-Rev. Charles Stander, S.M.
Today we celebrate the birth of Mary, the patroness of our University. We usually celebrate a person’s birthday to say how much we love and care for them, but today we celebrate Mary’s birthday to remind us how much God loves us!
God worked throughout our history in the lives of individuals to offer to us His very own life. In God’s plan Mary was included as the one to give flesh to His co-eternal Son. Mary cooperated with God to further salvation history for the entire world. Blessed Chaminade recognized this cooperative mission of Mary and gathered others to assist her. After a retreat with Chaminade, the first 7 Brothers took vows on September 5, 1818, which we celebrate as the feast of Mary, Queen of Apostles. Many other Brothers vowed their lives to Mary’s mission on this day – the Birth of Mary. On campus, Brother Lester Kaehler, Director of the Marianist Residence, and Brother Earl Leistikow, Director of the Marianist Archives, are to be congratulated today on the anniversary of their vows. Others whom you might know whose anniversary of vows is today are Fr. David Fleming, Bro. Joseph Grieshaber, Bro. Delmar Jorn, Bro. Ed Loch, Fr. Robert Osborne, Fr. David Paul, Fr. Gerald Pleva, Fr. Jose Ramirez, Bro. Kenneth Thompson and Bro. Bernard Zalewski.
All of us who collaborate with Mary as her family, continue her mission of bringing forth Christ into our world. Mary proclaimed in her Magnificat, “The Almighty has done great thing for me!” Our God continues to do great things for us – and to call us to service of his people. May we celebrate Mary’s birthday with thanksgiving for God’s gift to us in her by rededicating our efforts this year to building up Mary’s family in our world, beginning with our own community here at St. Mary’s University.