Read These Memories:
Since 1893 the University of Pennsylvania has enjoyed a strong Catholic presence.
From our humble beginnings as the first Newman Club in the country, to the establishment of the Newman Hall Residence and St. Bede Chapel on Spruce St., to our current Newman Center on Chestnut St., the Catholic community is alive and well on Penn’s campus.
What are YOUR memories of the Newman when you were a student here?
We want to hear from you!
Take a moment to write to us and share what may have touched you during your college years. What activities did you participate in? Who were the other Catholic students you knew or lived with? Perhaps you met a lifelong friend or even your spouse here at Sunday or daily Mass or a social event. There are so many untold stories.
Help us to uncover our rich history of Roman Catholic ministry at Penn.
You are also welcome to call or write us all throughout the year.
We are eager to hear from you!
Send correspondence to:
Fr. Philip Florio, SJ
3720 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-7575
pflorio@newman.upenn.edu
Shared Memories
My Newman Memory by Edward D. Ging ‘58
Yes, I did meet my spouse at the Newman Club. For that reason we have a special affection for the Newman Club.
I joined the Club my freshman year (fall of 1954) and graduated in 1958. I started The Legion of Mary there; Father Donnelly was the Chaplain.
Joyce Greene was a member of the Newman Club at Rhode Island College of Education in Providence, Rhode Island, where she lived.
The Newman Club held a “Week of Catholic Thought” in Chicopee, Massachusetts the summer after my freshman year. I met Joyce at the breakfast table the Monday morning of that week ( I must confess that was the end of my Catholic Thought). A lot of my time was spent trying to make an impression on Joyce.
At the end of that week on Saturday morning I took Joyce out to the Grotto of the Blessed Mother and told her I was probably going to marry her. She knelt down and said a Hail Mary. (I was the one that should have prayed that day; the Lord truly sent me an angel to keep me on the straight and narrow).
For 3 years I hitch hiked from Philadelphia to Providence 3 weekends a month (She came down the other weekend and stayed at the Evans House where I worked in the kitchen). By that time, with all those roast beef dinners prepared by her mother, I was pretty well “obligated”.
On the weekend of June 14, 1958 I graduated from college, was commissioned into the Marine Corps and got married. It is a weekend I am still paying for!
We had 4 children in 4 years until I found out what caused it (Catholic elementary and high school education was great, but it did have some deficiencies!). A fifth child came along 5 years later. So, as I said, we have a special affection for the Newman Club.
I recently have been working with a group in Boca Raton, Florida (where we spend our winters) trying to give a push to the Newman Club presence in a couple of Universities in the Boca area.
Sincerely,
Ed Ging ‘58
I started The Legion of Mary there; Father Donnelly was the Chaplain.
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