“I have grown into my own skin at Saint Mary’s and have been given a platform, a voice, and a method to be able to speak out on my opinions to make meaningful change.”
Spes Unica Hall derives its name from the motto of the Congregations of Holy Cross - Sisters, Brothers, Priests: Ave Crux Spes Unica (Hail to the Cross, Our Only Hope). Spes Unica is also the motto of Saint Mary's College.
The origin of the motto is thought to be a stanza of an ancient Roman hymn to the True Cross of Christ dating back to the 6th Century, Vexilla Regis Prodeunt. The ninth stanza is as follows:
Crux ave, spes unica,
hoc Passionis tempore!
piis adauge gratiam,
reisque dele crimina.
which roughly translates:
O hail the cross our only hope
in this passiontide
grant increase of grace to believers
and remove the sins of the guilty.
As a stand alone motto the expression can appear as Ave Crux Spes Unica or as in the original hymn, O Crux ave, spes unica, meaning essentially the same. The cross is a reminder of Jesus’ spiritual courage; hope calls us to stand tall in the face of challenge; hope draws forth our greatest competence: the ability to transform lives.
For the past year, the College community has been celebrating and remembering the founder of the family of Holy Cross, Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, who was beatified in Le Mans, France, in September 2007. Father Moreau challenged the people around him to see that the formation of the mind and the heart is the foundation for transforming the world.
The name, Spes Unica, embodies the hopes and dreams for what will happen in this academic building. Spes Unica Hall is a tribute to the rich educational tradition begun by our founder. It represents a future that will see Saint Mary’s ever more widely recognized for the excellent education of women. For all alumnae and for those who will use Spes Unica Hall there is a connection with the Sisters of the Holy Cross and a call from Saint Mary’s College to be people of hope.