Mission Statement

St. Paul University Catholic Center primarily exists to promote the spiritual welfare and moral and intellectual development of the Catholic students attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison and to provide similar services to other college students who live and study in the Madison area.  It also provides spiritual support to the faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and to those community members who regularly attend and support St. Paul’s.

St. Paul’s welcomes all who wish to sincerely search for the truth and hopes to form a common partnership to the extent possible with any organization on campus and within the community that desires to promote the common good.
 
Universal Call to Holiness

The master plan for the third millennium as out lined by John Paul the Great in his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte echoed the call of Vatican II that “everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness,” (Lumen Gentium 39), “for this is the will of God for you, your sanctification,” (1 Th 5:3) and we are called by Christ“to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:48).  Therefore, it will be an over arching and consistent mission of St. Paul’s to train students in a holiness “distinguished above all in the art of prayer.” (Novo Millennio Ineunte 32)

Concrete Goals

Worship:  To love Christ in the celebration of the Mass, the sacraments, the divine office, common devotions, personal prayer, music, and other ceremonies of the Catholic Church.

Evangelization:  To help people know Christ by an effective outreach to all interested students through bible studies, retreats, large group events, RCIA, cultural programs, and other means of personal invitation.

Social Justice:  To serve Christ through the corporal works of mercy to the poor, marginalized, and underprivileged by memberships in Catholic service organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, as well as regular mission trips and local service events.

Hospitality:  To insure that all men and women who enter St. Paul’s feel a sense of welcome and respect for their unique human dignity.

Education: To provide the opportunity by which students can unite faith and reason by offering courses in Christian history, doctrine, morality and literature thereby enabling them to integrate their secular studies into a true understanding of the human person.

Leadership:  To establish programming by which students will feel capable to provide strong moral leadership in their professional work and community involvement.