On Feb. 1, Father Adam Grelinger, chaplain of Newman University, celebrated Mass for the Newman community in honor of St. Maria De Mattias’ feast day.
The feast day for St. Maria De Mattias, foundress of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, is celebrated by ASC sisters around the world, and in and around St. Maria De Mattias’ hometown of Vallecorsa, Italy. The day is a major celebration of her life and legacy that lives on today.
St. Maria De Mattias homily
Written by Grelinger
Today we gather together as a community to celebrate St. Maria De Mattias and also commence Heritage Month, a time when we look back to see where we came from, who we are and even who we should be.
We reflect again on our foundations, what makes up the heart of who we are: St. Maria De Mattias, St. John Henry Newman, our mission and core values at Newman University.
We do this because we are inheritors of a tradition, a wisdom, a spirit. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before. Those before us acted in a certain way and, especially at an institution like this, they established in our marrow certain values, beliefs and aspirations.
Our own heritage is for us, I believe, a challenge — something that will always call us up higher. Maybe even something like a mentor who is hopefully proud of us, but still also critical. One who can see the areas where we have real potential for growth.
For example, St. Maria De Mattias was a woman of great faith, who in following God’s call, left home to give her life in service, especially to the education of women. She founded an order of religious sisters dedicated to Christ and his blood poured out for all, who continue to serve Christ in the poor, marginalized and any neighbor in need.
Our heritage is not just dead stories and ideas from the past.
Father Adam Grelinger
It is a spirit and a fire.
This university founded by these sisters would adopt the namesake of St. John Henry Newman who amongst many other things, wrote “The Idea of a University” laying out a strong vision of a Catholic university.
These grand elements and heroes and heroines of our heritage still inspire us today, but they should also challenge us and call us higher.
Do we have the convicting faith of St. Maria? Do we have a deep love for those in need like the Adorers? Does our university live up to the ideal of Newman’s university?
No. Not totally.
I think it is good that this makes us a little uncomfortable. Because these are great things. In comparison, we can come up short. But this should not put us down, but call us up, call us to keep striving. St. Maria, St. Newman and the Adorers knew themselves and they know what we are capable of.
You have probably heard the famous quote from composer Gustav Mahler, “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”
Our heritage is not just dead stories and ideas from the past. It is a spirit and a fire.
St. Newman, St. Maria and the women who founded this university during the Great Depression had fire. And they pass it on to us.
Let us preserve it and ever kindle it anew.
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