The church and school of St. Charles was built in 1922 on Dunn and 3rd Street, putting this church adjacent to Indiana University.  A Newman Club ministry was established by Fr. Paul Deery in 1928.  Over 200 students affiliated to this ministry.  The campus ministry served from this location for the first forty years.

After St. Charles relocated to its new facility in 1952, campus ministry continued to use the old school building.  Fr. Victor Wright, an Englishman, was assigned as the chaplain to the Newman Ministry in 1958.

The facilities at Dunn were sorely inadequate.  Finally, in 1967, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis appointed Fr. James Higgins to direct the construction of a new facility at the recently-purchased 2.85 acres of land on 17th Street.  Then President Herman B Wells conceived of a corridor of Greek houses and religious groups in the northeast quadrant of campus on North Jordan Avenue.  The new Catholic church was dedicated on January 12, 1969 and established as the parish of St. Paul; Fr. James Higgins was the first pastor/director of the Center.  He served here until 1983.

Msgr. Higgins was a major figure on campus as well as in Bloomington.  He knew the athletic coaches and was known to have a seat directly behind the team at the basketball games.  He was involved with the city police.  Msgr. Higgins was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Indiana University “for his untiring work here” in May 1989.  Serving with Msgr Higgins these many years was Mary Ann Stephens, who worked here until 1992 (23 years).

Two young priests were assigned here, Fr. Bob Sims and Fr. Kim Wolf.  Fr. Bob was an avid runner and Fr. Kim enjoyed the arts.  In 1991 a renovation took place.  The $1.2 million project provided church access without stairs, a new sanctuary area, reconfigured the church entrance (eliminating the choir loft), made the pillars round, and provided offices in the new Gathering Space area.  Funds were solicited from all of the Indiana dioceses as well as individuals.  The space was dedicated in 1993, the 25th anniversary of the Center.  Also during these years a parish pastoral council was started, a mission statement was crafted, and a development office was inaugurated, with Jerry Marsischky as the director.

A lay campus minister, Mark Erdosy, was hired in 1995.  He was succeeded by Conor McIntyre in 2003.  Throughout the forty years of the Center’s ministry there have been religious women on the pastoral staff: Sr. Luke Thomas, SP, Sr. Mary Maloney, SP, Sr. Mary Montgomery, SP, Sr. Concetta Fabo, OSF, and Sr. Kim Mandelkow, OSB.  

The Dominican Friars were invited to succeed the archdiocesan priests at the Center in 2005.  Three priests joined the staff that July: Fr. Robert Keller, OP, Fr. Stan Drongowski,  OP, and Fr. Rich Litzau, OP.

The staff has grown over the years to minister to the many international groups on campus (e.g, Korean, Filipino, Indonesian, Polish, Latino), to teen youth, to the educational and formational needs of every age group, and to the eldlery who have been associated with St. Paul for many years.  A full-time multicultural minister was hired in 2002, Tim Gonzalez, a graduate of Notre Dame.  Part-time youth ministers have included Bridget McIntyre and now Niki Gonzalez.  A full-time DRE was hired in 2005, Jillian Vandermarks.

This growth is consistent with a university parish that embraces all that a parish normally has, plus the key mission of this parish: to be the Catholic presence to Higher Education.  Clearly, our mandate and mission is broad.  To the degree that St. Paul Catholic Center responds to this mission with fervor, we shall be invigorated and shall be dynamic to all who associate here.

History of Ministers compiled 2/06; edited

Clergy who have served at the IU Newman Center
1958 - 1963 Rev. Victor Wright [English], chaplain
1963 - 1967 Rev. Joseph McCrisaken, chaplain

Clergy who have served the St. Paul Catholic Center
1967 - 1983 Fr. James Higgins, pastor
1967 - 1970 Fr. George W Coffin (assisting)
1968 - 1969 Fr. Barnabas Kannenburg, O.F.M. (Counselor)
1968 - 1969 Fr. Larry Thomas (Choir Director)
1969 - 1973 Fr. John Schoettelkotte (Associate Pastor)
1971 - 1973 Fr. Eugene Arthur, S.J. (In Residence)
1976 - 1982 Fr. John Fabian, O.P. (Associate Pastor)
1978 - 1980 Fr. Robert Moore, MM (Sacramental Help)
1981 - 1982 Fr. Jeremiah Cullinane (Associate Pastor)
1983 - 1995 Fr. Bob Sims (Co-Pastor)
1983 - 1994 Fr. Kimball Wolf (Co-Pastor)
1994 - 2005 Fr. Dan Atkins (Co-Pastor; Pastor 1998)
1996 - 1998 Fr. Michael O'Mara (Co-Pastor)
1998 - 1999 Fr. Nick Dant (Sacramental Help)
1999 - 2001 Fr. Joe Moriarity (Sacramental Help)
2002 - 2005 Fr. Don Schmidlin (Sacramental Help)
2005 - present Fr. Robert Keller, O.P. (Pastor)
2005 - present Fr. Stan Drongowski, O.P. (Associate Pastor)
2005 - present Fr. Rich Litzau, O.P. (Associate Pastor)

Lay Ministers who have served the St Paul Catholic Center
1968 - 1970 Sr. Luke Thomas, SP (counselor)
1974 - 1978 Pat O'Connor Jones (Director of Religious Education)
1979 - 2005 Gloria Bier (Coordinator of Religious Education)
1984 - 1989 Sr. Mary Maloney, SP (Pastoral Associate)
1991 - 1998 Sr. Mary Montgomery, SP (Pastoral Associate)
1995 - 2002 Mark Erdosy (Student Life Coordinator)
1998 - 2004 Lourdes Diaz (Director of Liturgy; Music)
1999 - 2005 Sr. Concetta Fabo, OSF (Pastoral Associate)
2002 - 2009 Bridget McIntyre (Youth Minister)
2002 - 2003 Gabriel Lara (Multi-cultural Minister)
2003 - present Tim Gonzalez (Multi-cultural Minister)
2003 - 2007 Conor McIntyre (Student Life Coordinator)
2005 - present Jillian Vandermarks (Director of Religious Education & Formation)
2004 - 2008 Jill Switzer-Wolf (Director of Music)
2007 - present Niki Gonzales (Youth Minister)
2008 - 2009 Sr. Kimberley Mandelokow, O.S.B. (Director of Music)
2009 - present Jill Switzer-Wolf (Director of Music)
2010 - 2010 Br Benedict Baer, O.P. (Confirmation Director)
2010 - present Fr. Rich Litzau, O.P. (Confirmation Director)