draft of 6-1-07

Thanks to Jessica Hoelzer, and the Newman Center Council of '05-'06

scroll down for the scrapbook

In the early hours of May 31, 2007, the Catholic Newman Center was struck by lightning.

Despite heroic efforts by the Kirksville Fire Department, the building was completely destroyed, after only 17 years of service.

There is a fundraising campaign underway to help us complete the rebuilding. Thanks to the generosity of many, we’re nearly halfway there. Please contact Newman Center Director Bettie Lesczynski (newman.truman@gmail.com) to find out how you can help.

"bare, ruin'd choirs..."

This page is under construction -- your memories and images are urgently requested!

Newman Prayer:

May God support us all the day long

till the shadows lengthen and the evening comes

and the busy world is hushed

and the fever of life is over

and our work is done.

Then in His mercy

may God give us a safe lodging

and a holy rest

and peace at the last.

Amen

The Newman Center at 709 S. Davis, Kirksville MO in 2005.

After the fire

The Newman Center has long served the needs of Catholic students, faculty and staff at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) and the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

Motto of the National Newman Clubs:

“Cor ad Cor Loquitor”

(heart speaks to heart)

-Cardinal Newman

kirksvillenewman.truman.edu

“As one of the oldest religious groups on campus, the Newman Club has strived not only to make its members better Catholics, but good citizens as well.” –Echo 1966

History

Beginning in 1967-68: old, two-story building at 414 W. Dodson, built during World War; renovations in 1977-78

1979: first Catholic student house: "Cornerstone": “leaky building near the Kirksville Post Office.”

The Kirksville Catholic Newman Center was organized during the 1955-56 school year at what was then Kirksville State Teachers’ College.

Fun facts:

Newman’s Homecoming float, the “S.S. Bulldog,” won first prize in the “beauty division” in 1958-59 and 59-60.
Awarded best float in the parade in 1960-61. The float was called “Vival la Bool-dogs!” and was an Arc of Triumph.
They defended their College Bowl Championship from 1961-62 through 63-64.
Held a daycare at Newman, 1969-74
Keggers were occasionally held at Newman until the no alcohol policy was implemented in the late 70’s/early 80’s.
Pig roasts are an old tradition of the Kirksville Newman Center.

Quotes

“I have learned many things from the Newman Center, like how to give a first class hug, how to be myself and not worry about what others think I should be, how to develop friendships and most importantly, how to incorporate my faith in God into my everyday life.” –Chris Billings, 1986
“The Newman Center…That’s where fruity strangers hug you and everyone holds hands during the Our Father. That’s where Mass sometimes lasts over an hour and practically everything is sung. That’s where people wear sweats or go barefoot to Mass.” -Donna Schuelen Bell, 1985-86

April 1990: New building opened

Newman Center Building Project:

The Newman Center under construction

After more than ten years of meeting in various locations on the NMSU campus, the Newman Club went looking for a permanent home. The two-story brick building at 414 W. Dodson was chosen for its size and location and purchased in 1967. The stucco on the outside began to fall off and the building was sided in 1978. This facility featured a large common room, a kitchen, and office for the director, a lounge, and upstairs a chaplain’s apartment that was later converted into a small chapel and a student apartment. For more than twenty years this building served the needs of the Newman community, but it slowly fell into a state of disrepair. Irreparable defects in the building, which was cold in winter and hot in summer and leaked rain in several places, often soaking valuable office equipment, forced Newman to decide in the 1986-87 academic year to build a new facility. Fr. Leslie Niemeyer, then Newman Director, secured the permission of the Bishop, Michael McAuliffe, STD, to begin raising the necessary funds.

Land on the SE corner of Normal and Davis Streets was purchased in August of 1987. As of February 1988, nearly $100,000 had been pledged to the project. The Bishop then pledged a matching $100,000 from the parishes of the Diocese of Jefferson City. Total budget for the project was $350,000.

The yellow house on the corner was torn down under the direction of Mary Immaculate parishioner Phil Hebert. Construction was to begin in the summer of 1988, but then the project began to hit some major snags.

Because of cost overruns, the architect was asked to redesign the building. Then NMSU came to Fr. Les and offered to buy the corner lot in order to extend the greenway reaching from the dorms along Normal Street to the president’s home, which fronts Halliburton. So, in August of 1988, Newman sold the corner lot and bought two more lots south of the corner. The new building would now have to be designed to front Davis Street. In addition, the white house slated to be used for Cornerstone, the Catholic student house, now stood on the proposed building site and had to be moved to a new foundation two lots to the south, after the two houses standing there had also been demolished.

Groundbreaking for the new Center finally took place on NMSU's Graduation Day in May 1989. After all his work of negotiation and fundraising, Fr. Les left the Newman Center before the actual construction began. In his wake came Fr. Kevin Clohessy, who presided over the excavation and the raising of the walls in late summer of 1989. Fr. Kevin held several well-attended Masses on the site and in the unfinished building. He and several helpers moved in to the facility in January 1990. The first regular Sunday liturgies were celebrated there on January 13 and 14. The Newman Center was officially dedicated in services on April 7, with a Mass by Bishop Michael McCauliffe of Jefferson City, and a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Fr. Kevin Clohessy on April 8, 1990.

2000: Building Addition

By 1999, the Newman Center was too small. One Sunday, Father Bill Kottenstette saw students open the door to Newman and, finding standing room only, they left. The decision was made to add on. We applied for grants and began raising money from parents, alumni, and friends. We contacted an architect and builder. The addition was estimated to cost $300,000. By spring of 2000, we had half the money and began construction in May as soon as school was out. The multipurpose room was doubled and three rooms added on the side: lounge, library, and music library. The old library was turned into an office for the Chaplain. The blessing of the addition took place on November 3, 2000.

1955-57

Director: Rev. Richard Carney

1957-60

Sponsor: Rev. Norbert G. Adelman, C.PP.S.

1960-62

Chaplain: Fr. Paul F. Bobay, C.PP.S.

1962-66

Chaplain: Rev. J. Leon Allred

1966-69

Chaplain: Fr. Luke Reichert

1969-75

Director: Fr. John Whiteley

1975-78

Director: Fr. Jim Schafer

1978-83

Director: Father John Prenger

1983-87

Director: Father Les Niemeyer

1987-89

Director: still Fr. Niemeyer

Secretary: Bettie Lesczynski

1989-93

Director: Father Kevin Clohessy

Associate Campus Minister: Bettie Lesczynski

1993-94

Chaplain: Father Dave Maher

Associate Campus Minister: Bettie Lesczynski

1994-October 1995

Chaplain: Father Don Crosby

Associate Campus Minister: Bettie Lesczynski

October 1995-December 1995

Associate Campus Minister: Bettie Lesczynski

January 1, 1996-present

Chaplain: Father Bill Kottenstette

Director: Bettie Lesczynski

Cardinal Newman's family album:

1979

1980

1980 NMSU Echo

1989 NMSU Echo

1994

1995 NMSU Echo

2004

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