The offices of the Provost and Mission and Ministry announced today that some late-afternoon classes will be canceled Wednesday, Sept. 4, so the entire campus community can celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Church of the Gesu.
Importantly, only undergraduate lecture-based classes will break from meeting between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Classes that are partially impacted by the break may meet for the portion of the class that falls outside of that two-hour window.
Graduate and professional courses — including those taught by the Law School and the School of Dentistry — as well as undergraduate labs, clinicals and field-based classes will be held at their usual times.
“Mass of the Holy Spirit has been a joyous celebration of faith on campus for many years,” Provost Kimo Ah Yun said. “We want to ensure as many campus members can attend as possible, take a brief reflective break from the early semester stress, and recognize and honor what we’ve all been called here to achieve at Marquette.”
The Mass of the Holy Spirit is an annual liturgy celebrated at every Catholic, Jesuit institution, dating back 450 years to the beginning of education being sponsored by the Society of Jesus.
“Following in the footsteps of our fellow Jesuit universities across the world, we’re excited to bring the entire campus together for a Mass that invokes and invites the Holy Spirit to bless our community,” says Rev. John Thiede, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry. “While the Mass will be a traditional Catholic liturgy, we respect and honor all of the faith perspectives in our community and welcome everyone to join in the celebration.”
“The start of any school year is an important time for our student population as new students are embraced by our campus and returning students rekindle their friendships after summer break,” says Rick Arcuri, acting vice president for student affairs. “Mass of the Holy Spirit is a great way to ground ourselves in our Ignatian spirituality, gather as a community and prepare ourselves for the upcoming year.”
For more information on Mass of the Holy Spirit, click here.
