The Founders Day celebrations honored the legacy of St. Dominic de Guzman and the Dominican Sisters who founded the college.
The events were sponsored by the Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI) and facilitated by Charles Zola, CDI director, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, and associate professor of Philosophy.
Students enjoyed a dessert reception and learned about the innumerable contributions St. Dominic made to Christianity more than 800 years ago. It was the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh who, following in St. Dominic's footsteps, founded the Mount in 1959.
Later that evening, Mount faculty, staff, and about a dozen Dominican Sisters celebrated the life of Sr. Agnes Boyle OP, who served the college for nearly 50 years. She passed away in November 2019.
At the reception, the vice president for Academic Affairs office was dedicated in honor of Sr. Boyle, who was best known for her tenure as vice president of Academic Advancement.
Mount trustee and 1971 alumna Sr. Connie Koch, OP offered an opening prayer for the ceremony.
"Agnes gave our congregation the unreserved gift of herself," said Sr. Koch. "She will always be a part of us, and we are so much the better for that."
Sr. Catherine (Cass) McDonell OP, prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope and 1969 Mount graduate, discussed the impact Sr. Boyle had on the Mount and her fellow sisters.
That night, CDI hosted the Founders Day Lecture, "Living Truth" by Ann Garrido, an associate professor of Homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Mo.