Saint Mary's Magazine Winter 2003 - Saint Mary's University of ...

FROM CAMPUS THE NEWS EDITOR
SMC football team goes undefeated and is crowned
MIAC champion (1927 and 1928)
10
College colors change from maroon and
white to cardinal red and white (1926)
9
On Sept. 11, a Peace Pole was
unveiled in front of the chapel, and
blessed by Father Jim Steffes ’87.
Remembrance
ceremony marks
9-11 anniversary
The Saint Mary’s University
community was invited to an hour
of reflection, prayer and song Sept.
11 in remembrance of last year’s
terrorist attacks on the United
States.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
Seminary bell tolled as students,
faculty and staff gathered outside
Saint Thomas More Chapel. After
an introduction by Brother
President Louis DeThomasis, Dr.
Marcy Church of the psychology
department offered a reflection. She
noted, in part, that “the tragic
events of September 11th left no
one unaffected. This past year has
been a time of healing for each of
us in our own way. As time passes,
it becomes clearer to me that just
healing, although important, isn’t
enough. As citizens of the world,
we are responsible to seek
information to understand how
such tragic events can occur. Not an
easy charge. However, we are the
privileged. At Saint Mary’s
University we are a community of
scholars. No, we are more than that,
we are a faith-based community of
scholars, and we have at our
disposal many resources to help us
in our quest for understanding.”
Then, as a symbol of moving
forward, maintenance staff
(including Denny Grandl, Crystal
Griffin, Bruce Volkmann and Anna
Schmollinger) removed the
American flags that hung all last
year from the Hwy. 14 overpass.
The flags will be displayed in a
place of honor in Saint Mary’s Hall.
The overflow crowd moved
into the chapel for a ceremony led
by Sister Mary Jo Baldus RSM,
director of Campus Ministry. A
reading by Ting Yao ’06 was
followed by a prayer from student
senate president Jim Horan ’03 and
“Let There be Peace on Earth,”
sung by the IHM Seminary Choir
and Spirit of Life Choir.
Moving outside to the chapel
lawn, a Peace Pole inscribed with
“May Peace Prevail on Earth” in
four languages was unveiled by Dee
Bernhardt, director of spiritual
formation, and blessed by Father
Jim Steffes ’87, rector of IHM
Seminary. The gathering was ended
with “God Bless America.”
At the Saint Teresa campus
later that day, an exhibit of
photographs taken in New York
City following the 9-11 terrorist
attacks opened at Valéncia Arts
Center. The exhibit offered 36
color photographs taken by
Minnesota native Mary Spano, a
professional photographer residing
in Manhattan. Titled “The World
Trade Center Disaster Memorials:
Remembering Those Lost,” the
exhibit was a tribute to the people
and parts of New York City lost
forever.
An overflow crowd filled Saint Thomas More Chapel for a Sept. 11 prayer service.
10 SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE WINTER 2003