Parish celebrates tenth anniversary of Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center chapel

Friday, Sep. 19, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, joined the Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center community in celebrating the 10th anniversary of its chapel during a Sept. 14 Mass at which he presided. The homilist was Dominican Father Denis Reilly, the parish’s pastor when the chapel was built; Fr. Denis now serves as parochial vicar at Saint John the Baptist Parish.

In addition to the Mass, the Men’s Group sponsored a breakfast at which the parish’s history reviewed; and a special three-hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was offered; both of these events were on Sept. 13.

The celebration not only marked the anniversary of the construction and commemorated the parish’s historic events, it also honored the Dominicans who have served the parish, the University of Utah and Westminster College students who have formed the Newman Club and “all of those who have worshiped here, who have made Christ present in our midst,” Bishop Wester remarked at the opening of the Mass.

In his homily, Fr. Denis recalled that when he arrived at the parish in 1998, he quickly realized “that the size of the congregation had exploded and as it developed more space was required because the basic needs of the Newman Center were no longer being met.” 

Therefore, the years from 1999 to 2003 comprised “the era of committees” he said. “Fortunately, we had a plethora of talent in our community. This was truly one of those ‘it takes a village’ moments in the history of St. Catherine.” 

He recognized by name several people who were involved in the building effort and put in “countless man- and woman-hours tearing down and modernizing the 108-year-old building,” and also acknowledged “many of you who were not mentioned by me today, but you know who you are, and so does God.”

Although Fr. Denis was pastor during the construction, “as should be obvious, it was you – this inspired community – that really pulled off this project,” which combined the new building with elements of the original chapel, including the carving of the crucified Christ that hangs behind the altar, he said.

As mementos, parishioners were offered bookmarks made of remnants of walnut and alder wood that had been used in the carving of the chapel’s Stations of the Cross.

“The Newman Center is always a place that has been forward-looking,” said Dominican Father Carl Schlichte, pastor, in his remarks at the conclusion of the Mass. “One element of the design that I didn’t know until a couple of years ago was this whole window complex is wide open for the very obvious reason that we face the university and the whole reason that this community exists is to nourish the faith of the students, faculty and staff of our university. We also minister to the little ones. … As Fr. Denis said, we had a population explosion, and I think we’re in the middle of another one,” he added; the congregation responded with laughter. “This is something that we can continue to take pride in as we look forward to the 20-year celebration of the chapel in 2024, but also as we come in 2020 to the 100th anniversary of the Newman Club’s existence.”