Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University received a historically significant monetary gift from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Sisters for the chapel in the University’s new signature building, set to complete December of this year.
This is a historically significant gift for the University and the Sisters wish to emphasize its meaning. They hope it will promote further good will within the community.
“Today is a very special day as we dedicated this chapel in the Franciscan tradition in naming it La Verna, where St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata, the wounds from the nails and the lance that Christ suffered during his Crucifixion. He was one with God. May all who come to the chapel know the love that God has for them and how special they are in His eyes,” said Sr. Ann Catherine Nguyen, FMOL regional minister.
“We live our mission by meeting the needs of the community, especially through mission-centered healthcare education. This gift ensures our ability to do so well into the future and to ensure that we continue to serve our students and provide the highest quality programs with the highest quality outcomes,” stated Tina Holland, president and CEO of FranU.
The chapel will be approximately 1100 square feet and two stories tall with a balcony for meditative prayer. All furniture will be interchangeable to fit the needs of specific events. A San Damiano Cross has been commissioned and will be displayed and customized to include the images of saints that the FMOL Sisters and the University take inspiration from St. Francis, St. Clare, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Bonaventure. The liturgical furnishings and tabernacle, along with the San Damiano cross, are hand crafted in Oberammergau, Germany, by the Albl. The modern design will complement the buildings overall aesthetics.
The chapel will hold services weekly and on special feast days of the Church. Throughout the year, the chapel will be host to the Way of the Cross, Reconciliation, Crowning of Mary, Divine Mercy gatherings, reciting of the Rosary and Eucharistic adoration.
Vice President for Institutional Advancement Judith Roberson said, “I am humbled and grateful to the Sisters for their support of our educational mission and for this generous gift that will forever assure their legacy for those who enter the doors of St. Francis Hall and worship in LaVerna Chapel.”
FranU offers degrees in nursing, health sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences and natural sciences. With 17 degree programs and five certificate programs, the University is organized into three schools, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the School of Health Professions. The enrollment of about 1400 consists primarily of Louisiana residents, though graduate programs attract a growing number of students throughout the country.
St. Francis Hall is the first major building project in the history of the University. It represents the initial step in developing the University’s campus master plan. The 75,000 square foot, three-story building, will be dedicated to academic and student development functions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located at the corner of Brittany Drive and Picardy Avenue, the building will serve as the front door to a cohesive and identifiable campus.
Anyone interested in partnership or investment opportunities can contact Judith Roberson at (225) 526-1754.
More information on St. Francis Hall can be found at franu.edu/stfrancishall.
Pictured from left: Craig A. Netterville, FranU Board Chair; Sr. Helen Cahill, FMOL Second Councilor; Tina Holland, FranU President and CEO; Sr. Ann Catherine Nguyen, FMOL Regional Minister; Judith Roberson, FranU Vice President for Institutional Advancement; and Sr. Martha Ann Abshire, FMOL First Councilor.
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