The role of religion at Marymount

By: Blake Vernon

Photos: Hannah Ratcliff

Marymount University has a religious influence that is of varying significance to different students. Many students see the religious aspect as an integral part of their academic experience. Other students do not see religion as playing an important role in their academic development.

The ideals behind Marymount’s creation have remained constant throughout its history. Throughout Marymount’s history the school has had to adapt to a changing environment. To understand how Catholicism continues to influence the university, students must first understand its history.

Marymount University was founded in 1950 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. The RSHM was founded on Feb. 24, 1849 in Beziers France by Father Jean Gailhac. Their goal is “to know and love God, to make God known and loved, to proclaim that Jesus Christ has come in order that all may have life.”

168 years later, the influence of its creation can still be felt by students. This is the origin of two components of Marymount University. The first component is because the RSHM originated in France, Marymount adopted the Fleur-de-lis as its emblem.

The Fleur-de-lis is a French symbol honoring the saints and Catholic tradition of France. The second is that the Gailhac building is named after the same Father Jean Gailhac.

Gailhac’s original mission was to help women who fell victim to prostitution. After his passing, a group of sisters made it their life mission to continue his work. They expanded their goals to opening orphanages and universities for women.

Marymount is one of the schools that the order helped to create.  The university’s role has shifted dramatically since its creation. The school honors the principles it was founded on but also adapts to a changing environment.

These changes can put into conflict Marymount’s goals as an educational institution with its initial spiritual goals.

Marymount began as a two year women’s college with only 13 students. The school would continue to expand its offerings in the coming decades. They would admit men in 1972 and add 20 new fields of study in 1975.

As the school pushed to extend its capabilities as a higher learning institution, more students started to be attracted to the school for its academic programs.

In order for Marymount to be a Catholic university, it relies on being a private institution. This means that the university charges more money to make up for less public funding.

A retired attorney, Charles Wills Vernon III, says, “the laws in supreme court rulings regarding funds available for religious, educational institutions are complicated but with the net result that certain activities cannot be funded by the government based on the first amendment.”

This means that the university needs to remain private to maintain their religious affiliation. Some students wish to attend a university solely for an education and do not appreciate the higher costs.

When former Catholic University of America student Alvaro Bustillo was asked what he sees as the biggest difference between a Catholic and secular learning institution he jokingly said, “Catholic schools are more expensive.”

This demonstrates how some students only seem to notice the higher tuition.

There are many benefits for a university to have a religious affiliation. An example is that many other universities were struggling to explain the horrific mass shooting that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Marymount used their religious affiliation to offer a spiritual response to the Parkland mass shooting.

Christina Rajmaira, the Dean of Student Life, sent out a mass email to students on Feb. 16. The email contained the following message: “As we pray: for God’s comfort for those who are grieving, for a healing of those wounded and recovering, for those whose questions lack human answers…we commit to provide spiritual and emotional assistance to MU students, staff and faculty who need the opportunity to discuss their feelings and concerns with one of our dedicated Counseling Center or Campus Ministry, professional staff members.”

Even students who do not identify as being religious appreciated the email. “Prayers are nice and it won’t cause any harm to anyone to pray. And it improves the experiences of Marymount because it shows that Marymount is here for you,” transfer student Maggie Cheng said.

Many students would argue that Marymount is becoming increasingly more secular; however, the Catholic influence is still apparent.

Marymount attempts to keep its religious identity by requiring that students take two theology courses as well as two philosophy courses. This requirement is incorporated into the academic plans of freshman students. It can be more difficult for transfer students who did not satisfy that requirement at their previous university or community college.

Some students do not appreciate the requirement.

“The additional course requirements are forcing me to attend college for an additional semester,” an anonymous Marymount student said. “It is a major inconvenience, and it costs me more money.”

Many students are open to the idea.

“It’s pretty convenient since most of the classes in my major are only available in certain sessions like spring or fall,” Cheng said. “I feel that I gain some knowledge from Intro to Theology, but I’m not sure if I do for Philosophy.”

Some prospective students look forward to the courses.

Natalie Arrospide, a student at Montgomery Community College said, “If I were to transfer, I wouldn’t mind taking more classes because I get to express my faith in a community of others. I feel like I do not have time to practice my faith and it’s not incorporated into my current studies.”

