The Newman Center at ASU planning an expansion:

A 700-square-foot adoration chapel would be built near a courtyard creating an intimate prayer space, and there will be a student center for all campus ministry-related programs.

Lucci said the decision to build came after realizing that there are almost as many Catholic students at ASU as there were in the entire student body when the Newman Center was built.

"A lot of them want to come here, but they can barely get in. After two or three weeks they get fed up and stop going to church altogether," Lucci said. "And that’s not what we want. We want young people to come establish themselves at a place where they are always loved by God."

Student support for the project has been significant, said Mary Macuga, the center’s development director. Most of the nearly $6 million raised were cash gifts, many of them from students.