Celebrate Spirit!

Dozens of people, in reds and orange and other colors, sit and listen during Celebrate Spirit inside of the Student Fitness Center. Large orange, red and yellow ribbons hang above.

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Theme: Radical Hospitality

This year University Ministry and the College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences have given Celebrate Spirit the theme of Radical Hospitality inspired by the charism and values of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and Society of Jesus. 

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024

11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Actively Participate in Radical Hospitality On & Off Campus

Schedule

An outdoor shot of a Celebrate Spirit banner with students, trees and a sunny day beyond.

11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. — Celebrate Mass of the Holy Spirit (Student Fitness Center)

Many thanks to the hosting college, the College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences for their participation in the planning of this event. We invite those attending to wear red, orange or yellow colors that remind us of the Holy Spirit or Detroit Mercy spirit wear. At the Mass a special blessing will be given to all students and employee leaders as well as a special blessing from the Mercy and Jesuit communities over all of us for this academic year.

12:45 p.m. — After Mass

A special lunch will be offered for the Detroit Mercy community in the Fountain Lounge after Mass. Please enter through the North East doors of the first floor of the Student Union to the Fountain Lounge (by the back elevators). We invite everyone to share this meal together at the tables and benches around the fountain and fountain terrace.

Guest speaker for Celebrate Spirit: Marilyn Lacey, RSM

image of Marilyn LaceyMarilyn Lacey, a Sister of Mercy, is passionate about making the world a more welcoming place. She’s been working with displaced peoples, both in the United States and in refugee camps overseas, for decades. Although she holds a master’s degree in social welfare from UC Berkeley and a handful of honorary doctorates, she insists that the poor have been her best teachers. In 2001 Marilyn was personally honored by the Dalai Lama as an “unsung hero of compassion.” Marilyn is the founder and executive director of Mercy Beyond Borders, spearheading innovative programs in Haiti and Africa to lift women and girls up from extreme poverty. Her memoir, "This Flowing Toward Me: A Story of God Arriving in Strangers," was published by Ave Maria Press in 2009.

Class Schedules Change

In order for everyone to participate in the activities planned for Celebrate Spirit! the class schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 24 has been adjusted to create a free period from 11:20 a.m. to 2 p.m. Afternoon classes starting at 2 p.m. and after will meet at the regularly scheduled time. We look forward to your participation at the event!

Faculty that normally teach their classes on Tuesday need to adjust their plan of instruction and inform their students of the changed schedule for this day only. Most class periods in the morning will change from 50-minute to 75-minute periods or as noted below for those classes that are not normally 75 minutes. All classroom assignments REMAIN THE SAME as the normal class times.

Tuesday Morning Classes that normally meet

8:00-8:50 will meet 8:00-8:25

8:00-11:50 will meet 8:00-11:20

8:30-9:45 will meet 8:30-9:20

8:30-11:15 will meet 8:30-10:20

8:45-9:45 will meet 8:45-9:20

9:00-9:50 will meet 8:30-9:20

9:00-10:50 will meet 8:30-10:20

9:00-11:30 will meet 8:30-10:20

9:00-11:50 will meet 9:00-11:20

9:30-12:00 will meet 9:30-11:20

9:30-12:30 will meet 9:30-11:20

9:45-12:45 will meet 9:45-11:20

9:55-11:10 will meet 9:30-10:20

9:55-11:45 will meet 9:30-10:20

10:00-10:50 will meet 9:30-10:20

10:00-11:15 will meet 9:30-10:20

10:00-12:30 will meet 9:30-11:20

10:30-12:00 will meet 10:30-11:20

11:00-12:50 will meet 10:30-11:20

11:20-12:35 will meet 10:30-11:20

 

Our Celebrate Spirit Tradition

Celebrate Spirit! is the official welcoming event to the new school year and part of a long tradition dating from European universities in the Middle Ages. At the Celebrate Spirit! Mass, we call on God’s Spirit for inspiration and blessing as we begin a new academic year. Learn more about the tradition.

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    Mass of the Holy Spirit tradition

    Celebrate Spirit!, the official welcome to the new school year for Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and students, is part of a long tradition dating from the founding of the great European universities in the Middle Ages. These institutions would celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the start of a new school year. Following this tradition we call on God's Spirit for inspiration as we begin a new academic year. This festive event gathers the entire University community together to rededicate ourselves to Detroit Mercy's mission, to renew friendships, and to welcome new members.

    Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass)

    Every Mass follows the same general form, and the Mass of the Holy Spirit is no exception. We gather to listen to some portion of the sacred story handed on in the gospels and other sacred writings. Then we bring forward bread and wine, symbols of our gifts received and shared with all in need. The priest, an ordained representative of the entire church community, prays over and shares those gifts in a holy communion with God and with one another. In the "missa," or "sending," at the end of the mass, the people disperse to their ordinary lives strengthened for the task of carrying what they have heard and shared to the rest of the world.

    Procession

    A procession is symbolic movement through time and space. Our processional banners carry medallions of major world religions:

    Spirits

    • the Star of David (Judaism),
    • the cross (Christianity),
    • and the Star and Crescent (Islam) represent the three sister-communities who trace the origins of their faith to Abraham.
    • The Yin-yang symbol (Confucianism),
    • the Dharma Wheel (Buddhism),
    • and the Om (Hinduism) represent the great religions of the East.

    All faiths recognize the reality of the transcendent and attempt to engage believers with Ultimate Reality. The medallions are a sign of welcome to every expression of Spirit in this celebration as we move together through this coming academic year.

    Liturgy of the Word

    The Liturgy of the Word is a time of listening to some portion of the Bible, reflecting on it through prayer, song, and preaching, and then offering prayer for the needs of the church, the world and the local community.

    Liturgy of the Eucharist

    The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving." The gathered community first brings forward bread, the staff of life, and wine, a festive drink. We place these symbols of our life and joy into the hands of the priest, a chosen representative of this community and of the larger Church. He calls down the power of the Holy Spirit over the gifts, recalling the story of Jesus' own gift to us and asking that God transform them. Then with Jesus and the community he gives thanks to God. Our great "Amen" at the end is the sign of our acceptance of all that we have said and done together.

    Communion Rite

    In the communion rite believers share the consecrated bread and wine which makes Christ present within each of us and all of us together. Through this communion we become Christ's living Body present in time and space. Before we approach the holy table, we pray together as brothers and sisters and offer one another a sign of the peace we hope to realize in this communion.

    Interested in more information on the Mass?

    If you would like to learn more about the liturgy and its historical origins, or about the meaning of the Eucharist (communion), check out these web sites:

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    Class schedule change

    Revised Class Schedule for Celebrate Spirit!

    In order for everyone to participate in the activities planned for Celebrate Spirit! the class schedule may be adjusted to create a free period from 11:20 am-2:00 pm.  Afternoon classes starting at 2:00 pm and after will meet at the regularly scheduled time.  We look forward to your participation at the event.

    Faculty that normally teach their classes on Thursday need to adjust their plan of instruction and inform their students of the changed schedule for this ONE day only.  Most class periods in the morning will change from 75-minute to 50-minute periods or as noted below for those classes that are not normally 75 minutes.  ALL classroom assignments REMAIN THE SAME as the normal class time.

    See Morning Classes schedule above

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    Make a Donation - Live Out Radical Hospitality

    Living out radical hospitality is a value of both our Mercy and Jesuit founders:

    From Catherine McAuley, Sisters of Mercy foundress, we learn to reach out to others, especially when they are lonely or sad. Our greatest gifts is to welcome another and to share a love that warms their hearts. May our doors always be open to those who come looking for a place to call home (and to making Detroit Mercy their home). For none comes without a gift, and no guest leaves without a blessing, in Mercy's name.

    James Keenan, SJ, says, "Letting ourselves receive hospitality, as much as give it, is a way to encounter Christ in others" and "We are invited to find Christ not only in the face of the stranger but also in the hospitality that the stranger extends to us."

A student wearing a red University of Detroit Mercy t-shirt sings near a microphone with other students singing in the background.
Students listen to a priest presiding during Celebrate Spirit inside of the Student Fitness Center in 2022.
A student prays standing indoors during Celebrate Spirit in 2022.

Service and Engagement On & Off Campus

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    Institute of Leadership and Service: Community Engagement

    For the opportunity to do real service visit Institute of Leadership and Service: Community Engagement
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    Service in the City

    Whether it's for one afternoon, one week, or all semester, University Ministry's Service in the City provides students an opportunity to engage with our local community. For information on tutoring program and service days visit Service in the City

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    Service Immersion Experiences

    Service immersion opportunities and trips are key experiences of a transformative Jesuit and Mercy education, rooted in service and social justice. For more information visit Service Immersion Experiences

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