Built as the Newman Center for the students of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the church was designed by Greensburg architect Francis O'Connor Church (1910–1992) as an architectural and artistic teaching tool. Its kidney shape symbolizes the spiraling journey of faith as it flows toward the altar. The shallow domed roof is constructed of a lightweight acoustical plaster requiring little structural support. Skylights and high small windows bring abundant natural light into the sanctuary while allowing a smooth uninterrupted curve of brick on the exterior. The church seats over 600, with no congregant farther than forty feet from the altar, giving a sense of community encouraged by the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. The unusual structure is enhanced by carefully chosen religious art by Ed Carlos and Armento Liturgical Arts of Buffalo.