Facilities Spotlight
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE If these walls could talk … They’d speak volumes. They’d raise their voices in support of elevating women, asking tough questions and relentlessly seeking answers. They’d speak of hospitality, justice and the Benedictine values that remain stalwart in the face of generations of change. They’d tell stories of suffrage, of world wars, of technological leaps, and of the threads of humanity that weave through it all. In 1881, the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict laid the first cornerstone for what would become the Main Building. Nearly 140 years later, we can imagine the hope, anticipation and purpose that beat in their hearts. We’d like to think that they would be thrilled at what this space has become – and at what we believe it can be going forward.
And what it can be is thanks to the generosity and vision of the sisters who carry the legacy of those first pioneers. In 2015, the monastery agreed to the college’s request to purchase three buildings for use as administrative space. This purchase provided an alternative to building new that was both economical and environmentally friendly. It also made it possible for Saint Ben’s to invest in renovations to the Main Building. These renovations were designed to honor the space’s history while transforming it into the academic center of campus. The renovations were fueled by generous support from donors such as Colleen McCormick Malone ’80 and Mike Malone (SJU ’80), who were impressed with the vision for the space. “When Mary Hinton told us about the process
4
20010748_CC20.indd 4
1/27/20 11:44 AM
