Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center

What Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center does

Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center is a 501(c)(3) Catholic collegiate ministry founded in 1906 and headquartered at 723 State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, serving students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Operating under the canonical authority of the Diocese of Madison, the organization provides sacramental life including 15 weekly Masses, daily Mass, and confessions; faith formation through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those entering the Catholic Church; 90+ weekly Bible studies; and a formal discipleship program enrolling 299 students. The center is led by a staff of 14 supplemented by FOCUS missionaries and student leaders, and is currently pastored by Fr. Dave Carrano, a UW-Madison alum (Class of 2004) who assumed the role in July 2025.

The organization's product portfolio extends beyond liturgical services to include five student housing units (Bernadette and Damascus apartments at the center, Mother Theresa House, Karol House, and PKT Catholic Fraternity House), a comprehensive retreat program (Freshman Getaway, SPK Koinonia, Silent Retreats, Winter Retreat, Service Trips to Habitat for Humanity and Clear Creek Abbey), and an active Sacred Music Ministry featuring multiple choirs performing on a Taylor & Boody Opus 74 pipe organ. In October 2024, the organization launched Bar Jonah, a basement coffee bar and lounge with an espresso bar, Bible study rooms, and recreational amenities. Digital engagement includes the Saint Paul's On The Go podcast averaging 350 listens per episode with 46% listener growth, alongside Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and monthly email newsletters.

Saint Paul's operates entirely on a donation-based revenue model with no fees charged for student services. Revenue streams include individual donations from alumni, parents, and supporters (funneled through a UW Foundation discretionary fund — Designation 112990032), a tiered recurring monthly giving program with seven named recognition levels from $25 (Paul's Club) to $500 (Queen of Heaven Society) per month, and annual fundraising events led by the 15th annual Spring Wine Fest at the Kohl Center, which raised over $319,000 in 2026. The organization is explicitly working to grow recurring giving to cover 30% of its annual budget, requiring a $10,000 monthly increase.

Name

Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center

Legal name

Saint Paul University Catholic Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://uwcatholic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center is a 501(c)(3) Catholic collegiate ministry founded in 1906 serving UW-Madison students. It provides sacramental life, faith formation, Bible studies, student housing, retreats, and music ministry funded through donations, recurring giving, and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Campus Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI), Bible Colleges (Undergraduate Ministry & Biblical Studies) (EDAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Campus ministry
• Catholic student services
• Religious education
• Faith formation
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison, WI

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Saint Paul's relies almost exclusively on donations from alumni, parents, and supporters. The organization accepts cash, checks, credit/debit cards, bank withdrawals, corporate matching gifts, stocks, bequests, real estate, and tangible personal property. Donors can give through the UW Foundation discretionary fund, recurring monthly giving, or one-time gifts.
2. Recurring Monthly Giving: Monthly automated donations drafted from checking accounts or credit cards. Donors receive named recognition at giving levels ranging from $25 (Paul's Club) to $500 (Queen of Heaven Society). The organization aims to raise recurring giving to cover 30% of its budget, requiring a $10,000 monthly increase.
3. Wine Fest Fundraising Event: Annual spring gala at the Kohl Center raising significant funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations. The 2026 event raised over $319,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center is a Catholic campus ministry that provides spiritual, sacramental, and community programs for university students. It offers Mass, faith formation classes, retreats, fellowship, and outreach/service opportunities in a parish-affiliated setting. The center exists primarily as a student-facing religious and community service organization rather than a commercial business.

