Sisters of Divine Providence

Former HUD secretary to deliver spring commencement address

Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros will deliver the spring commencement address on Thursday at Freeman Coliseum, marking 50 years of service to the city and the nation.

Since he was first elected to public office in 1975, Cisneros has served San Antonio as a city councilman, mayor, entrepreneur, trailblazing business leader and chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. He has served his country as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army and as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Cisneros’ connections to OLLU run long and deep. His late sister, Pauline Cisneros Polette, was a graduate (BA 1971) and married in Sacred Heart Conventual Chapel. When Pauline passed away in 2018, Cisneros delivered the eulogy in the chapel. His mother, Elvira, was active with the Sisters of Divine Providence, the founding order of OLLU. When Elvira died, Cisneros leased his childhood home on Monterey Street to the Sisters.

“Our house, our family is tied to Our Lady of the Lake and not just in abstract ways,” Cisneros said during an interview in the chapel. “But we’re literally part of the life of the campus.”

Alumni Legacy Scholarship application open

The Alumni Legacy Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 1916 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Texas.

Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students who are relatives of OLLU alumni. Alumni of Our Lady of the Lake University, College or High School, can sponsor a relative to be considered to receive this scholarship. The relative can be currently enrolled or planning to attend.

The Alumni Scholarship application for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 is now open. Undergraduate students may download complete application or visit the Alumni Office in Casa Caritas to pick up an application.

Application deadline is Monday, April 1, 2024.

Completed applications should be submitted to:

Our Lady of the Lake University
ATTN: Alumni Office
411 S.W. 24th Street
San Antonio, Texas 78207

Or they may be emailed to alumni@ollusa.edu

Only complete packages will be considered. Complete scholarship packet includes official transcripts, letters of reference, personal letter and completed application form.

Contact the Office of Alumni and Family Relations at 210-431-3985 or alumni@ollusa.edu with any questions.

Founder’s Week continues today through Saturday

The Division of Mission and Ministry invites the OLLU community to celebrate Founder’s Week, which began on Sunday and continues through Saturday. Founder’s Week honors the living legacy of OLLU’s founders, the Sisters of Divine Providence.

During Founder’s Week, students can spend time with our Sisters at the CDP Bingo and Ice Cream Social on Wednesday from 2-3:30 p.m. in Regan Community Room (OLL Convent). Students who wish to participate must RSVP by emailing vuc@ollusa.edu.

The OLLU community is also invited to share a statement of encouragement or appreciation to our founders. It is through their efforts that our Catholic faith and trust in Providence is expressed throughout our core values, academic programs and student activities. Submit your appreciation notes here: https://forms.office.com/r/44b1e2Uit9

OLLU was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence, a religious order begun in 18th century Lorraine, France, by Blessed John Martin Moye. The order continues as the sponsoring organization of the university.

For more information about our history, VISIT: https://www.ollusa.edu/about/history.html

Founders Week set for Nov. 5-11

The Division of Mission and Ministry invites the OLLU community to celebrate Founder’s Week from Nov. 5-11. Founder’s Week honors the living legacy of OLLU’s founders, the Sisters of Divine Providence.

During Founder’s Week, students can spend time with our Sisters at the CDP Bingo and Ice Cream Social on Nov. 8, from 2-3:30 p.m. in Regan Community Room (OLL Convent). Students who wish to participate must RSVP by emailing vuc@ollusa.edu.

For more information, contact: https://www.ollusa.edu/about/history.html

Reminder: Annual ‘Heritage Day’ set for Oct. 8

Heritage Day will be held on Sunday, Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Moye Retreat Center, 600 London Street, in Castroville. The event will feature food, a raffle, a silent auction and visits with the Sisters of Divine Providence.

Heritage Day is a tribute to our collective spirit, heritage and the transformative impacts of the Sisters of Divine Providence. It is also an opportunity to strengthen shared bonds, to reminisce about our collective past and to dream about our collective future.

Moye Retreat Center has been part of the Castroville community since 1868. This Heritage Day will be a celebration of the past while illuminating our path forward.

