At the base of the Tower, the central building and icon of the University of Texas campus, are inscribed the words of Jesus in St. John’s Gospel: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:32). Nearby is a plaque that states the University’s core purpose: “To transform lives for the benefit of society.” These two sentences pretty perfectly sum up our mission here at the University Catholic Center as well. We believe that the truth sets us free, because the Truth is a Person—the Person of Jesus Christ.
Our mission at the UCC is to help UT students come to know Jesus, the Truth who sets us free. We want to help them grow as disciples through prayer and intellectual formation, so that they can help others to find freedom and life in Jesus and his Church.
In a world that offers so many cheap and fleeting pleasures, we want to help our students encounter the beauty of God that every heart longs for. Through liturgy and the sacraments, where heaven meets earth; through silence, which leads us into the heart of God; and through the splendor of the Church’s musical heritage, we want to offer the UT campus an encounter with God, whom St. Augustine called the “Beauty ever ancient, ever new.”
And in our deeply wounded and divided culture, we want our community to be a place where people encounter the goodness of God—through authentic friendships, selfless service to those on the margins of our society, and the kindness that welcomes everyone and invites them to join us in discovering the freedom of the sons and daughters of God.
We welcome the support of those who collaborate with us in this mission, namely our resident community, university faculty and staff, alumni, parents, and benefactors.