St. Peter Student Center Launched $10 Million Campaign
The Waco-based Catholic center aims to fund a new 450-seat chapel to accommodate growing student attendance.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Catholicism
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St. Peter Catholic Student Center has kicked off a $10 million fundraising campaign to build a larger chapel for the Baylor University community. The new facility is intended to support a surge in weekly attendance, which has climbed from 500 to nearly 900 people since 2021.
Why it matters
The center requires additional space to serve the growing population of Catholic students at Baylor, which reached approximately 2,800 in 2025. This project will expand on the existing student center to provide a larger venue for services and programming.
The proposed 450-seat chapel will replace the current capacity limitations of the facility, which opened in 1999. Approximately 14% of the Baylor student body identifies as Catholic.
The players
St. Peter Catholic Student Center
This facility serves the Catholic population at Baylor University in Waco.
Diocese of Austin
This is the governing ecclesiastical body overseeing the St. Peter Catholic Student Center.
Baylor University
This is a private Baptist-affiliated university located in Waco where the student center operates.
The details
The expansion project includes the construction of a new narthex and updated church offices connected to the current site on 9th Street. Land for the project was purchased in 2023, and the ministry is coordinating the effort alongside the Diocese of Austin.
Timeline
The St. Peter Catholic Student Center first opened in 1999.
Attendance levels at the center averaged 500 across four services in 2021.
Land for the expansion was acquired in 2023.
Approximately 2,800 Catholic students were enrolled at Baylor in 2025.
The $10 million fundraising campaign was launched in September 2026.
Culture Shift
The expansion reflects a shift in campus religious demographics as ministries adjust to serve changing student populations. This project scales infrastructure to meet the growth in weekly attendance recorded from 500 to 900 people.
For students and local residents attending services, this project promises to resolve current seating constraints by replacing the existing chapel with a 450-seat facility. The campaign relies on continued private donations to meet the $10 million goal over the next year and a half.
The takeaway
The center is working to accommodate a Catholic student population that comprises 14% of the university. Donors and attendees can expect to see updates regarding the facility's progress over the next 18 months of fundraising.
What happens next
The fundraising campaign is projected to run for 18 months, with an additional 18-month construction phase to follow.
Further reading
Learn more about local religious life in the Catholicism section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Baylor Lariat - The official student news source.
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