The Assumption community officially dedicated the new – and vital – Tinsley Campus Ministry Center on April 27. The Center is connected to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the 8,800-square-foot building, and it was attended by generous donors, campus and church officials, students, faculty and staff. After the ribbon-cutting, a Mass of Thanksgiving – presided by the Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, bishop of Worcester – was celebrated in the Chapel. In addition, the centerpiece of the Tinsley Campus Ministry Center – the Heritage edition of The Saint John’s Bible – was unveiled. Assumption is the only location in Massachusetts, and the second in New England, to own this magnificent work.

“The Tinsley Campus Ministry Center is an important expression of Assumption's Catholic mission and identity,” said President Francesco Cesareo. “This distinctive center allows our Campus Ministry staff to expand and enrich its programs that contribute to the spiritual formation of our students.”

Campus Ministry plays a crucial role in the pastoral, liturgical, academic and social life of Assumption. The staff is committed to the development and transformation of Assumption students through many programs; and yet, as with the faithful in the Old Testament, they had wandered in search of a permanent home since a fire destroyed the original center in 1993. 

The new center offers a number of benefits including the fact that all Campus Ministry staff are housed under one roof for more efficient operation of services. There are individual offices for private conversations with students and staff, and an interfaith prayer room for personal prayer for students of all faith traditions. There also is a community room for receptions, lectures and dinner programs. There is a kitchen adjacent to the community room and restrooms to serve the center and the chapel; a conference room and library with theological and spiritual reading materials; and air conditioning for the Chapel, which will provide a comfortable setting for summer weddings and daily Mass.

• Read media coverage of the opening in The Catholic Free Press and (Worcester) Telegram & Gazette.