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The Praying Hands monument on the quad near Kenna and Christie halls has been a place of care and observance since 1948.   A graduation gift to the school from the Class of 1948, the bricks carry the names of the dead from World War II.

Since 1987 cadets of Air Force and Army ROTC have marked Veterans’ Day by mounting a twenty-four hour vigil at the memorial. And this being Portland, keeping vigil rain or shine means lots of hours spent in the rain.

The Air Force cadet program (DETACHMENT 695) has been a part of the University of Portland since 1951.  In these historical photos from the University Archives, we see the cadets prominently standing as Honor Guard at the Praying Hands during outdoor Military Mass, part of Campus Day, a spring-time tradition and celebration (picnic, dance, balloon toss!).

Each year the cadets honor the fallen with a thirty minute service beginning at 11:11 a.m.

The Church sees in Mary a mother carrying two children in her arms:
Jesus, her divine son and the human race
redeemed by Jesus and adopted by Mary

All her concern is to reconcile one with the other and to unite them finally in the charity of our eternal country.  A mother is quite different from a queen and sovereign; love is different from authority and dominion.  How could we ever give way to sadness and discouragement when the eye of a Mother watches over us . . . .

from Christian Meditations
The Very Reverend Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C.
founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross

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The University campus is replete with images of Mary the Mother of the Lord; notably the Sedes Sapientia (Seat of Wisdom) relief mounted on the Clark Library, and the statue belonging to the Galati rosary garden at the Lund Bell Tower plaza between St. Mary’s Student Center and the Chapel of Christ the Teacher.

This day the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of Mary the mother of Jesus, and patron of the Brothers of Holy Cross.   Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, modeled his religious family of priests, brothers, and sisters on the Holy Family.  In doing so, he placed the Brothers under the patronage of Saint Joseph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brother André Bessette, C.S.C., known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal”, who battled sickness for much of his own life, humbly devoted his life to prayer, serving the Lord, and comforting the afflicted.  Through his intercession to St. Joseph, many received God’s healing power.  As doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, St. André often prayed with the sick, whom he met at the door, with St. Joseph as an intercessor, and he gave them medals of St. Joseph and anointed them with oil from an oil lamp burning near a St. Joseph’s statue.  Soon many miraculous healings were attributed to his prayers, but St. André always gave credit to God and St. Joseph.  His devotion was to St. Joseph.   On October 10, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI canonized St. André the first saint for Holy Cross.
(credit: Congregation of Holy Cross)

The University of Portland honors St. André Bessette with a chapel bearing his name in Tyson Hall.  Inside the chapel is a bronze statue of St. André created by Rev. Anthony Lauck, C.S.C. in 1982.    The Congregation of Holy Cross annually celebrates St. André Bessette on his feast day, January 7.