LIVONIA, MICH. – A good sized crowd of faculty, staff, students, trustees, and Felician Sisters braved the chilly temperatures to celebrate the naming of all four of the University's residence halls. Trustee Sister Aquinas Szott gave the invocation, and Interim President Ian Day talked about how the saints' names provide a more collegial feel to the residential experience; much better than the LLC and ALC alphabet soup monikers.
Dr. Chris Benson, vice president for student affairs and mission integration served as emcee, and she also shared biographical information about each of the saints whose names are now above the entrance to each hall: St. Francis of Assisi, whose values the University espouses; Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, foundress of the Felician Sisters; St. Felix of Cantalice, patron saint of the Felician Sisters; and St. Clare of Assisi, a follower of St. Francis. After the blessing, Dr. Benson stated "It is wonderful that our residential students will come home to know four more saints that they can walk together with in communication, participation, and mission as they pursue their Madonna education."
Madonna residential student Taylor Hicks read a reading for the blessing, and Fr. Charles Morris blessed the three newest residence halls before blessing Francis Hall which is part of the University Center. Members of the student affairs staff posed for a group photo in front of the newest of the residence halls, Clare Hall.
