About Us
Our People
Back row: Lindsay Johnson, Emily Garcia, Harvey Jaeger, Abby Ledvina, Kaitlyn Beck, Emily Smith, Nick Hardy, Brad Fischer, Kelly Hirsch
Front row: Anh Tran, Veronica Sanchez, Ashley Anderson, Abby Puckhaber, Judith Thompson, Hung Nguyen
We believe that our people are our greatest asset, because they assure that the mission and values of the Center are lived out on a daily basis and that we consistently move forward achieving our vision.
We believe in community. The key to happiness is our relationships with one another. That is why we believe in each other and support one another. We contribute to the common good.
We believe in flexibility. This is why at any given day you can see our staff working on a wide-variety of projects. So, our marketing team jumps in to help with the set up and our techie group is more than willing to step in and help with programming. We address the organizational need, not the departmental.
We believe in humility. This is why everyone on our staff cleans toilets, mops the floors, takes out the trash, vacuums and keeps the Center clean. No job is too big or too small. There is dignity in work.
We believe in learning. This is why we encourage and even challenge everyone on our team to learn new things and get out of their comfort zones daily. Because we believe that it is only when knowledge is shared that we can fully reach our natural potentials.
Our Story
Some forty years ago, Northeast Wisconsin was feeling the impact of the religious changes that began with Vatican II. Many different people, from all walks of life, searched for a way to reach a deeper sense of unity. Th ey sought to design a place that would bring them together and offer a more open, more global concept of community. It was out of this desire that the Ecumenical Center was born.
Forty years later, this dream, conceived by many, has grown into something big, something unique, and something they all hoped for.
Among these many men and women who carried the banner of unity, one of them, in particular, found the courage to lead this change forward. He dared to experiment with an ecumenical vision. And he was encouraged to do so on a university campus, where thousands of young people found their sense of belonging within the walls of this nationally recognized Ecumenical Center.
This person was Fr. Richard Mauthe.
In 1960, Richard Mauthe was only a freshly ordained priest when he was appointed by the Bishop of Green Bay to form a Newman Center at the then-Extension Center of the University of Wisconsin. Guided with Fr. Mauthe’s passion, a dream of a small Newman Center got a life of its own, and with the help of many, many community giants the Newman Center on Hurtung Street grew into the Ecumenical Center – first of its kind in the United States. And so the legacy began.
In 1968, the Brown County Pastors Association, representing major Protestant denominations, and the Brown County Council of Churches, composed mostly of Protestant lay people, the Diocese of Green Bay and other groups and individuals, met to explore the possibility of an Ecumenical dimension to Ministry at the University.
A year later, in 1969, The Committee for Campus Ministry emerged, a Board of Directors was set, and a Statement of Purpose drawn. The Newman Center on Hartung Street became the UWGB Ecumenical Center.
Fr. Mauthe and the Rev. David Steffenson, a United Methodist Campus Minister were called to serve as Chaplains.
In 1980, The Board sought to obtain a site more in the mainstream of campus activity, knowing that with a new site, a new building would be needed.
In 1981, The Arlene B. Walter Trust provided a grant to underwrite the construction of the new Ecumenical Center. And on October 2, 1982 the new Ecumenical Center building was dedicated and began serving the campus community from its more central location.
Rev. Steffenson left the Center in 1985, pursuing other opportunities, and Fr. Mauthe, too, retired in 1991. He was succeed by Rev. Charles Macco who served the Center throughout the 1990s.
On November 2, 2010, the Ecumenical Center Board of Directors announced that it would change the name of the organization to honor our founder, the Rev. Richard Mauthe, and the Ecumenical Center became The Richard Mauthe Center for Faith, Spirituality, and Social Justice.
Today, the Mauthe Center plays an important role in the lives of hundreds of UWGB students and members of the local community. With over 800 programs, activities, and meetings annually, the Center offers a myriad of innovative and engaging activities for both the students and the community.
Mission and Vision
The Mission of The Mauthe Center is to provide opportunities for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay community to explore faith, nurture the spiritual life, and serve others.
The Center’s vision is to be recognized as a leader in promoting spiritual development and the values of respect, peace and justice. The Center welcomes all people and all spiritual perspectives.
It is intrinsic to human nature to question and seek truth no matter where it may lead. And it is our hope to provide opportunities that would allow this pursuit of truth to take place.
Regardless of one’s background, we believe that each and every one of us has a desire to explore their relationships with the world and with themselves, attempting to understand themselves and others, and those profound questions that often define our lives and who we are as humans. More to the point, we believe that all people aspire to develop, strengthen and hone their values, those essential motivators that drive our human experience.
An important question we ask is: What are you willing to stand for?
It is not about your particular religious path, your heritage, your schooling; rather, it is about you and your willingness to step up to the plate and embark upon a journey that will help answer this question through exploration and self-discovery.
Remember, we are not human beings on a spiritual path, but spiritual beings on a human path.
Not sure what that means? Stop by the Mauthe Center and find out.
Contact UsFor general questions, to schedule a meeting, reserve a room or find out what’s new, feel free to email us directly at: info@mcenter.org
You can also call us at:(920)465-5133 Our normal business hours are 10 am – 10 pm Monday through Thursday. Special hours: we open 9 am – 5 pm Monday through Thursday from Jan. 3rd to Jan. 22nd. |
Visit the Mauthe Center The Mauthe Center is located on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus, on Leon Bond Drive, between the Kress Events Center on the one side, Residence Halls on the other, and Cofrin Library, University Union and other academic buildings on the third. The best way to get to the Mauthe Center is: Exit on Nicolet Dr., turn right on Circle Drive, left on Lab Sciences (take this until the road ends) left on Sports Center Drive (drive around the Kress Center) and we will be to the right, on Leon Bond Drive. This is where you will find our famed (ask to hear the story!) Bell Tower and a big, blue building. |
