The annual Siena Fest reception at Mount Saint Mary College honored the Dominican saint and scholar, Saint Catherine of Siena, on Monday, May 1.
The event also celebrated the Dominican Pillars of service, community, study, and spirituality, which the Mount’s founding Dominican Sisters used to guide them in their endeavors.
Born Caterina Benincasa, St. Catherine was the 24th child in her family in Siena, Italy, in 1347. She later became a lay member of the Dominican Order, caring for terminally ill patients and providing spiritual direction to men and women in search of God. Though she lacked a formal education, St. Catherine of Siena is known as the Doctor of the Church.
The event was sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI) and Dominican Scholars of Hope (DSH).
Directed by Charles Zola, assistant to the President for Mission Integration and associate professor of Philosophy, CDI promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic, advances the Dominican charism of study and service, provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues, and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue. The Institute welcomes persons of varied faiths and acknowledges different religious traditions as essential to the college’s intellectual and spiritual life.
Rooted in the values of the Judeo-Christian and Dominican heritage of the college, DSH is a nonacademic living and learning community for highly motivated Mount students. The DSH program is spearheaded by Zola.