Mount Mass of the Holy Spirit
Coincides with Founder’s Birthday 

Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary celebrated two momentous occasions on Friday, August 24.  The Mount community ushered in the academic year with its annual Mass of the Holy Spirit, which also coincided with the 237^th birthday of Mount St. Mary’s founder, Bishop John DuBois.  New and returning Mount students joined faculty, staff, administration and members of the Mount’s Board of Trustees in the Chapel of Immaculate Conception to hear College Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry Rev. Raymond Harris preach on the theme “God will do great things for us.”

Father Harris addressed the crowd of over 500 by welcoming them to the Mount, its people and its history.  “That Mount St. Mary’s is a Catholic institution is more than just a historical fact; it is a living reality,” Father Harris said in his homily. “This means that the profession of faith that serves as the foundation of our community must continue to be practiced in our life as a community.”

Beginning his second year as college chaplain, Father Harris addressed all constituents of the Mount community individually in his remarks. “Our desire to promote scholarship conveys a sense of knowing that all wisdom comes from God,” he said. “Our desire to glorify God through athletic activity conveys an understanding that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our desire to foster relationships with others acknowledges that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. Faith is a divine gift that helps us to entrust our lives to the providence of God. It gives us a framework for living in fellowship with each other.”

Father Harris also addressed the Mount’s role in the outside community and, ultimately, in the greater world. “From the youngest freshman to the oldest alumnus, we are having an impact upon Emmitsburg and beyond - touching people in ways beyond our imagining.”

The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a traditional school-year-opening activity at Mount St. Mary’s and for many Catholic colleges around the country. This year, the Mount welcomed over 350 freshmen, one of the largest first-year class among four-year colleges in the region.