A Founders’ Day Mass Like No Other

On Wednesday, May 6, HNU Campus Ministry hosted our annual Founders’ Day Mass to celebrate and commemorate the six sisters who arrived from Quebec, Canada in 1868 to establish what is now known as Holy Names University. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this liturgy was offered virtually in collaboration with the HNU Advancement team and in particular through the behind the scenes work of Jenny Girard Malley, Co-Director of Campus Ministry and Kelsey Lindquist, Director of Alumni Relations.

Fr. Sal Ragusa, SDS, was presider of the liturgy with Sr. Mary Pat LeRoy, SNJM, ’68, M.Ed ‘75 sharing reflections, and Iris “Missy” Davey ‘62 and Nereida Martinez Lopez ‘21 as proclaimers of the Word.

Sr. Mary Pat LeRoy is an HNU alumna, a member of our Board of Trustees, a facilitator, and consultant for the National Religious Retirement Organization. She reflected:

When we recall our foundation we also recall the many seeds that have developed into new blossoms since 1868. How grateful we are for the multitudes of women and men who have shared our journey as Sisters of the Holy Names and have made our mission their own.

It was delightful to see how many people participated in this mass with 60 log-ins to our Zoom event and about 90 people in attendance. This included over 50 alumni and many of our Holy Names Sisters from far and wide.