By: Pleshae Mephee, Contributing Writer
The Feast of Saint Leo the Great was held on Nov. 7 2019 at Saint Leo Abbey on the University Campus. The mass was attended by the Saint Leo community inclusive of faculty, students, and members of the clergy. The service began at 10am, lasting roughly an hour followed by a short gathering after for fellowship.
According to University Chaplain, Father Kyle Smith, the premise of the Feast of Saint Leo is to commemorate Saint Leo the Great, a Roman Bishop and Pope, who is the patron of the university.
“Saint Leo is the patron of our university from the 5th century. When our university was founded, the Abbot of the Benedictine community was named Abbot Leo. So it was kind of a homage to name our university after one of the popes 100 years beforehand (which was Saint Leo), one of the greats in the Catholic church. He was known as a tremendous pope who had done tremendous things. Saint Leo is known for a lot of liturgical reform and asking Atillla the Hun, a great conquered at that time, to not invade the city of Rome,” said Fr. Kyle.
The Feast of Saint Leo was a clear demonstration of school spirit and the core principles of Saint Leo University.
Fr. Kyle then outlined that the university holds the feast as a thank you to Saint Leo, as he has watched over us and the university and prays for our success.
“So why do we celebrate? Our catholic university recognizes that Saint Leo the Great is praying for us and praying for the success of our university, and our student body and that we have good virtues and ethics in our lives and choices. So in return, he is praying to the Lord for our needs. It’s kind of a “Happy Birthday” and thank you for the life he lived on the day that he would’ve gone to heaven. And that’s the point of the feast: a celebration for the patron of our university,” Fr. Kyle said.
During the service, Abbot Isaac Camacho gave a speech about the history of Saint Leo, as well as a descriptor of his character. He explained that Saint Leo was a clear determiner of right and wrong, and as mentioned by Father Kyle, protected the people of Rome.
The Abbot also explained that the root of Pope Leo’s beliefs was that, we must not be caught up in material things, but rather spiritually rich. He mentioned that like Saint Leo, we must teach, protect, and help those in need and serve the people of God.
Abbot Isaac Camacho gave a speech about the history of Saint Leo, as well as a descriptor of his character.
Furthermore, he aligned the university’s core values with those of Saint Leo, and remarked that these are clear determinants of deciphering who Jesus is and his character. Therefore in our daily lives we must remember this as, “these will help [us]to be the best [we]can be.”
Overall, the Feast of Saint Leo was a clear demonstration of school spirit and the core principles of Saint Leo University. The service was well received by the participants, and members, and further upheld the pillars in which the university was built upon; a sense of community. As Saint Leo the Great’s legacy outlines, as part of Saint Leo University, we can be change makers, compassionate and true representations of the Kingdom of God.
