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914 W. 13th Street ~ Silver City, NM 88061
(505) 538-3662 ~ Fax: 534-1059
"It's a real family. Everybody is friendly and nice."
~Our Mission
The St. Francis Newman Center is a permanent community of the Roman Catholic Church established as a parish in the Diocese of Las Cruces at Western New Mexico University with a ministry to the University as well as to the wider community. Our goal is to proclaim and celebrate Jesus Christ through word, sacrament, prayer, study, social and spiritual outreach.
~Our History
Fr. Gabriel J. Naughten was chaplain of the Newman Foundation of WNMU when on July 31, 1964 the present two-story building was acquired by the university to serve the St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center.
The church structure as it now stands in Silver City, dates from 1984, a time just before the creation of the Diocese of Las Cruces. It was then that the building- originally constructed in the 1950’s as a convent on land in Santa Rita- was placed on wheels and moved to its present site on 13th Street after having been purchased by the Diocese of El Paso for a modest sum of $900. On October 18, 1982, St. Francis Newman Center came under jurisdiction of the new Diocese of Las Cruces with newly ordained Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, CSB, as its first bishop. Fr. Robert Getz was the first pastor of the Newman Center under the new diocese.
In 1984 the church’s sanctuary was designed and constructed. It was through the efforts, sacrifices, donations, and physical participation of the parishioners and by the people of Silver City that the church addition was successfully completed. The dedication and blessing of the church took place on February 7, 1984.
In the summer of 2003, St. Francis underwent a dramatic cosmetic change under the direction of Fr. Marcos Reyna. The entire two-story structure received stuccoing and painting. The gratifying results not only improved the overall appearance of the church, but are also enhanced by the beauty of the patio and garden area. At this time St. Francis is actively involved in building a new church and parish hall to accommodate the need for space and various functions.