"I found the love of Christ for the first time in 19 years of being Catholic."
-Current USD Student
60 Years of Mission
Welcome to the St. Thomas More Newman Center! Since 1964, this ministry has reached out to students at the University of South Dakota to invite them into the love of Christ. This continues to be a visible and welcoming home to grow in friendship and faith at USD.
Alumni and friends (everyone!) are encouraged to sign up below to receive our Newsletter and more!
Behold, the Lamb of God!
SUNDAY MASS
11:00 AM & 8:15 PM
WEEKDAY MASS
M-Thur 5:15 PM
CONFESSIONS
M-Th 4:30 - 5:00 PM
Sun 10:00-10:45 AM & 7:30-8:00 PM
ADORATION
Mon - Wed 6:00-10:00 PM
Connect with Newman
We would love to keep you informed of all that is happening at St. Thomas More Newman Center. Please click the link to update your contact information or add yourself to our newsletters and electronic correspondence in the months and years ahead!
Leadership and Consultation Team
Diocese of Sioux Falls
Thad Pals, Chancellor
Pastorate Leadership
Fr. Terry Anderson, Pastor
Fr. John Rutten, Newman Priest Chaplain
Dc. Joe Twidwell, Buildings & Grounds
Peggy Wittmeier, Newman Delegate
Newman Finance Council
Margaret Holland
Carillon Bihlmeyer
Ryan Noonan
Emma Greiner
Gerry Tracy
Max Edelen (student rep)
Newman Leadership Team
Amy Giorgio
Molly Fulton
Ryan Noonan
Peggy Wittmeier
Dc. Joe Twidwell (facilities)
Previous Updates at Newman?
Roof replacement (20,000 sq')
Parking lot Install (widened 10ft)
Rose street parking replaced
A/C units replaced in chapel
3 A/C split units installed
Significant boiler maintenance
Plumbing fixed with new sinks installed in men's and women's bathrooms
Security cameras & door locks installed
Beautiful outdoor Signage installed
Old/damaged trees and overgrown bushes removed
Outdoor lighting installed on Chapel
2nd floor rectory: siding replacement, interior painting, flooring replacement, and showers updated
Thermostats replaced throughout building
New outdoor storage
14,000+ pounds of junk taken to the dump
Upgraded WiFi
Commercial fridge, freezer, and stove installed
Chapel sanctuary floor updated
Chapel Altar Furnishings
Thank you everyone for your incredible support of the recent efforts to "Electrify the Newman"!
We did it TOGETHER!
NOTE: For details on Raise the Roof 2.0: Electrify the Newman, see the menu bar option "Electrify".
1964 Notice skylights in use with four flour lamps. At some point the sklyights were covered and that is when ceiling lighting in the Newman was installed. Consider most of the ceiling lighting was not intended!
2024 Lamps hang from ceiling and floor outlets are used for student electronics and a/c units. So much more electricity is used today than was expected in 1964!
What was 1964 Like?
Sept 20th, 1964 the Newman Center celebrated it's first Mass! At that time, the building had not air conditioning and a main source of lighting was those famous skylights which were so popular! The eventual problems with the skylights led to their covering and replacing with ceiling lights, which were not originally planned as is evident in the following photo from 1964. There were four skylights just in the lower lounge (two seen in photo). The only lamps are on the floor.
Today, the outlets for lamps are used for air conditioning units and student electronics.
What is Being "Electrified"?
Installation of a new transformer.
3-phase electricity upgrade required by code.
Install 5th fuse panel.
Replace and upgrade 50 light units in the building.
Is Fr. John really living on the Roof?
Mass and confession are the only reasons Fr. John wll be coming down from the roof until the goal is reached to Electrify the Newman! You can also find him on Facebook at John Leo Rutten, where the campaign will be updated frequently!
Can I see More Photos of the Project?
Certainly! Click on the "Electrify" on menu bar.
Thank you for supporting this Mission!
6,000 meals, an amazing facility, daily sacraments, bible studies, and discipleship are all impacting hundreds of USD students!
We need your support!
Would you consider a one time or sustaining gift to support this amazing mission?
Check out the PHOTOGRAPH section
and links to Coyote Catholic socials.
Big Projects Remaining at the Newman Center?
The electrical upgrade is the last of the major interior infrastructure upgrades which have been identified in our building review. Of course a 60 year old building, of such significant size, has updates and maintenance that will be ongoing.
$1 Dinner
Thursday nights any USD student is served an amazing meal and provided an opportunity to gather in friendship.
The Original Raise the Roof
Due to significant damage to the roof of the Newman Center, the entire roof needed replacing. In addition to a long standing debt Fr. Rutten ascended a ladder last November and lived on the roof of the Newman Center to raise awareness and help bring in the needed support to care for the aging facility.
The generosity of early supporters totaled $300,000. $175,000 was raised in 2 and 1/2 days of living on the roof by sharing the need through social media and student support! A total of $475,000 was raised to completely replace 20,000 sq' of roof and eliminate the debt for the first time in Newman's history!
