President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D. | University of Dallas website

The University of Dallas has announced plans to become the first college or university to host a permanent convent for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, also known as the Nashville Dominicans. This teaching order of Catholic religious sisters has been serving the Diocese of Dallas and teaching at the University of Dallas since 2016. Currently, the Sisters reside in temporary housing arrangements, but with the establishment of a permanent convent, they will have a permanent home on the university campus.

University President Jonathan J. Sanford expressed his gratitude for the Sisters' contributions to the university, stating, "For several years now, the University of Dallas has benefited from the excellent teaching and apostolic focus of the Sisters of St. Cecilia. We are proud to become the permanent home of these faithful servants of God."

The construction of the convent will be determined by meeting planning milestones and fundraising goals. The university is working closely with the congregation on planning, fundraising, construction, and maintenance of the convent. The proposed location of the convent will be east of SB Hall, providing the Sisters with privacy while also allowing easy access to the university campus and neighboring religious institutions.

Sr. Catherine Anne Burleigh, vicaress general for the congregation, expressed her gratitude to the University of Dallas for their support. She said, "We are so grateful to the University of Dallas for its desire to provide a permanent convent on campus for our sisters teaching at UD and Mary Immaculate. We know that the presence of religious sisters played an integral part in the founding and early days of the university, and we are humbled to be involved in such a wonderful community that takes seriously the pursuit of truth, wisdom, and virtue."

The University of Dallas already has several Sisters of St. Cecilia among its faculty, including Sr. Mary Angelica Neenan, affiliate assistant professor of theology, and Sr. Elinor Gardner, affiliate assistant professor of philosophy. The first group of Nashville Dominicans was invited to teach at UD in 2016 by Jonathan J. Sanford, who was the dean of the Constantin College of Liberal Arts at that time. The group included alumnae Sr. Jane Dominic Laurel and Sr. Mary Edith Humphries.

The University of Dallas has a strong connection to religious life, with nine Nashville Dominican sisters in perpetual profession being UD alumnae. Additionally, the UD alumni community includes over 100 men and women in various religious orders, as well as 12 bishops, six permanent deacons, and more than 200 priests.

The University of Dallas is a premier Catholic liberal arts university known for its rigorous undergraduate Core Curriculum and diverse graduate and professional programs. It is recognized for offering one of America's most challenging, comprehensive, interdisciplinary undergraduate programs. With campuses in Texas and Italy, the University of Dallas provides a thriving community of learners committed to an education that forms students intellectually, socially, and spiritually for a life well-lived.

For more information about the University of Dallas and its programs, visit udallas.edu.