Mass of the Holy Spirit
Click here for Information about Xavier’s 2021 Mass of the Holy Spirit
View videos of faculty and staff members sharing aspects of Xavier’s mission that they are celebrating this year:
Spirit Celebration 2020 Faculty and Staff Members Compilation
Julie Kugler-Ackley
Sr. Teaching Professor, Montessori Education
Dr. Chris Anderson,
Associate Professor, History
Dr. Rashmi Assudani
Associate Provost, Academic Affairs
Jamie Baxter
Director, Counseling Services
Jillian Dolciato
Assistant Director, Recreational Sports
Dr. Leah Dunn
Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy
McKinley Estime
Hall Director, Residence Life
Karla Helton
Assistant Director, Students Success and Academic Advising
Dr. Debra Mooney
Vice President, Mission and Identity
Dr. Megan Nieto
Teaching Professor, English
Rosemary Quaranta
Principal, Montessori Lab School
Dr. Linda Schoenstedt
Professor, Sports Studies
Dr. Tom Strunk
Associate Professor, Classics
Julie Taylor
Executive Assistant, Financial Administration
Angela Wyss
Director, Student Athlete Academic Support Services
Dr. Teresa Young
Associate Professor, Education
History: In keeping with a long tradition dating from the founding of the great European universities in the 16th century, Catholic high schools and universities celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit to mark the beginning of the academic year. In fact, within Jesuit circles the practice dates to the first Jesuit school in Messina, Sicily in 1548. It has been celebrated at Xavier since 1840 - when Fr. John Elet, S.J., the first president, presided - relatively recently as "Spirit Celebration" along with a festive communal gathering.