History

Saint John Henry Newman lived in the 19th century and was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, which led many to the fullness of the Catholic Church in and around England's most well-known University. Influenced by this great saint and teacher, The Newman Movement began around the world. In the United States, the University of Wisconsin in 1883 was the first to establish a Newman Club to help Catholics live their faith on campus amid anti-Catholicism.

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In 1969, Bishop Frederick William Freking established Newman Parish with the specific mission of providing campus ministry to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley Technical College. Prior to that, students attended Mass at one of the city parishes and may have been part of the Newman Club on campus. In 1971, the Ecumenical Religious Center was established to be a central place of Christian ministry on campus. Currently, the ERC houses Newman and University Lutheran Church.