Founded by the University of Notre Dame in 2017 at the invitation of Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, the Notre Dame-Newman Centre for Faith and Reason fosters the lively interplay of faith and intellectual inquiry to inform and deepen our understanding of God, the modern world and, ultimately, ourselves. Though University Church which is our home is a regular parish in every sense of the word, the mission of the Notre Dame-Newman Centre focuses on the young, urban professionals who live and work in Dublin City Centre. Inspired by Saint John Henry Newman, we strive to be a community of informed believers who seek the truth with confidence, speak the gospel in love, and witness to faith in our every action.
When Newman was invited by the Irish bishops to set up a Catholic University in Ireland, he needed a large space to serve as its chapel and public lecture hall. To that end, Newman purchased 87 Saint Stephenās Green and, with the aid of architect John Hungerford Pollen, designed a Romanesque Byzantine chapel to completely fill its rear garden. For nearly 170 years now, this beautiful and prayerful space has served generations of Dubliners as a quiet refuge in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life.
The parish of Newman University Church operates under the patronage of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, whose image fills the semi-dome above the sanctuary. Opened in 1856 as the chapel for neighbouring Catholic University of Ireland, it was later attached to Harrington Street parish (St. Kevinās) when it served as the chapel for University College Dublin. In October 1974, after UCD departed the neighbourhood for Belfield, the chapel was established as a parish Church in its own right. The University of Notre Dame is honoured to become a part of the long and storied history of this place of worship that has always represented the Newmanian ideal of fostering formed and informed Catholics ready to serve God, society and the whole of creation.
The Notre Dame – Newman Centre is pleased to welcome the ThinkND family into its community of informed believers.
Blessings to you and your loved ones this Holy Week,
Rev. Gary Chamberland, C.S.C.
Director, Notre Dame – Newman Centre for Faith and Reason
