Let the Celebrations Begin Rosemont Celebrates Centennial

Rosemont Marks Milestone Year and Continues the Festivities in 2022

Rosemont’s Centennial year kicked off in September with a two-mile Run/Walk for Service on campus with alumni, faculty, staff, and students. In celebration of its Centennial year, Rosemont extended its commitment to service by partnering with local and global companies that sponsored the event: Gullifty’s restaurant, CocaCola (including the brands POWERADE and DASANI), Panera Bread, Giant, and Image 360. Attendees were asked to donate nonperishable food items to the Providence Center, a Ministry of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus based in Philadelphia. The award-winning Quaker City String Band and Pat Ciarrocchi ’74led the walkout to begin the event.

On October 23, the College combined Centennial festivities with the annual Oktoberfest and Family Weekend to host a celebration featuring an academic forum, alumni athletic games, music, inflatable attractions, gallery exhibit opening, and much more.

Academic Forum

Actions, Not Words: Our Voices, Our Paths

An accomplished and diverse group of alumni shared their personal stories of how Rosemont College’s mission and values have shaped their paths in life. Organized by the Centennial Education Sub-Committee, the event was held on campus in the Rotwitt Theater and streamed via Facebook Live. Alumni (left to right): Raveen James ’08, Brianne Wetzel ’05, David Potter ’18 & ’20, and Kathleen Mullan Rotondaro ’65 were panelists at the forum. Professor Richard Leiby moderated the event.

Alumni Athletic Games

Alumni from former soccer and softball teams gathered for a friendly game.

Oktoberfest

The Office of Leadership and Engagement, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the Centennial Celebration Sub-Committee hosted an Oktoberfest Carnival on Connelly Green featuring inflatables, giveaways, the opening of the Class of 1997 time capsule, the burying of the Class of 2022 time capsule, a beer garden, and more.

During Oktoberfest, the tent was transformed into a “Ghost T-House" – a nod to the T-House of Rosemont’s early decades.

Remembering The T-House

Built in 1937, the “T” served as Rosemont College’s first student center. Great friendships and good times began there - the place to be on campus to escape the routines of college life, and to meet with the “boys of fall” in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. But as the College evolved, so too did the need for the white cottage. The “T” was closed in 1965 when a new “T” was built, and converted into a mail room and bookstore. As time passed, the old “T” would be used for office space and even storage — ultimately becoming barren and taken down in 2003. In this special podcast episode, Jayson Boyers and Joe Darrah speak with alumnae Ronnie Ahern ’68, Pat Carbine ’52, and Eileen McMonagle ’75 about the place that the “T” holds in Rosemont’s storied history.

This conversation was recorded on October 13 prior to Oktoberfest. We hope everyone who attended last fall’s Oktoberfest enjoyed experiencing the “Ghost” T-House!

Gallery Exhibit

The Centennial Art Exhibition curated by Pat Nugent and Michael Willse Using punctuation to deconstruct the title of Wassily Kandinsky’s famous treatise of 1910, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art?” as a thematic basis for the exhibition, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art?” proposes the following: What does the spiritual have to do with the work of art, if at all, how does it impact artistic practice or impulse, if at all, what spiritual effect does it have on the viewer, if at all? In the context of the exhibition’s theme, the spiritual is broadly defined and in a most secular way. Ultimately, the exhibition asked the question, where and how does the spiritual fit in contemporary art?

The exhibition was on display from October 23-December 23.

In selecting the artists for the Centennial Exhibition, Pat Nugent and Michael Willse formulated a diverse list of a dozen contemporary artists who have exhibited in the former Lawrence Gallery, now the Patricia M. Nugent Gallery, and/or have taught at Rosemont or have a community-based connection to the gallery.

Read more about the artists online.

Evening Cocktail Hour

Rounding out the evening, the Celebration Sub-Committee held a complimentary cocktail hour under the tent on Connelly Green following the Mass in the Chapel.

Special Masses

In addition to Mass held on October 23 in celebration of the Centennial, the annual Christmas Eve Mass was held virtually.

A New Rose Garden

This fall, members from the Centennial Spiritual Sub-Committee arranged for 12 rose bushes to be planted as a special tribute to Cornelia Connelly. In the spring, you will see beautiful Cornelia Roses blooming alongside Main Building in her memory.

Centennial Book Club: One Century, One Book

Since October, the One Book, One Rosemont book club has been meeting via Zoom to discuss the book, Yes, Lord, Always Yes about the life of Cornelia Connelly. Members have been exploring the history and motivation of this Philadelphia-born woman to leave her family life to establish the religious order that, in turn, founded Rosemont College. Sr. Elizabeth Strub, the author of the book, has joined several of the Zoom meetings. “We have alumni joining us from coast to coast over Zoom each month for our book discussions,” said Clare Mackie ’03. “We read six chapters for each meeting, view photgraphs, maps, artworks, and memorabilia, then enter the discussions as we marvel at Cornelia's dedication and endurance through all of the obstacles placed in her path. Cornelia’s life journey from the U.S. to Italy, then England reveals a woman with grit, intelligence, imagination, and a heart full of love. Rosemont College is here because of her.”

Monthly Reflections

Hit pause for a few minutes each month to pray and reflect with the College community. Each month, a reflection by a member from the Centennial Service and Spiritual SubCommittee will be shared. As a community, we will journey together in gratitude for the many blessings of Rosemont’s Centennial Year. The reflections can be found by clicking here.

Living Memory Project

Don’t forget, the Centennial Education Sub-Committee invites you to help the College enhance its Archives by sharing your memories of your days at Rosemont with us. Submissions can be made in almost any way you wish – through photos, videos, or written documents.

Gallery Schedule

Join us for these upcoming shows in the Patricia M. Nugent Gallery:

January 14 – February 17

Tish Ingersoll and Margo Tassi: Facing the Atlantic

February 26 – March 18

BFA/BA Graduates 2020 and 2021 Group Exhibit

Mid-March through April

Senior 2022 BFA/BA Exhibits

May

Exhibit to be announced

June 3 – August 26

Alumni Artists from the Classes of the 0s, 1s, 2s, 5s, 6s, and 7s