June 2004
As we celebrate the dedication of Beaumont’s new Spiritual Life Center, I am reminded of these words from the writings of St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursuline Sisters: Undoubtedly, you will witness wonderful things if you direct all to the praise and glory of God and to the good of souls. With the completion of the new building, we have seen wonderful things! The chapel, reserved as a sacred space, becomes the heart of our spiritual activities. We continue to instill and foster our Catholic faith and tradition in the Beaumont community as the essence of who we are as a school. The many uses of this space include prayer services, theology classes, mass for individual classes, personal reflection, retreats, parent and alumnae celebrations, and so much more. As someone said during the dedication mass, “You can feel the presence of God in this space.”
The chapel is also a reminder of our Ursuline roots and wonders. The inside windows portray images of important women in our history – St. Angela, St. Ursula, Mother Marie Sands (who purchased the Beaumont property) and Sister Dorothy Kazel, El Salvador missionary and martyr. Women of deep faith, courage and leadership, role models all, we can still learn much from them today. God’s creation can be viewed during all four seasons through three large windows that look out over the most beautiful part of the campus.
Our brand new state-of-the art theater is another “wonder” of the new Center. The theater promotes an important feature of an Ursuline education – liberal arts. Drama, dance, voice and music have been growing aspects of our performing arts program. We will use the theater for classes, speakers, plays, presentations, workshops, and alumnae events. Beaumont prides itself on a strong academic program, and a liberal arts education is essential to the development of a more complete and cultured young woman. It is our hope that each graduate will continue to pursue these avenues well beyond her days at Beaumont.It has been 40 years since any new space was built at Beaumont. In addition to the spiritual component, the Center gives us sorely needed classroom areas and helps us to expand our curriculum. If you have not yet seen the new building, we encourage you take a tour, come to our various events, or celebrate with your reunion class. And, for all those who gave so generously to support this endeavor, we are truly grateful. Our prayers and thanks will be forever yours.
Sincerely,
Sister Ritamary Welsh, OSU ’63
President
Last Update: 08 September 2005