Brescia University Celebrates Centennial Anniversary

Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the Ursuline Sisters' arrival in Daviess County and their settlement at Mount Saint Joseph. Their journey is an amazing tale of perseverance and faith. Promoting education being one of their directives, the ladies were to join Father Paul Joseph Volk and establish a school in Western Daviess County.

After traveling from Louisville down the Ohio River on a flat boat, the sisters took a horse-drawn wagon to the mount. There, Aquilla and Louise Blandford met them. They weren't prepared for their arrival, so all they had to serve the hungry pioneer ladies was watermelon and buttermilk.

Earlier this year, I was part of a group of actors that had the privilege of portraying the original sisters' story. Here is a video of the short play written by my friend, playwright, and director Dan Heckel. He is the Director of Mission Advancement and Communications at The Mount.

Founding of Brescia University in Owensboro

I also learned more about how the Ursuline sisters are responsible for founding Brescia University one hundred years ago.

100 Years of Brescia University in Owensboro

Here's a short documentary video produced by The Ursulinfe Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.

The seventh in our series of videos detailing the history of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in their 150th year at Maple Mount covers the years of 1950 to 1968. The Ursuline Sisters founded Brescia College in 1950, Owensboro’s first four-year, coed college. Brescia is now a university, and will celebrate 75 years in 2025, and actually 100 years since its predecessor began, the Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women. The video further explores the death of Bishop Francis Cotton and the changes brought on by the Second Vatican Council.

Some great photos showing the school being built! While the college we know and love today has evolved over the years, the mission of "The Brescia Difference" remains. Here is the current President, Madison Silvert, with a message.

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