USD Magazine Summer 2014

FAITH IN ACTION

Sister Virginia Rodee, RSCJ ‘57, ‘74 (MA) conducts frequent historical tours of Founders Chapel. Below, she leads a group during USD’s 2014 Grandparents’ Weekend.

USD’s beloved Founders Chapel celebrates milestone birthday [ r i t u a l s ] TREASURED TRADITION

NICK ABADILLA

by Ryan T. Blystone t didn’t take long for then- freshman Amy Gualtieri ’86 to understand that Founders Chapel was a sacred space. “I can still remember how I was awestruck when I saw it for the first time,” she recalls. “During my years as a student, Founders Chapel was the place to be on I

unfinished Founders Chapel on Sept. 25, 1952. But it wasn’t until Feb. 2, 1954 — 60 years ago — that the dedication ceremony of the completed Founders Chapel took place. More than 500 people attended the Solemn Pontifical Mass on

Clifton Hill — the chapel took 16 months to build. While the first classes were held on Feb. 11, 1952, the Italian Botti- cino marble altar didn’t arrive until September of that year. Bishop Charles Francis Buddy initially blessed the altar and presided at the first Mass in an

Sunday nights for Mass.” For six decades, Founders Chapel has served as a mean- ingful symbol of tradition. Founded in 1949 at what was then known as the San Diego College for Women — and designed and planned by USD co-founder Mother Rosalie

10 USD MAGAZINE