The Catholic student was rare in the early days of the University of North Carolina. As late as 1917, there was only one Catholic student at the University. Beginning in 1922, Masses were said at the YMCA, when Chapel Hill became a mission of Durham. The first Catholic professor joined the faculty in 1926.

When the University was chosen as a site for one of the Navy Pre-Flight Schools in 1942, the number of Catholics increased dramatically. Of the 25,000 cadets who trained at Chapel Hill, 34 percent were Catholic. This established the need for a permanent Catholic presence on campus, and in 1946 the property at 218 Pittsboro Street was purchased. The existing structure, a "small white house," allowed for a chapel which could accommodate only 20 people for Mass.

By 1949, the group who met there had taken the name of "Aquinas Club." In 1954, when photos of Catholic students first appear in the University yearbook, the group is identified as the "Newman Club."

Over the next decade, the chaplains involved in the Newman Club worked hard to define pastoral responsibilities and juridical status of this group. The Diocese budgeted money for the construction and furnishings of our present building in 1967. Construction began in December of that year and was completed in September 1968. The dedication of the Newman Center was held on October 30, 1968.

Originally, the Catholic Student Center was specified to be for unmarried undergraduate students only. In 1969 an arrangement was made so that others who found it convenient could participate in Sunday Mass, provided that their financial contributions returned to their home parishes.

In 1971, the Bishop promulgated a decree for the parishes in Chapel Hill. The Newman Center was given the status of a "personal parish" under the title, "Mary, Mother of the Church." The first expansion of the Chapel to accommodate the growing community was approved and completed in 1980 to allow for larger congregations at Mass.

The focus of the early 90s was the identification and development of ministries at Newman. The millennial 2000 Jubilee Year provided opportunities for us to turn our attention toward increasing already active involvement in the communities in which we live and work.

In 1999 the parish undertook a full-fledged renovation of the building at 218 Pittsboro Street. Because of the great generosity of the people of Newman, we now have a much enriched and improved worship area, additional office and meeting space, as well as a magnificent new kitchen . As previous generations provided for the needs of Catholic students and faculty at UNC-CH, so this most recent building renovation will offer a welcoming place for prayer, liturgy, and social life for many years into the future.

Over the years, the Newman Catholic Student Center has evolved into a special partnership between campus ministry and parish life. Currently, the parish serves over 800 UNC students and approximately 600 families. It is truly a place, as one parishioner said, "where liturgy and life mesh gears and move together."