Newman Institute:
Mission & Vision
Launched in the fall of 2011, the Bl. John Henry Newman Institute for Lay Formation serves parishes around the diocese as they help baptized Catholics answer the call to discipleship and self-giving love. The Institute provides the lay faithful with formation opportunities to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ through the Church in order to bring the Gospel to the world. Thanks to a partnership with Benedictine University in Lisle, Lewis University in Romeoville, and the University of St. Francis in Joliet, the Institute will be able to provide unique resources and opportunities designed to meet a wide array of needs.
Courses will focus on the human, intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral development of the lay faithful for their daily work and their service of the Church. The six fundamental tasks of catechesis from the General Directory and National Directory of Catechesis provide the framework for mini-courses and programs: Promoting knowledge of the faith, meaning of the Liturgy and the Sacraments, moral formation in Jesus Christ, how to pray with Christ, how to live in community and participate in the life of the Church, and how to foster a missionary spirit (NDC, n. 20).
Mission Statement
By focusing on the spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and personal development of its participants, the Cardinal Newman Institute equips lay men and women to participate in the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Vision Statement
Rooted in the wisdom, truth and beauty of the Catholic Church’s theological and spiritual tradition and supported by resources of the diocese’s three Catholic institutions for higher education (Benedictine University, Lewis University, and the University of St. Francis), the Newman Institute contributes to the Church's evangelizing mission by offering courses for personal and pastoral development, certification, or university credit through a variety of learning experiences.
Portrait of the Institute’s Participants
Whether they are inquiring individuals, parishioners, catechists, and/or lay ministers, the Institute’s participants:
- Seek to strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ in and through the Church
- Commit themselves to a lifelong journey of “faith seeking understanding”
- Strive to promote the Gospel in and through their vocation to the world
Characteristics of Evangelizing Instructors
Called by the Bishop to share in his teaching mission, the Institute’s instructors:
- See their work as a vocation, a prayerful response to the needs of the day
- Know and love the Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium of the Church
- Engage participants through a variety of instructional methods
