After dedicating the Franciscan Center for Science and Media last October, development began on the beautiful, new Cardinals Square Garden that now greets students from every window, entryway, and pathway.
The parking lot filled with cars June 1 as people walked into the chapel to attend the celebratory Mass before the Cardinals Square dedication. The Knights of Columbus Honor Guard stood on the steps and welcomed everyone and empty seats were hard to find.
As the Mass began, inspirational thoughts filled the air. "If a garden belongs in any university, it seems it belongs in the Franciscan University," said Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit.
Other distinguished guests included:
• His Eminence Edmund Cardinal Szoka
• -His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida
• Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Winona, Minnesota,
• Most Reverend Francis Ronald Reiss, Detroit
• Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley, Kalamazoo
Traditional for Franciscan celebratory Masses, communion, meditation, and blessings from the Archbishop of Detroit completed the service. The Madonna University Chorale also performed.
Before the dedication ceremony, guests were invited to walk behind the celebrant and concelebrants from the chapel to the Cardinals Square Garden.
Madonna faculty, students, friends, and neighbors participated in the dedication, taking pictures and listening to the inspiring messages of our guests, president, and vice president. Additional speakers and contributors at the dedication included:
• Dr. Ernest Nolan, Provost and Vice President for Academic Administration
• Monsignor John Zenz, Madonna Univeristy Board
• Dr. Walter Knysz, Kr., Foundation Board of Directors Immediate Past Chair
• Sister Rose Marie Kujawa, CSSF,Ph.D., President
• Andrea Nodge, Vice President for Advancements
“I enjoyed all of the speakers at the garden, in particular, Sr. Rose Marie, and the Cardinals. I really liked the emphasis both in mass and at the garden on community and history. The speakers constantly reflected on the history of the diocese and the relations of the Cardinals. The music during the dedication was also very fitting, and it helped to enhance the atmosphere.”
A new array of burgundy plaques, including donors’ names, spreads across the once blank brick wall at Cardinals Square.
“I found the garden just stunning! The pots in the center and the vivid contrast of the red and white are just beautiful. Additionally, the new plaques that ‘name’ Cardinals Square really give a finishing touch to it.”
After the ceremony, a reception was held in the Franciscan Center. Guests enjoyed refreshments and reflected on the exciting dedication of the Cardinals Square Garden.
“I believe the Cardinal Square dedication is significant for the Madonna University community because it offers a symbolic representation of Madonna’s connection to the broader catholic community. This symbol exhibits the way we continue to connect with the past and also to the present, exercising the values set by former catholic officials,” said Edelmayer.
