Last fall, on the last two Tuesdays
and Thursdays of September, the
Office of the University Chaplain
with the Office of Residential Life
and Deacons from the Mount’s Seminary
have worked together to organize the
blessings of rooms in the residence halls
on campus. These blessings are for everyone, not only Catholic students on campus and they help bring love and peace,
among many other things.
In an interview with University Chaplain Father Martin Moran, he stated that
room blessings have been a Mount tradition for over 20 years. In Moran’s words,
the blessings “invoke the holy spirit” for
the new semester, promoting growth in
family and a sense of community.
McCaffrey RA McKenna Snow, a senior
at the Mount, was asked by Residence Life
to assist with the room blessings in McCaffrey Hall. She helped two deacons, men in their last year of seminary before being
ordained as priests, around the halls who
administered the blessings. Snow had her
room blessed for the first time this year,
describing it as a “beautiful experience.”
Snow said her blessing was to make her
room a place of “community and relationship building,” like Fr. Moran described.
The blessing was also meant to make the
room “a place to build your character,” a
place to display chastity and temperance.
What room could build more character
than the one you write endless papers
throughout the year in?
Caitlin Besche, Administrative Assistant for Campus Ministry and Alumni of
the Mount, remembers what it was like
when her room was blessed. Besche ex- pressed the peace of mind the blessing
brought her, that it gave her “permission
to begin existing in peace.” The fall semester is a trying time, the transition from
summer break to jumping straight into
classes, sports, clubs and goodness knows
what else is difficult and stress causing.
What better than a room blessing to relieve some of that anxiety?
The room blessings are not reserved
for Catholic students only, Fr. Mo- ran stressed that they are for all students. Catholic, Christian, or non-religious, blessings are for all. Blessings
are traditionally a Catholic practice, but
Christian first-year student Chad Bangs
stated that the blessings are a “great way
for people to connect to their colleges spiritually.” A sense of community is found in this when different opinions and lifestyles can come together to promote understanding and peace.
Blessings serve as a bridge between
faith and academics at the Mount. To
quote our mission statement, “Mount St.
Mary’s graduates ethical leaders who are
inspired by a passion for learning and
lead lives of significance in service to God
and others,” and room blessings can help
achieve this statement. From the peace it
can bring to the lifestyle it promotes, it can
help us all lead lives of significance.