Other prospective students are not open to taking the courses. One Northern Virginia Community College student who previously attended a Catholic high school, offered sharp criticism of the requirement.

“Personally I think the religion courses should be optional but are probably mandatory because no one would willingly take them,” he said.

Marymount attempts to carry on its religious goals in other secular ways. They do this by requiring courses that continue the legacy of RSHM. Marymount explains this in their Mission & Vision page by saying “Marymount is a comprehensive Catholic university, guided by the traditions of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary that emphasizes intellectual curiosity, service to others, and a global perspective.”

This is why there is a Global Perspective requirement for courses. The school is using the GP requirement to further their Christian goal while still allowing flexibility. This is a way in which the university has adapted to offer more choices for students.

Marymount wants to create more than just an environment of learning. They also want the school to be a community.

“I would consider going to a Catholic university because not only will I learn what I need to learn to develop my path but I will also be guided by my faith in a community where it is respected,” Arrospide said.

The fellowship among Catholic students is very attractive to potential students. Marymount fosters a religious community by offering convenient mass times both in the morning and in the afternoon every day except Sundays where an evening mass is offered instead.

The residence halls also have Mass on Thursday nights. These services are only for students and have pizza socials afterward. This is a convenient way for students to connect with other students through their faith.

Marymount also has a non-denominational Christian community called CRU. CRU holds weekly meetings on campus. They promote students to explore their spirituality together through mission trips and volunteer work.

Some may criticize Marymount for using the old name for CRU on the Clubs and Organizations section of Marymount’s website. The website refers to the organization as the Campus Crusade for Christ.

The organization changed their name in 2011 because of the historical connotation. The name was abandoned because the crusades were a period in which Christians murdered many innocent people of the Jewish and Muslim faiths.

The Washington Post reports that “9 percent of Christians, and 20 percent of non-Christians, were turned off by the original name.”

Marymount continues to refer to the organization as The Campus Crusade for Christ with “Cru” in parenthesis regardless of the backlash. Regardless of the controversy, CRU asserts that they are a good organization that promotes tolerance.

The school’s Catholic affiliation can sometimes result in unintended controversy. The Banner reported in April 2017 that students in a Gender and Society course would have to change the location of their theatrical presentation and remove posters. The play was called “The Vagina Monologues.”

Director of Campus Ministry, Father Thomas Yehl, believed that the play was obscene and went against Catholic values. The Banner reported that students believed that their hard work and creativity had been stifled.

“The Vagina Monologues” were intended to start a dialogue on issues that women face. It interestingly started a dialogue on how the ideals of the professors can clash with the ideals of the spiritual leaders.

Marymount’s demographics have changed consistently throughout its history. In 2012, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness found that the percentage of Catholic students is 44%. They also found that 72% of students are Christian. Marymount understands that although Christians make up the majority of their students, it is their responsibility to make sure that the other 28% of students feel welcome.

The campus has attempted to be more inclusive of other faiths by offering a meditation room. In these rooms, students can find prayer rugs and Qurans in addition to Bibles. The rooms have comfortable chairs in addition to soft lighting. The amenities attempt to create a communal space for private personal reflection.

What was created is a space for members of all religions to share together.

Another way that the school allows other faiths to be represented, is through guest lectures. On April 10, Marymount hosted their Annual Interfaith Forum. This is where members of other religious communities offer their perspectives to Marymount students.

They welcomed Professor Amir Hussain to give a lecture on his latest book. His book challenges beliefs about Muslims’ contributions to America. He gave a talk about how Muslims have contributed to the American experience. Although this lecture is not about Catholicism, it is a way for Marymount to keep its promise on offering a global perspective.

RSHM believes that having an expanded worldview is a Catholic duty. This lecture reinforces that by allowing Hussain to explain how middle eastern culture has influenced American culture.

Marymount is clearly many things to many people. This is partly because the student body is extremely diverse. The school has adapted to be flexible enough to help students grow intellectually, as well as spiritually.

Many would argue that Marymount’s greatest achievement is that it appears to have something to offer everyone. It has found ways to adapt to a changing academic environment while staying true to its original mission.