News Release

UDM Celebrate Spirit!… and Ground Breaking for New Student Fitness Center

Each year, University of Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and students gather in Calihan Hall for the annual "Celebrate Spirit!" event. This longstanding tradition is a symbol of the beginning of the new academic year for students, faculty and staff and will include a worship service for all faiths, a ground breaking, picnic lunch and a student organization fair.

This Mass of the Holy Spirit service will take place on Thursday, Sept. 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Gesu Church, across the street UDM's McNichols Campus. Following the program, there will be a ground breaking for UDM’s new Student Fitness Center (east of the Engineering building under the canopy) at 1:00 pm and a picnic/student organization fair with games around the Fisher Fountain at 1:30 p.m.

"Celebrate Spirit!" gathers the entire University community together to rededicate everyone to UDM's mission, to renew friendships, and to welcome new friends. The yearly event is part of a religious tradition that dates back to the great European universities in the Middle Ages who celebrated the new school year. 

As part of the prayer service, guest speaker Jim Paul will discuss his involvement in Engineers Without Borders USA, a program that more than 12,000 professional and student members have come together to work on 350 projects in over 450 developing countries.  Established in 2002, EWB’s Detroit chapter has worked on various projects including the installing of water systems in rural parts of Honduras and Buenos Aires, which previously had no water supplies for residents to drink.

This event is free and open to the entire University of Detroit Mercy community. All are encouraged to attend and receive inspiration as we recommit ourselves to living the UDM Mission in the city of Detroit.

Release date: August 30, 2011

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For more information about UDM, or to apply online, go to www.udmercy.edu/apply.