Newman Special Project Campaign

 The Newman Center and the Diocese of Tucson, are in the planning stages to address the need for a major expansion project of our beloved St. Thomas More Newman Center.

 We have presently launched a pre-campaign study to assist us in determining how to move forward.

Ruotolo Associates Inc of Ridgewood, New Jersey –  a national firm with 45 years of experience working with Catholic parishes and other nonprofits – will conduct this study and will assist the Diocese of Tucson, and the Newman Center on this exciting venture.

• Based on the feedback of all in the Newman Community.. this study will help us, in determining the best plan of action for moving forward with this proposed project.
• Every member of the Newman Center will have an opportunity to participate in this pre-campaign study.
• Ruotolo Associates will conduct personal interviews: a focus group and a survey (both in-pew and online) – depending on what may be the best way for you to respond.
•  I encourage “everyone” to participate when called upon. Your input is very important as we look to the future.   We need to have high participation for this study.
• Included is “FAQ page” in the bulletin and on the Newman website – that describes the detail and flow of the pre-campaign study. The goal of FAQ is to help you to better understand the methodology and timetable for this process.

Thank you in advance for your input, and we look forward to hearing your ideas and dreams for the Newman Center.  Thank you.   Amen! and Bear Down!   

Fr. John Paul Forte, OP

1.  What is a pre-campaign study?

A pre-campaign study is a thorough and detailed assessment of a parish community’s willingness and capacity to move forward with a capital fundraising endeavor.

2.  Why do we need a pre-campaign study?

It is imperative for any parish that wishes to have a capital campaign to raise funds for major capital improvements to conduct a feasibility study to determine if parishioners are willing and able to support it. The final report will be used to validate the proposed projects and legitimize the effort amongst our parish community.  

3.  What types of questions are asked?

Ultimately, the pre-campaign study tells us who we are as a parish. Topics will include the strengths and weaknesses of the parish and its leadership, receptivity toward the proposed projects, willingness to make a pledge commitment, and willingness to volunteer for the campaign. 

4.  Who participates in the pre-campaign study?

EVERY parish family will be given a chance to participate. Some families will be asked to participate in one-on-one interviews or a focus group, and ALL families will be asked to complete a survey available both electronically and in-pew.

5.  Why are some families asked to interview?

Families that have been parishioners for a long period of time or are actively involved in ministries are asked to interview because they are generally able to provide thorough and detailed information about parish history, current parish issues, and are usually able to properly evaluate necessary leadership potential in a capital campaign.

6.  Who is conducting the pre-campaign study?

Ruotolo Associates, a philanthropic consulting firm based in Ridgewood, NJ, with over 45 years of experience working with Catholic organizations, has been retained to conduct the study.  We determined that Ruotolo Associates’ methodology best matched the needs of our parish community.

7.  How long will the pre-campaign study take, and will we see the results?

The study will be conducted in October.  After the final report is presented to the leadership, key highlights will be shared with an update on the status of the capital campaign.1.This is a placeholder tab content. It is important to have the necessary information in the block, but at this stage, it is just a placeholder to help you visualise how the content is displayed. Feel free to edit this with your actual content.

Since 1926, the St. Thomas More Newman Center has served the Catholic community of the University of Arizona guided by our mission statement “to be transformed through an encounter with the Spirit of Truth and the Love of God.” Newman is an intergenerational community of students, alumni, university staff and faculty, families, young adults, and year-round Tucson
residents. The campus ministry is served by Dominican Friars, Sisters, and Laity, as well as the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. It provides formation for over forty college students and young adults to lead outreach and ministry to their peers as Student Ministers and FOCUS Missionaries. Each week, over one thousand Catholics gather to learn the principles of Christian discipleship through Mass, Adoration, Evening Prayer, Small Groups, and the numerous ministries of the campus ministry.

Our current facilities, established in the 1960s, have served as a wonderful place for prayer, study, community, and ministry; however, these facilities are showing their age with deferred maintenance and handicapped accessibility needs for the modern era. Newman is also experiencing exponential growth in participation at all its offerings, up 15-20% from the previous
year. The time has come to write the next chapter for Newman’s physical location by renovating existing spaces as well as funding new construction that will allow us to carry out our ministries long into the future. The Newman Center’s leadership, with the support of our Bishop Edward Weisenburger, has begun planning to address the need for a new and improved campus while also honoring decades of ministry.

Church

The current chapel seats 240 people and has two small restrooms on the ground level that are unfit for high traffic. There are also challenges with the layout of the church, which positions the restrooms and Newman Center ministry locations far away from the chapel. Current plans are to renovate the existing chapel into a ground-level gathering space for ministry and connect it to a newly constructed Newman Center and chapel to the east with an indoor elevator connecting the existing basement-level meeting spaces, ground-level lobby and ministry spaces, and second-story offices and meeting rooms.
Preliminary Estimated Projected Cost: TBA. It is now our role to plan for the next one hundred years of ministry and mission at St. Thomas More Newman Center. We want to ensure that those students, young adults, and resident community members have a place that is welcoming, inviting, and accessible to all. We look forward to the responses and comments from all who take part in this pre-campaign study so that we may continue to develop a plan to address the needs of our campus ministry parish. Your participation is very important, and we thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support.

• Seating capacity for approximately 450 people

• Modern HVAC, lighting, and sound technology needs

• The overall shape will be a modified in-the-round setting with three aisles

• Stained Glass windows, Stations of the Cross, and other prayer nooks that aesthetically align with the look and feel of our southwest location

• An obvious entrance to the church from the street that connects directly with the main lobby of the Newman Center

• Restrooms, including accessible ones for ADA compliance

Office and Meeting Space

Currently, the offices are former small “casitas” which are significantly inadequate and lack security. These would need to be demolished for a new addition that would become the Newman Center with ground-level and second-story office spaces for administrative support and campus ministry needs.

• Common space area for larger gatherings on the ground level for up to 500 people

• An indoor elevator connecting the existing basement-level meeting spaces, ground-level
  lobby and ministry spaces, and second-story offices and meeting rooms.

Preliminary Estimated Projected Cost: TBA

It is now our role to plan for the next one hundred years of ministry and mission at St. Thomas More Newman Center. We want to ensure that those students, young adults, and resident community members have a place that is welcoming, inviting, and accessible to all. We look forward to the responses and comments from all who take part in this pre-campaign study so that we may continue to develop a plan to address the needs of our campus ministry parish. Your participation is very important and we thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support.