w o n k o t t n a w u o y ‘If n o s a e r t s e l p m i s e th ’ . e v o L . . . e r e h m ’ I y h w ey Boylan Feb. 17, 2016
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The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University | Volume XCV | Est. 1929 | www.hawkhillnews.com
Prominent Barbelin figure removed until May Historically significant statue of Virgin Mary to be repaired SAM HENRY ’19 Assistant Distribution Manager
The Virgin Mary is seen around the world as a symbol of faith, grace, and devotion. However, here at Saint Joseph’s University, she is known for much more. The Blessed Virgin Mary statue, located in the Barbelin Hall courtyard, was donated by friends and family of St. Joe’s alumni who gave their lives in WWII, and the statue has been at St. Joe’s since 1947. However, the statue was in significant disrepair with pieces missing. Recently the Virgin Mary has been removed, leaving the base bare in the Barbelin quadrangle. “One of the things I noticed is that people will pass by that statute and will bless themselves, and it seems to mean that there is a significance for people,” said Nancy Komada, senior director of Student Life. The statue was facing significant disrepair; it was very dirty and Mary’s thumbs were eroded, according to Komada. “It is such a hallmark statue to be like
The Barbelin quad is without the statue of The Blessed Virgin Mary for the first time in decades (Photo by Matthew J. Haubenstein M. A., ’17).
that [in such condition] especially since it’s a WWII memorial,” Komada said. In an effort to return the statue to its previous state, Komada reached out to Carmen Croce, director of Saint Joseph’s University Press and Curator of the University Art Collection, about repairing the statue. “This was bought by students of Saint Joseph’s, and it should be there,” Croce said. “When they bought it, they meant for students to see it for as long as the institution existed.” Despite how much the campus of St. Joe’s has expanded, today Barbelin Hall is still considered one of the central points of campus, just as it was in 1947. “Barbelin was the only building on campus, there was nothing else,” Croce explained. “So anybody who went to Saint Joseph’s in those days went to Barbelin because there was no other place to go to. The quadrangle was the heart of the campus.” Commencement took place in the quadrangle, where the president stood and addressed the graduating class from behind the statue of the Blessed Mother, according to Croce. “So, the president would stand up there, speak from the rostrum, and then after 1947, he was speaking with the Blessed Mother right there in front of him. Really speaking through this monument to the war [and to the] dead, because to people who would have been present, that would have meant everything to them.” In addition to the memorial of those who lost their lives in WWII, Croce further explained the historical impact of the statue concerning St. Joe’s Catholic identity. Catholics everywhere were anxious to put forward war memorials to prove that they were both good Catholics and good Americans, according to Croce. He added that placing the statue in the heart of St. Joe’s “modeled honor, loyalty to the country, dedication, and self-sacrifice”—all of which are important Jesuit values.
Past Saint Joseph’s University class holding graduation in Barbelin quad. The statue of Mary can be seen at the center of the ceremony (Photo courtesy of Saint Joseph’s University Archives).
“In a world that is very easily distracted through the secular media, symbols of faith on the campus help remind us of who we are, and may inspire us to emulate the virtues and good works of our faith heroes and heroines,” Brendan Lally, S.J., said. “While a statue, in itself, is only an object of marble
or bronze, if it reminds us that we are not alone and points us to the God, whose love surrounds us, it will well serve its purpose.” The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is currently being repaired by donor money and is expected to return to its home in the Barbelin quadrangle by May 1.
St. Joe’s mourns risk management pioneer Jean Heck, Ph.D., dies after battling cancer
ANA FAGUY ’19 News Editor The death of Jean Heck, Ph.D., professor of finance and the Brian Duperreault ’69 Chair for Risk Management and Insurance in the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University was announced Feb. 8, in an email from University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D. Heck spent almost 10 of his 30 years of experience at St. Joe’s developing the risk management program. “Jean authored more than 50 articles in
academic journals and has published four books on financial management,” Reed said in an email. “He was the founding president of Academy of Business Education and the Financial Education Association and the executive editor of the Journal of Financial Education and Advances in Financial Education, managing editor of the Journal of the Academy of Business Education, and associate editor of Financial Services Review.” Heck’s presence in the risk management world was noted at St. Joe’s. Heck was essential in the creation of
the risk management major, was one of only four chaired professors on campus, and he was the university’s major benefactor, according to Edgar St. Pierre, professor of accounting and Sutula Chair. “He was a prolific researcher, and he was a very dedicated teacher,” said Morris Danielson, associate professor of finance. “The lesson is find something that you really love doing and that you want to do until the day you die because that’s essentially what Jean did. He loved teaching and he loved doing research.”
Photo courtesy of Erivan K. Haub School of Business