Mount Students Honor Tradition Through Founders Day of Service

Mount St. Mary's University students honored the university's tradition of volunteering at the Seton Shrine and the National Shrine Grotto. The annual Founders Day of Service brought the campus community together in support of faith, sustainability and service.

EMMITSBURG, Md., Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the inaugural Founders Week celebration, the Mount community came together on Saturday, Sept. 27, for a day of service that reflected the university's Catholic mission. Volunteers planted trees at the National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton in the morning and later participated in a chapel and grounds cleanup at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The service day was one of several events held during Founders Week, which paid tribute to three key figures in the Mount's history: Father John Dubois, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Father Simon Bruté. The week of activities was designed to deepen understanding of the Mount's spiritual and historical foundations and to inspire renewed commitment to the values of faith, service and academic excellence.

"This is our first year launching Founders Week at the Mount, which we believe is an opportunity for reflection, celebration and recommitment to our mission," said Vice President for Mission and Ministry Layton Field. "Founders Week honors the legacy of three important founding figures. Similarly, Founders Week is about all of those figures whose vision continues to shape our identity as a Catholic university."

Field emphasized that including a day of service was essential to embody the founders' legacy. "Service is not just an activity at the Mount; it's a lived expression of our Catholic mission," he said. "By engaging students, faculty and staff in acts of service, we honor the legacy of our founders in the most tangible way: by building community, uplifting others and living out the Gospel call to love and serve."

With tree plantings, prayer, fellowship, and hands-on service, the Mount community ensured that the legacy of its founders continues to inspire its present and future.

About the Center for Service

The Center for Service facilitates mutually beneficial relationships between our community partners, students, faculty and staff. For more information about future service opportunities, visit the Center for Service website.

About Mount St. Mary's University

Mount St. Mary's University is a private, liberal arts, Catholic university located near the Catoctin Mountain in historic Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a satellite campus in Frederick, Maryland's second-largest city. The university offers more than 70 majors, minors, concentrations and special programs for traditional undergraduate students, and more than 20 adult undergraduate and graduate programs.

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SOURCE Mount St. Mary's University