Athens -- In the third installment of a series on Newman work in Georgia, the Bulletin contacted the Rev. Christian Malone, O.F.M., chaplain at the University of Georgia where a new Newman Center is being built under the archdiocese expansion campaign.

“Deeper involvement, concern for less fortunate and more frequent thought each day about religious values which influence our daily activities,” was the brief summation the Catholic chaplain gave as the prime goal of his work here.

Father Chris as he is known to the students here has been chaplain for three years and said that sanctification no longer can consist of knowing some catechism answers, not is a “good Catholic” considered as one who never misses Sunday Mass. It is the “deeper involvement,” the priest said must be given more prominence and added that it was one of his prime goals at the school here.

The 35-year-old, Massachusetts born priest has in his care about 850 Catholics at the school. Twenty-five of these are staff members, 43 are faculty members, and 125 of them are married.

He said, “Due to the evolution of the Newman Apostolate from what originally started out as a club and social group of Catholic students on a secular campus, we are now facing many uncertainties in this type of work. I see Georgia in a transition to a more academic rather than agricultural college, and I hope that our Newman work will benefit from this change.” In describing the students in Newman at the university he said, “Our students seem to be more interested and attracted to our priestly work, with chapel and sacraments as our main drawing power.”

“Since they are in class most of the day, many of the students do not want to come to discussion groups in the evenings.”

The priest outlined the main activities Newman offers at the university. He said he is receiving pleasant results with an inquiry class and convert instructions. Father Chris pointed out that he has been averaging about five converts each year and added that pre-marriage instructions influence about 35 students annually.

Other activities include philosophy and psychology discussions and discussions on theology and liturgy. Cana Club for married students meets once a month and draws about 15 persons each time.

The handsome, blue-eyed, heavy-set priest is pleased with the new center for the school.

The old Newman Center has been demolished and within six months contracts will be let on the new chapel and center to be built on the same site.

Temporary quarters have been purchased immediately behind the old center property, which will serve as office space, meeting rooms, and living quarters for the chaplain.

No longer do any college boys live in the Newman Center, ending a tradition which began when Father Francis Clougherty, O.S.B., opened the former center in 1952.

When completed, the new center will accommodate about 400 persons and will have nine sides with pews on three sides of the Altar. A cry room and main sacristy will be on each side of the main entrance door and the priest will have a procession down the main aisle for Mass.

The baptistry will be in the middle of the foyer, right at the front door. The main altar of sacrifice will be almost in the middle of the church, beneath a tower which reaches about 85 feet into heavens.

The center will be split-level, having three offices and a library and lounge on the upper level. An auditorium, kitchen, two classrooms and lavatories will be located on the lower level.

Above the office level will be the chaplain’s quarters, with a large community, three bedrooms and a small kitchen.

Both structures will be air-conditioned, with indirect light in most areas. Outside materials will probably be of Georgia granite, or light brick. Wood paneling will be used inside wherever possible.

The two structures are designed to blend architecturally.

There will be parking space between the two buildings for 25 cars and space for another 50 cars in the back of the center.