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Spiritual Life

The Office of Law Campus Ministry is often referred to as the heart of the School of Law and aims to serve all faculty, staff and students from diverse backgrounds. Law Campus Minister, Sister Grace Walle, F.M.I, offers personal guidance, spiritual support, opportunity for community prayer and social occasions in accordance with the University’s Catholic and Marianist mission. The ministry fosters spiritual growth by providing inter-faith services and by being inclusive of the ecumenical dimension of the law school.

Significant ministry activities during the fall semester:

  • Hosting Red Mass along with the legal community and St. Mary’s University
  • Leading a prayer to open the swearing-in ceremony at the Center for Legal and Social Justice
  • Coordinating the Mass associated with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Center for Legal and Social Justice

Significant ministry activities during the spring semester:

  • Coordinating the annual Fiesta Farewell award ceremony
  • Coordinating the Ash Wednesday Mass and Lenten meal
  • Organizing spring break service trips to Austin, Dallas, New Orleans and McAllen

In order to foster a Christian community and the Marianist tradition of hospitality, openness and family spirit the campus ministry:

  • Provides coffee, peanut butter, jelly and bread for students in the Raba Building
  • Hosts an orientation lunch and prayer for first-year students
  • Hosts a lunch to promote study abroad programs in China and Austria, as well as the Pro Bono Program
  • Coordinates the Flint Fest fundraiser for Innsbruck, Austria Summer Program
  • Presents the Chief Justice (Ret.) Alma L. Lopez Women in Law Award and the Chief Justice (Ret.) Catherine M. Stone Rock of Justice Award in coordination with the Fourth Court of Appeals

Sister Grace assists students with spiritual and personal counseling on a regular basis. With the same service-oriented mentality, the ministry has created opportunities for future lawyers to build the community through outreach activities such as:

  • Organizing the School of Law’s Halloween Boo Bash for children from youth programs and shelters
  • Assisting Center for Legal and Social Justice clients with legal costs through the Marianist Sister Sharing Funds
  • Promoting toy donations for Miracle on 36th Street Toy Drive to benefit children in collaboration with St. Mary’s University Police Department
  • Sponsoring students to work with judges around Texas during their summer and winter breaks
For more information about law campus ministry, please contact Sister Grace at 210-436-3063 or gwalle@stmarytx.edu.