An Introduction to “Religious of UD.”
The University of Dallas is home to a unique and diverse religious community, setting it apart from its academic peers. While many Catholic universities are associated with a specific religious group, such as the Dominicans of Providence College or the Benedictines of Belmont Abbey, UD stands out with its various groups actively participating in campus life. From Dominican friars to the Congregation of St. Cecilia ‘Nashville Dominican’ sisters, Cistercian monks, diocesan seminarians, and other religious groups, UD is a true reflection of the diversity within the Catholic Church.
Not only are these religious groups involved in UD affairs, but most of them call UD’s campus or the surrounding area home. Both Holy Trinity Seminary and St. Albert the Great Dominican Priory are located behind SB Hall, Our Lady of Dallas Cistercian Abbey lies across Carpenter Freeway, and, in the near future, UD plans to become the first university to house the Nashville Dominican sisters with a brand-new convent building east of SB. Other religious organizations that minister to UD students, such as Opus Dei and Regnum Christi, have houses nearby in Irving.
These religious groups play a significant role in the university’s operations through their apostolates. The Dominican Friars, for instance, are instrumental in Campus Ministry and the Church of the Incarnation. Several Dominican sisters and Cistercian monks are also full-time professors, contributing to the academic life at UD. Seminarians attend classes at UD, and Opus Dei and Regnum Christi groups provide spiritual direction and off-campus formation to UD students, further enriching their university experience.
Religious groups have been integral to UD’s community since the university began. The initial school charter that would eventually lead to UD’s establishment originated with a group of Vincentians, a congregation founded by St. Vincent de Paul. UD as we know it today was founded through the efforts of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur in conjunction with the Diocese of Dallas. The original teaching staff included these sisters, as well as Cistercians and Franciscans.
If it seems nearly impossible to keep all of UD’s habited habitants straight, fear not, because this article introduces a new series called ‘Religious of UD’ where The Cor Chronicle will explore each religious group that helps create the unique culture and community of the University of Dallas. The series will present each group to students old and new, showing who they are and what they do for the school so that we, as a community, can appreciate the unique gift of having so many different religious groups aid us in striving for wisdom and holiness.
UD is a unique school with a distinct culture and community, formed by a tradition connecting the current freshmen to the inaugural Class of 1960. An essential part of that culture, community, and tradition is and has always been the Catholic religious groups at UD. Thus, understanding these groups is necessary to understanding UD itself. The unique identity that we have as part of this community is shaped by the many priests, nuns and religious who have committed their lives to serving the UD community.