Founder’s Day to focus on climate change

By Marina Haley
February 14, 2015

Founder’s Day is a day in which we all come together to remember the legacy of Mother Ursula Infante, who founded this college.

This year Founder’s Day is being celebrated on Monday, Feb. 16. The speaker will be Richard W. Miller, director of the M.A. in Theology, from Creighton University.

Miller will be speaking about The Unfolding Climate Change Tragedy and The Mission Of Catholic Universities. The address will take place in the mansion foyer at 3:30 p.m.  Also on Monday evening at 7 p.m. communication students will be working with Miller to put on another program talking about how people can actively engage in those issues.

“Richard Miller is going to talk about climate change and the reason we invited him was to speak about social justice issues, learning about the education of the heart and how to change the world,” Thomas Southard, interim director of The Wolfington Center, said. “Every year we try to bring in a speaker that is doing God’s work by helping to change to world.”

Climate change with a faith-based perspective is important because it helps us to be good stewards of the world. Southard said climate change impacts many people around the world.

“Mother Ursula was born in New York on Feb. 19 1897, which is why Founder’s Day is as close to her birthday as possible,” Anne Schwelm, assistant library director, said,

Schwelm said Mother Ursula joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1915 at the age of 18.

Additionally, Schwelm said, she escaped her parents in order to join the convent and because she loved being a missionary sister, St. Frances Cabrini accepted her into the convent. Early in the 1950s the MSCs were searching for a place to start a college, with the help of J. Bradley McManus, a member of Cabrini’s board of trustees. It was established in 1957.  Schwelm said, “She served as president for the first 10 years when the college opened and then helped build the Holy Spirit Library, Founder’s Hall and St. Joseph Chapel.

Schwelm said, “In 1964, The Middle States Association visited the campus and Cabrini was accredited.”

After leaving the college presidency she founded other missions for The Missionary Sisters Of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She worked with Sister Mary Louise Sullivan, another Missionary Sister, to establish the Cabriniana Room. This room houses the relics and letters from St. Frances Cabrini.

“It was because of her dedication to fulfilling the legacy of Mother Cabrini that we are here today,” Schwelm said.

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Marina Haley

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