5K for the Neighborhood
The StMU 5K for the Neighborhood is an annual 5K race and event on the St. Mary’s University campus. Each fall, hundreds of St. Mary’s University students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members come together to run or walk five kilometers on our beautiful campus, and to celebrate afterward with food, fun, music and fellowship.
Admission Events
The Office of Admission invites prospective students and their families to attend one of our signature events for prospective at St. Mary’s University. These larger, in-person events are designed to showcase our academic and co-curricular opportunities as well as give students a chance to interact with current St. Mary’s students, faculty and staff.
Celebrations
St. Mary’s University is a community of diverse cultures and we are proud to celebrate the history of that diversity. We invite you to join us for our various celebrations throughout the year.
To celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., St. Mary’s brings in speakers, hold readings of his speeches, and have nights of spoken word poetry. Students also ride the Rattler Bus to San Antonio’s MLK March, one of the largest in the country.
Check the events calendar to find related events.
Martin Luther King Day – January 21
At the heart of a diverse city like San Antonio, St. Mary’s represents a rich array of ethnicities and cultures. Since its founding in 1852, the University has welcomed all nationalities and religions. St. Mary’s is committed to promoting diversity and honoring all of its influences.
Before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Brown vs. the Board of Education declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional in 1954, African-American students had already been attending St. Mary’s for several years.
Check the events calendar to find related events.
Black History Month – February
Women’s History Month is observed in March each year, with the purpose of recognizing and reclaiming women’s history and raising awareness. Students, staff, faculty and alumni participate in the Women’s History Month (WHM) Planning Committee. The WHM Planning Committee typically meets starting each October and continues to meet through April.
Over the years, the Women’s History Month Planning Committee has organized numerous events at St. Mary’s University. Some examples include the Alice Wright Franzke Feminist Award Luncheon, a blessing of women at the University, presentations by students and faculty about related research, poetry readings, book club discussions, the Alma L. Lopez Woman in Law Student Leadership Award ceremony, student panel discussions, and more.
Find out more on the Library’s section on Women’s History.
Women’s History Month – March
From the beginning, St. Mary’s, as a Catholic and Marianist University, has been rooted in its mission to serve Hispanic students. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), the University enrolls a majority of Hispanic students while serving a broad range of diverse students in a multicultural environment. Read more about our Hispanic-Serving history.
Hispanic Heritage Month – September/October
St. Anastasius I
Pope Anastasius I was among the first to condemn the works of Origen. Elected to the papacy in 399.
St. Augustine Moi
One of the martyrs of Vietnam. A Dominican tertiary, Augustine worked as a day laborer.
St. Bernard Valeara
The patron of Teramo, Italy, Bernard was a Benedictine monk at Monte Cassino.
St. Thomas De & Companions
Vietnamese martyrs. Thomas was a Vietnamese tailor who entered the Dominicans as a tertiary.
St. Darius
Martyr with Zosimus, Paul, and Secundus. They died at Nicaea, Turkey.
St. Dominic Uy
Vietnamese martyr, a tertiary of the Dominican Order. He was strangled at the age of twenty-six.
Bl. Francis Man
Dominican tertiary, a martyr of Vietnam. Francis was serving as a catechist when arrested.
St. Francis Xavier Mau
Martyr of Vietnam. He was a native catechist who was strangled, as were his four companions.
St. Fausta
The mother of St. Anastasia of Sirmium. Serbia, Yugoslavia. Fausta was a model matron of her era.
St. Manirus
Bishop and an apostle to Scotland. He evangelized the Highlanders in the northern regions.
St. Ribert
Revered abbot of the monastery of Saint Oyend, also called Ribarius.
St. Nemesius
Martyr of Egypt. He was burned alive in Alexandria, Egypt, during the persecutions under Emperor Trajanus Decius.
St. Meuris & Thea
Martyred virgins from Gaza, in Palestine. Meuris died in prison while being tortured.
St. Nemesius of Alexandria
After being tortured and severely beaten at Alexandria while still alive, Kemet authorities burned him in 307 A.D.
Catholic Feast Days – December 19
Commencement
Each December and May, St. Mary’s holds a commencement ceremony in the Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center. Friends and family of graduates who cannot attend can livestream the ceremony from their home. The day prior to commencement, graduating students and their guests are invited to Baccalaureate Mass.
Family Weekend
Families of current St. Mary’s University students are invited to join us for a weekend of fun, family, live music, athletics games, Mass and more each fall.
Speakers and Lectures
St. Mary’s University students benefit from a diverse group of national speakers and guest lecturers as well as myriad opportunities to serve the community. Speaker events include The MacTaggart Catholic Intellectual Tradition Lecture Series, Escobedo Saint John’s Bible Lecture Series, The Forum on Entrepreneurship Breakfast Series, among others.