Product overview

Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center is a Catholic collegiate ministry at UW-Madison offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services. The core offering centers on sacramental life (Mass and Confessions), faith formation through OCIA classes, Bible studies (90+ weekly), and discipleship programs. The organization operates five student housing units and runs multiple retreat programs (Freshman Getaway, SPK, Silent Retreats, Winter Retreat, Service Trips). Additional ministry programs include Sacred Music Ministry with multiple choirs, the Bar Jonah coffee bar/lounge, the Saint Paul's On The Go podcast, and annual events including the Spring Wine Fest, Organ Concert, and Mom's Retreat. Faith formation resources include Spiritual Direction services, and the Parent Association keeps families connected. The organization also operates a recurring giving program with tiered donation levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Mass and Liturgical Services Regular Catholic Mass and sacramental/liturgical services offered to students at the campus center as part of parish life.
• Faith Formation and Religious Education Faith formation classes, catechesis, and religious education programming for Catholic students seeking spiritual growth.
• Retreats and Spiritual Formation Organized retreats and spiritual formation opportunities for students to deepen their Catholic faith and community life.
• Fellowship and Community Groups Student fellowship, small groups, and community-building activities hosted at the center.
• Service and Outreach Programs Service projects and outreach initiatives connecting students with local and broader community mission work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88 confirmed, 25 baptized in 2025 Easter Vigil
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOCUS missionaries serve at Saint Paul's, leading Bible studies, small groups, and campus outreach. Missionaries include Owen Worden, Nathan Garcia, Andrew Simaz, Kelsey Hoey, Jennifer Meier, Justine Hinkley, and others who facilitate student formation and recruitment to retreats and programs.
• Diocese of MadisoncoreOthersThe Diocese of Madison assigns priests to serve at Saint Paul's and oversees the Catholic campus ministry. Bishop Hying formally receives catechumens at the annual Rite of Election and exercises episcopal oversight.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaint Paul's students participate in Habitat for Humanity service trips during winter break, including a group of 13 students who traveled to Lake Sumter, Florida to build houses for those in need.
• Clear Creek AbbeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMen's service trip partners with Clear Creek Benedictine monastery in Oklahoma, where students pray and work alongside monks experiencing 'Ora et labora' (pray and work) monastic life.
• BlackbaudsupportingTechnology or IntegrationBlackbaud provides the registration form platform used for student registration, event sign-ups, and parent association enrollment. Multiple registration forms hosted on Blackbaud's nxt platform.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: National evangelical campus ministry with Bible studies, small groups, and conferences on U.S. public university campuses — analogous structure to Saint Paul's but operating at national scale across denominations.
• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Large national interdenominational campus ministry operating Bible studies, missions trips, and student leadership programs at universities across the U.S. — comparable in scale, target audience, and donor-supported model but serving a broader Christian audience.

Direct peers

• St. Paul Catholic Center at Indiana University: Catholic campus ministry at Indiana University Bloomington with Mass, OCIA, retreats, Bible studies, and student housing — directly comparable single-public-university Catholic student center with donor-supported revenue model.
• St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A&M University: Catholic campus parish and student center at Texas A&M offering daily Mass, Bible studies, student housing, and large-scale student ministry — comparable scale, programming breadth, and donor-supported model to Saint Paul's.
• St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Chapel at Purdue University: Catholic chapel and student center serving Purdue University with Mass, formation programs, and student housing — directly comparable Big Ten Catholic campus ministry operating in the same diocesan and FOCUS partnership ecosystem.
• St. Paul's Catholic Center at University of Illinois: Catholic collegiate center serving UIUC students with Mass, OCIA, Bible studies, retreats, and student housing — shares the same Newman-style campus ministry model, donor-funded revenue base, and partnership with FOCUS/Diocese.
• St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at University of Michigan: Catholic campus ministry serving University of Michigan students with Mass, sacraments, formation, retreats, and student housing — directly comparable in mission, programming mix, and single-public-university focus to Saint Paul's at UW-Madison.

Others

• Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA): National professional association for Catholic campus ministers providing resources, training, and advocacy to ministries like Saint Paul's — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, useful for benchmarking and best-practice sharing.

Regional players

• Catholic Newman Center at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Catholic campus ministry serving UWM students in the same city as Saint Paul's, sharing the Diocese of Madison/Milwaukee footprint — same operating region but smaller scale, offering a regional comparison for Catholic engagement in Wisconsin.

Emerging players

• FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): National Catholic collegiate evangelization organization that embeds missionaries at Saint Paul's and similar centers — peer in mission and target audience, with overlapping Bible study and small-group programming across hundreds of U.S. campuses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/uwcatholic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UWCatholic
• Facebookfacebook.com/uwcatholic
• Instagraminstagram.com/uwcatholic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saint-paul-s-catholic-student-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center