FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The University of Saint Francis celebrated the start of the academic year today with a Convocation Mass and an address by President Dr. Lance Richey, followed by a complimentary lunch for attendees at North Campus.
The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, celebrated the Mass, with Rev. Patrick Hake concelebrating and Rev. Mark Hellinger assisting. Students, faculty, staff, trustees and guests attended.
After Bishop Rhoades’ homily on St. Augustine, Dr. Richey welcomed the incoming class and returning students.
“You are Cougars, you are why we are here, and we welcome you,” Dr. Richey said. “I hope you will find Saint Francis a place of refuge, a place of challenge, a place of growth. So that, as you continue along the journey that God has set you on, you will feel His love and do His will that He has set out for you, and He will let you know if you listen.”
Dr. Richey emphasized the university’s new mission statement from the sponsoring Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration: “The University of Saint Francis offers formation of the whole person by providing an encounter with the heart and mind of Jesus Christ so that God, who is Love, may be loved. Through our Catholic identity, Franciscan charism, and liberal arts tradition, we prepare students for personal and professional lives of virtue, service, and joy.”
Dr. Richey told students they will be strongly supported in pursuit of transformative experiences at Saint Francis.
“As you go to your classes, as you follow your intellectual journeys, as you make friends, as you grow as a person, as you seek your direction in life, we want to help you,” he said.
The Convocation Mass included new and returning students, employees and honored guests, including the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration who have sponsored the university since its founding in 1890.
Saint Francis welcomes 661 new students and nearly 1,800 overall students this fall. Students will pursue degrees in more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 20 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.