In late August when a hint of autumn is in the evening air, I feel “programmed”—I want to rush out and buy fresh, crisply-ruled notebooks and new pens in anticipation of the start of school. Yet, despite the fact that I work on a college campus, I am not in the classroom and have no academic use for these items!

While I am no longer a student, this time of year—so much more than the official start of the calendar year—speaks of anticipation and beginnings. And, this August, expectation and excitement are very much in the air at Holy Cross.

“Inauguration.”

The word is evocative of pomp and circumstance, victory (the outcome of a winning political campaign is an inauguration) and of a new beginning. Sept. 14-16, the Holy Cross community will inaugurate and welcome into the family our new president, Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., the 31st president of Holy Cross.

We invite and encourage you to attend the inauguration activities. The Liturgical Celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross will be held on Sept. 14, at 4 p.m., in Saint Joseph Memorial Chapel. The following day, Fr. McFarland will be installed as president in a ceremony at the Hart Center, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Receptions will follow both events.

And, if you are in the area and up for the challenge, you are invited to join in a “Fun Run/Walk” with Fr. McFarland on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 9 a.m., beginning at the Hart Center. Father is a marathon runner, but he will be joined by runners and walkers of all speeds and abilities!

If you cannot attend the inauguration, we will provide coverage on our Web site at www.holycross.edu and in the next issue of Holy Cross Magazine.

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In the pages of this issue, you will find an abundance of information about the monumentally generous $10-million gift from Carol and Park B. Smith ’54 for the signature building that will bear their names. You will also learn about the major construction project underway for Smith Hall—a structure that will transform this campus in many profound ways.

Smith Hall is testimony to beginnings—a new home to several academic and administrative departments and the future residence of the new Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture. Situated at the heart of campus, it is designed and destined to be the intersection of academic, residential and social life at Holy Cross.

While you may not be able to return to Holy Cross to witness the construction, you may turn on your computer and head to www.holycross.edu to access the live Web camera and watch Smith Hall rising in real time. Warning: it can be mesmerizing.

We look forward to seeing you at the inauguration festivities.

Katharine Buckley McNamara ’81
Executive Editor