Newman Centre is the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

university chaplaincy for the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

. It is housed in what was the home of

Wilmot Deloui Matthews Wilmot Deloui Matthews (22 June 1850 – 24 May 1919) was a Canadian businessman and owner of W. D. Matthews and Company. He also served as a director of Dominion Bank, Hamilton Steel and Iron Company Limited, Canadian Pacific Railway, Can ...

. It is located at the corner of Hoskin Avenue and St. George Street, across from the Robarts Library on the University of Toronto campus. It is under the direction of the Archdiocese of Toronto and is associated with the neighbouring St. John Henry Newman Catholic Church.

Site history

Construction

The structure was built in 1890-1891 by the Canadian businessman "The Barley King of Canada"

, designed by Toronto architect David Roberts. It is constructed of red clay, terra-cotta bricks, plum-coloured Credit Valley sandstone and pressed terra-cotta decorative elements. In 1899, to celebrate his daughter's wedding, Matthews hired architect George M. Miller and sculptor Gustav Hahn to design an Art Nouveau ballroom in the house. In 1900, a larger kitchen was added. Later expansions would see an upper floor and basement being converted to create more living space. Originally, there was a coach house adjacent to it. The coach house was later replaced by St. Thomas Aquinas Church.Our History
from NewmanToronto.com, retrieved 28 May 2014

Purchase

In 1919, Matthews died. In 1922, the house was sold to the Newman Foundation. The Newman Foundation was a body created to purchase a suitable site for the local Newman Club. The Newman Club's purpose is to support Roman Catholic students in secular universities. The Newman Foundation was able to raise the necessary funds because of donations from two major benefactors, one of whom was Frank Patrick O'Connor. This allowed the foundation to purchase the property for the sum of $100,000. The Newman Centre is one of the city's preserved examples of Romanesque Revival architecture. In 1977, it became one of the first buildings in Toronto to receive heritage status from the

Ontario Heritage Trust The Ontario Heritage Trust (french: link=no, Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien) is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural herita ...

. The cost of maintenance is met by the

Archdiocese of Toronto The Archdiocese of Toronto ( la, Archidioecesis Torontina) is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Ontario. Its archbishop is also the ecclesiastical provincial for the dioceses of Hamilton, London, Saint Catharines ...

. The site has been used for filming, including scenes from ''Spotlight'', ''Suits'', ''The Odd Squad'' and ''Storage Wars''.

Ministry

The students that live in the centre are known as Student Campus Ministers. This role was established by Fr. Thomas Rosica CSB in 1994. Until Fr Rosica's departure in 2000, the chaplaincy was administered by the Congregation of St. Basil. Originally, from 1913 to 1936 it was run by the

Paulist Fathers The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded ...

. In 2000, the Basilians handed it over to the archdiocese who continue to serve the centre and parish. Today, ministry at the Newman Centre is delivered by the Pastoral Team, Student Campus Ministers, and the Newman Catholic Student Club.Mission
from NewmanToronto.com, retrieved 14 December 2014

Exterior

File:NewmanCentreWestSide.JPG, West side File:NewmanCentreSouthSide.JPG, South side

References

External links

Newman Centre site
{{University of Toronto , state=collapsed Buildings and structures in Toronto University of Toronto buildings