SXU Announces Arrival of Our Lady of Guadalupe Statue
Saint Xavier University (SXU) is proud to announce the arrival of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a beautiful statue commissioned specifically for the University, which will remain in McDonough Chapel.
The sculpture was crafted by New Mexico-based artist Rhonda Crespin, who is a Santera, an artist that makes images of saints or holy images in the form of painted wooden sculptures and panels. Her work has been featured in several museums and private collections. Crespin prayed as she hand-carved Our Lady of Guadalupe from one piece of aspen. She also made her own paint, and she continued to pray as she varnished, painted and sealed. The sculpture took several months to complete, and it was done with constant prayer.
The piece was commissioned by Jenny DeVivo, OblSB, Ph.D., vice president for Mission and Heritage, who was transfixed by the life and soul she noticed in Spanish colonial art during a visit to the New Mexico monastery Santa María de la Vid Abbey in Albuquerque.
"I knew that so many of our students, faculty and staff have a great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and have been wanting to have a beautiful statue in our chapel for many years. After seeing the beautiful examples in Albuquerque, I decided I wanted to commission a statue. I learned about the Traditional Spanish Market and found Rhonda [Crespin]. With the help of Campus Ministry Director Karen Soos and SXU Gallery Director Cathie Ruggie Saunders, I was pleased to commission Rhonda to carve the beautiful statue for us," said DeVivo, who plans to invite Crespin to campus in the spring to give lectures, speak to art classes, and teach about the Spanish colonial art style.
McDonough Chapel is open to all faculty, staff and students for peace, reflection and prayer, but the Office of Mission and Heritage hopes that the addition of Our Lady of Guadalupe will raise visibility of the chapel and draw more visitors for community prayer and Campus Ministry activities.
"Knowing the great devotion and love of Our Lady of Guadalupe by so many on our campus, it is my hope that this gorgeous image of Our Lady will be an inspiration and comfort to our community and give us strength," said DeVivo.
DeVivo also hopes that Our Lady of Guadalupe will inspire new prayer groups and build community.
"The overwhelming trend in the U.S. is that people live their faith lives alone, without community support. We need both private and communal prayer, and my hope is that the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe will inspire an increase so that faculty, staff and students don't need to live their faith alone," said DeVivo.
To celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe's arrival, the Office of Family and Community Engagement and the Office for Mission and heritage teamed up to host a procession, Mass, and fellowship gathering on December 5. More than 250 attendees joined in the celebration.
Having the statue on campus elevates Saint Xavier's Catholic identity and creates a welcoming space for students, especially as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
"Our Lady of Guadalupe is beloved by many Catholics, but as the patroness of the Americas, and because she appeared in Mexico, she has a special place in the heart of many Hispanic Catholics. As a Catholic, Hispanic-Serving Institution, we want our chapel to reflect our community and be a place that feels like home, and a place where people can pray deeply and gather to worship as a faith community," said DeVivo.
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on December 12, 1531. Exactly 300 years later, Catherine McAuley, Mary Ann Doyle, and Mary Elizabeth Harley professed their vows as the first Sisters of Mercy in the world, making December 12 also the foundation day of the Sisters of Mercy.
"It is perfect that Our Lady of Guadalupe and the foundation of Sisters of Mercy are brought together even more closely through our new statue," said DeVivo.