Activities that await:

Make shared memories: Walk the grounds and take in the living history of the Moye Retreat Center. Talk with the Sisters. Make new friends. Enjoy the day!
Try your luck with our quilt raffle, delve into the treasures of the silent auction, and grab a few gifts from the craft sale. Pick out something for your garden from our plant sale. Savor a delightful array of homemade treats at our bake sale.
Explore the children’s area which will have a petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin decorating and more. Hay bales and festive decorations will be set up, perfect for capturing fall family photos.
Experience the choreographic beauty of Alsatian dancers and groove to the tunes of our DJ.
Order a BBQ Plate: A delicious combination of BBQ Chicken, Alsatian Sausage, and sides! Cost: $10.

Proceeds will benefit the Moye Retreat Center, the original Motherhouse of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Castroville.

Save the Date: CDP Heritage Day on Oct. 8 in Castroville

Heritage Day is just around the corner!

Date: Oct. 8
Location: Moye Retreat Center, Castroville, Texas

Heritage Day is a tribute to the collective spirit, heritage, and the transformative impacts of the Sisters of Divine Providence. It is also an opportunity to strengthen shared bonds, to reminisce about the collective past, and to dream about the collective future. Moye Retreat Center has been a part of the Castroville community since 1868. This Heritage Day, we endeavor to celebrate the past while illuminating the path forward.

Activities during Heritage Day:

Make shared memories: Walk the grounds and take in the living history of the Moye Retreat Center. Talk with the Sisters. Make new friends. Enjoy the day!
Try your luck with the quilt raffle, delve into the treasures of the silent auction, and grab a few gifts from the craft sale. Pick out something for your garden from the plant sale. Savor a delightful array of homemade treats at the bake sale.
Explore the children’s area which will have a petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin decorating and more. Hay bales and festive decorations will be set up, perfect for capturing fall family photos.
Experience the choreographic beauty of Alsatian dancers.
Order a BBQ Plate: A delicious combination of BBQ Chicken, Alsatian Sausage, and sides!

Sisters invite OLLU community to join them for daily Mass

As a reminder, due to the university’s regularly scheduled Masses being suspended during our summer hours, the Sisters of Divine Providence would like to invite the OLLU community to join them for their daily Mass celebrations over at Annunciation Chapel.

*Please note times may vary on certain days, so please double check before attending

Celebrate Mass this summer with the Sisters of Divine Providence

Now that the university has entered summer hours, neither daily nor Sunday Mass will be available through university chapels. However, the wonderful Sisters of Divine Providence still celebrate Mass every day and invite the university community to join them.

Mass will be celebrated in Annunciation Chapel located between Regan and McCullough Halls.

Below is the calendar for the month of May

*Please note times may vary on certain days, so please double check before attending

Founders’ Week events start today with All Saints’ Day Mass

An All Saints’ Day Mass will be held today at 12:30 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel. The Mass will kick off a series of events for Founders’ Week, a week when OLLU honors its founders, the Sisters of Divine Providence.

Today’s Mass will be live-streamed at: https://www.facebook.com/ollu.ministry.

To learn more about Founders’ Week events, check out the University Ministry digital flyer at: https://bit.ly/OLLUministry-site or see below.

Founders’ Week is celebrated the first week of November. It is a collaboration of the Division of Mission and Ministry, Student Leadership and Development and the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism.

Service and concert will celebrate renovation of Sacred Heart pipe organ

The Sisters of Divine Providence will host a service and concert on Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. to celebrate the restoration and renovation of the pipe organ in Sacred Heart Chapel.

As part of the restoration, made possible by an anonymous donor, all of the 1,319 pipes, both metal and wooden, were dismantled, cleaned, refinished and remounted. All of the note pouches were re-leathered. A new solid-state control chamber switching system replaced the old mechanical wiring system. The console was rebuilt with a new solid-state control system and new stop controls for the 38 stops and a rebuilt pedal board.

The concert will feature professional organists Margaret Bray, George Gregory, David Heller, Mary J. Hernandez, Mark Marty, Jon McMahon, Seth Nelson and Ed Rieke.