It was in 1893 that Timothy Harrington, a graduate medical student at the University of Pennsylvania, together with John J. Gilbride, James J. Walsh and his brother Joseph met with Father Garvey, pastor of St. James Parish, to explore ways of providing students with an ongoing enrichment of Catholic faith. The fruit of their work was the establishment of the Newman Club and eventually the Newman Apostolate, a recognized ministry within the Catholic Church. Newman Centers take their name from John Henry Cardinal Newman, the 19th century theologian whose insights placed theology at the heart of the university experience.
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Penn Newman Mission Statement
We are the Newman Catholic Community at the University of Pennsylvania.
Our mission is to support, challenge, inspire and empower students, faculty and staff to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ on campus.
We prepare Catholic leaders for service to the Church and world.
The Penn Newman Center participates in the mission of the universal Roman Catholic Church, which is found locally in West Philadelphia in the parish of St. Agatha – St. James. Along with the parish family, the Church’s mission is extended through the parish itself, the Penn Newman Center and Drexel Newman Center. read entire vision 
