CENTENNIAL HOMILY
Notre Dame Chapel at Trinity College
Washington, D.C.
October 25, 2000
A century is a mark of time. In the life of our world, a century is not all that long. In the life of our nation, by contrast, a century embraces almost half our existence. In the life of an individual, a century is more than most of us will ever see. For us at Trinity College, however, a century is our life. And what a century it has been for our world, for our nation and for all the individuals who have been and continue to be part of up "the Trinity family."
Today we celebrate a success story that began with the arrival of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on campus one hundred years ago, this very day. Although the first students would not arrive until November 3 and their classes would not begin until November 8th, those dedicated women of God led the way. Theirs was the idea– the genius, really – to bring into existence what has been referred to in historical correspondence as a "foundation of academic rank," a Catholic college for the women of the day, the women of the new century here in the United States. Cardinal Gibbons and Doctors Conaty and Garrigan from Catholic University – all well acquainted with the work of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur elsewhere – conspired with the Sisters, confident that if any group of religious women could do this, it surely would be they. And how right they were!
As you read the history of Trinity, it becomes clear that there were many who said that a college for women in Washington could not be done and many others who said that it should not be done. It would be a scandal and a danger to the faith! Sister Julia, Trinity’s founder, heard what was said but did not listen. Sister Mary Euphrasia heard but did not listen. Sisters Lidwine, Joseph Ignatius, Madeline, Mary and their religious sisters all heard but did listen. Women leading the way! And when Cardinal Gibbons heard but did not listen, the way became even clearer than it had been before. Gibbons wrote to the Sisters, "such an institution, under your able and experienced direction … will, I am convinced, offer educational advantages to our young women which cannot be found elsewhere in our country." Trinity College has been such a gift for 100 years!
Once the Sisters arrived that Thursday afternoon, October 25, 1900, the history tells us, their first action was to pray. Theirs was a prayer of thanksgiving and a prayer of hope. Today, we gather, a century later, with those same sentiments in our minds and hearts.
The Gospel from St. Luke speaks of readiness for Christ arriving into our midst at a time and in ways we do not expect. How often over these past one hundred years has Christ arrived on our campus in the persons of women seeking to grow and deepen in their faith and in their knowledge! How often in our classrooms and hallways and residences have that faith and that knowledge been tested and secured! How often has Trinity and those who have served its mission been, as the Gospel states, "that faithful, farsighted steward" dispensing that "ration of grain in due season.!" And what has been taught and learned by countless women here has not only changed their lives but has changed the fabric, the very texture of our society for a century: in the Church, in academic institutions, in the halls of government, in the media, in social work and health-care, in so many professions and endeavors great and small, in families and homes. Like St. Paul in today’s first reading, Trinity College has become a ministry for so many, an opportunity to share "the promise through the preaching of the gospel." Trinity College has shared the promise; Trinity College has preached the gospel.: a century of women leading the way.
The world in the year 2000 is a very different one from that encountered by the first students and sisters one hundred years ago. And Trinity College is very different today than it was then, responding to each change and challenge, to the needs of its students over the years with the same energy and enthusiasm as its founders. The number of Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, like those of so many religious communities, have diminished but their spirit is very much alive in those who have generously assumed the great responsibilities that were theirs. The composition of our student body and faculty now reflects the beautiful diversity of our city and of our American society. The faith of our campus, once predominantly Catholic, now embraces all faith traditions in a way that bears witness to the best ecumenical spirit of our Church. And what we offer to our students at Trinity is an educational experience that has not merely kept pace but has been in the forefront of higher education. None of what we treasure and celebrate today would have been possible if not for those women, one hundred years ago this day and for those who came after them, a century of women leading the way.
To your President, Dr. Patricia McGuire --- an outstanding educator who continues to lead Trinity College and higher education in marvelous ways --- to her administration, to the faculty, staff, students, alumnae, benefactors, and to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, congratulations on this wonderful centennial anniversary!
The 20th century belongs to Trinity College. But Trinity College belongs to more than just the 20th century. May your future be as glorious as your past!
Very Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M.
President, The Catholic University of America