Mission and Vision
Our Mission
We are a Catholic church making disciples of Jesus at the U of M by building transformative relationships and raising up leaders in the faith.
Our Vision
As one spiritual family, to provide a transformative environment where students, young adults, and parishioners at the University of Minnesota become lifelong disciples.
Our Core Values
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We reach out to students and young adults on campus and at the Newman Center by creating a sense of community and relationship.
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We invite students and young adults to a personal encounter with Christ through the true presence in the Eucharist and the sacraments.
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Through community and fellowship, we aim to draw students and young adults into a fuller relationship with Christ, his people, and his church.
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We ignite and equip students to build up Catholic families, parishes, and communities as they go out into the world.
About Fr. Jake
Fr. Jake Anderson has been assigned to St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center as the Pastor and Director. He is a Wisconsin native (and a Green Bay Packer fan). He received his Bachelor of Science from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio with a degree in business administration and economics, before working in the fields of banking and management IT consulting in Minneapolis. He received his priestly formation and Masters of Divinity from St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and was ordained a priest in May of 2015.
His previous assignments include Associate Pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater, MN, high school Chaplain at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, MN, Associate Pastor at St. Odilia’s Catholic Community in Shoreview, MN, and Director/Parochial Administrator at the John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Fr. Jake is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, and a member of the Companions of Christ, a community of diocesan priests who live a life of priestly fraternity, accountability, and support.
He has a passion for evangelization, the vocation and formation of the laity, and parish renewal. He is an avid outdoorsman and particularly enjoys fly fishing and bowhunting. He enjoys reading on different topics and is a devotee of St. Paul the Apostle and many other saints.