On a warm sunny day in April the Saint John’s community had a lot to be thankful for. As we approach the final year of our capital campaign, which will end on June 30, 2017, there is tremendous momentum and so many wonderful projects that have come to completion or are just breaking ground. Meanwhile, the class of 2016 is set to graduate and embark on the next chapter in their lives; and we alumni can be proud of their accomplishments as they prepare to join our ranks.
It was Friday, April 22nd, and more than 200 guests converged in the parking lot just east of Alcuin Library. We gathered under billowing white tents to witness the ground-breaking for the new Learning Commons, to be named in honor of our dear friend, Br. Dietrich Reinhart, OSB. To the east of a renovated Alcuin Library will be added a 22,000-square-foot structure, with a glass corridor connecting the two buildings. Guests were treated to a blessing by Abbot John Klassen, OSB, and all had the opportunity to view architectural renderings, displayed on a massive, 10 foot x 20 foot, high-definition video screen as we visually walked through the space. Certainly the highlight of the ceremony took place when nearly fifty of our staff, guests, donors and contractors turned dirt at the site of the Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons. Adding to the dignity of the event were thirteen guests who had flown all the way from Hong Kong to pay tribute to their dear friend Fr. Tom Thole, OSB. In his honor the new technology center inside Alcuin will be named.
Following the ground-breaking, our guests moved to the Abbey church, where we celebrated Mass with the monastic community. Through the years this ritual has become an integral part of this campus gathering, and it is one that so many cherish. It’s a time to pause and reflect on all that we are thankful for and to celebrate our membership in the community that is Saint John’s.
From the Abbey church we moved to Guild Hall, where we joined others for the annual Saint John’s Day celebration. As the dinner concluded and the program began, President Michael Hemesath presented the McGough Construction Company with the Fr. Colman Barry Award. McGough Construction has had a long history at Saint John’s, one that dates back to the late 1950s when this family company started construction on the Abbey church. Even then the complexity of that project was too much of a challenge for many companies. But as a young company the McGough brothers took on the work, and the rest is history. But of course that was only the beginning of a long relationship, and Tim McGough reflected on the impact that Saint John’s has had on his family and the entire company in the course of a nearly 60-year partnership.
The program then shifted to three students, Zack Eichten ’18, James Macias ’18 and Edwin Torres ’16. They stole the show as they reflected on the impact that the renovation of Alcuin Library and the construction of the Learning Commons will have on the student educational experience. Edwin, vice-president of the Student Senate, then announced that the Student Senate was so genuinely excited about this project that it has committed funds for its support. That’s a first for any capital campaign at Saint John’s, and it’s a ringing endorsement of the importance of this project for student learning.
The weekend’s finale came on Sunday in Guild Hall, when hundreds gathered for the Senior Banquet. Annually the Alumni Association Board of Directors hosts this event to honor seniors as they enter their final week of school before graduation. This year’s keynote speaker was Professor Bob Bell, and he challenged the seniors to support Saint John’s after their graduation and throughout their lives. Bob stressed the duty of each alumnus to contribute with the time, talent and treasure that is necessary to make Saint John’s strong and vital.
The weekend of April 22-24 was a very busy and a very special time for us at Saint John’s. We celebrated milestones and wished our newest alumni well; but we know the work is far from over. On the immediate horizon are Gagliardi Field and Dome, the new tennis courts, and a commitment to building an endowment that will ensure student access to Saint John’s. I can’t help but be thankful for all of you who have so generously stepped forward to help support these projects and build for a bright future for Saint John’s. You help to pay it forward for the next generation of Johnnies, and for that you inspire me!