center their lives on Jesus Christ through prayer, friendship, study, and service. Visitors are warmly invited to stop by and find a community of faithful, generous, and joyful Catholics rooted in love for Jesus Christ and his Church.
FOCUS Missionaries and the Bible Study Life
Four missionaries from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) serve at Newman alongside the parish staff, forming students in a life of prayer and friendship. The team is led by Jaden Henley and includes Katherine Skoumal, Micah Gehring, and Julia Hyde. Together they lead gender-specific Bible studies and book studies throughout the week, creating small communities of Catholic college students who read, pray, and grow together. FOCUS missionaries also help run retreats, social events, and one-on-one mentoring across the semester.
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
Newman hosts the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the parish's process for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church. Classes meet on Sunday evenings at the parish during the school year, beginning in September and running through the Easter season, when participants celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation. The program is geared toward UWEC and CVTC students, and includes both catechumens preparing for Baptism and candidates preparing to receive the Eucharist and Confirmation. There is no cost to participate. Those not currently associated with the universities are invited to contact Sean Coyle to discuss options or find OCIA classes in another parish.
The Guilds at the Altar
Liturgical service at Newman is a hands-on affair organized through four named guilds. The Saint Veronica Sacristan Guild, open to women, helps set up and take down for adoration and Mass. The Saint Tarcisius Acolyte Guild, open to men, serves at Mass and adoration. The Saint Gregory the Great Guild gathers singers for the Evening Mass Choir. A separate group of volunteers coordinates ushers and lectors for the liturgies. Emmett McMorrow, who serves as Music Director at Newman and Sacred Heart of Jesus-St. Patrick parishes as well as Liturgy Director at Newman, oversees the music program across both communities.
Religious Education for Children and Teens
For stationary parishioners, Newman's Director of Religious Education, JoAnn Vruwink, oversees a coordinated program that also serves Sacred Heart-St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception parishes. Four programs run on a shared calendar.
Family Formation is designed for parents and children in grades 1-6. Families meet twice a month at Immaculate Conception School, Parish, and Fr. Klink Hall. While children work with a classroom catechist, parents gather with Father Michael or Father Francis to learn about a specific aspect of the Catholic faith, then take a simple lesson home to teach on the other two Wednesdays of the month. Childcare is provided at no charge for younger siblings.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a materials-based method developed from the Montessori tradition, serves preschool through third grade. Children gather weekly in a prepared "atrium" environment where trained catechists present scripture and liturgy materials and reflect with the children on questions such as "God, who are you? How do you love us?"
EDGE, the middle school program for seventh and eighth graders, meets twice a month alongside Family Formation, with additional evenings at Sacred Heart. Seventh graders study Theology of the Body; eighth graders study the Bible.
Confirmation preparation is a two-year program beginning in ninth grade, with sessions at Immaculate Conception School and required service hours each year.
Retreats, Dinners, and the Meal Ministry
Student retreats are a cornerstone of Newman's year. A weekend student retreat is held each fall, and a silent men's retreat is offered separately. Beyond retreats, Kay Magadance leads the parish's Meal Ministry, coordinating student dinners on set Mondays each month and special occasion meals during holidays and finals week. These home-cooked meals are a primary point of contact between sustaining members and students, and the parish welcomes anyone who would like to help cook or serve. The student organization Blugold Catholic, led by a council of student officers, plans socials, service projects, and prayer events across the academic year.
The Pastoral Team
Father Michael Klos serves as Pastor. A double graduate of UWEC - Comparative Religion and Philosophy in 1989, and later Music with a vocal emphasis - he was ordained in 2000 after studying at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He served as a U.S. Marine Reservist and later as a U.S. Navy Reserve Chaplain, and spent twenty-five years in Catholic schools, nineteen of them as an elementary principal. He also serves as Pastor of Sacred Heart-St. Patrick Parish in Eau Claire. Father Klos's favorite parts of priestly life are helping people grow in faith, hope, and love, teaching, and the beauty of the liturgy.
Father Kyle Lang is the Student Chaplain. Raised near La Crosse, he returned to Wisconsin after about ten years away, drawn back to the state through his vocation to the priesthood. He focuses on helping UWEC and CVTC students grow in love with Christ.
Sean Coyle directs campus mission. A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville with both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Theology, he served as a campus missionary at Northern Illinois University and as a campus minister at UW-Platteville before coming to Eau Claire. Lizzy Gruenloh, a senior at UWEC studying Elementary Education, serves as the Campus Ministry Intern. JoAnn Vruwink directs religious education across the three parishes. Emmett McMorrow directs liturgy and music. Kay Magadance leads the Meal Ministry.
Regis Catholic Schools and Beyond
Newman supports Regis Catholic Schools, a fully accredited K-12 system serving the Eau Claire and Altoona area. Regis includes two child development centers, three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, and welcomes families of all faiths who identify with its core values.
For spiritual growth beyond the regular schedule, Newman supports spiritual direction with Chris Maslonkowski and provides parishioners with access to FORMED, a Catholic media library of videos, audiobooks, and films. The parish's recommended reading list includes works from Saint Augustine, C.S. Lewis, Dante, and Bishop Erik Varden, among many others. Gifts to the parish may be made in person, by mail, or online.