Building a
Life
“Who shall find a valiant woman? Far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.”
Proverbs 31:10
10
Community Ideals Help Shape
Students’ Goals & Expectations
From “Valiant Woman” to “Competent, Purposeful, and Ethical”
By Lee Lewis ‘00
ompetent, purposeful and ethical:
These three words are central to the
mission of Siena Heights University as it enters the 21st century. In
the school’s early years, however,
those specific words had not yet been
defined, but their spirit was embodied in another guiding symbol: the
valiant woman.
The symbol comes from Proverbs 31:1031, and is sometimes translated as “the
worthy wife” or “the virtuous woman.” But
the Adrian Dominican leaders of Siena
Heights embraced—and inspired generations of students with—the translation
extolling “the valiant woman,” with its connotation of strong leadership. The valiant
woman was a familiar ideal at Siena
Heights prior to the coming of coeducation in 1968-69. As the campus adapted to
the presence of men, the valiant woman
faded from use as an institutional symbol.
Mother Mary Gerald Barry, Adrian Dominican prioress and president of the
college from 1933 to 1957, recognized the
power inherent in the image of the valiant
woman. When St. Joseph College officially
separated from St. Joseph Academy in
1939, Mother Gerald chose a real-life model
of that ideal, Catherine of Siena, in renaming the college.
“In 1939 an idea was born. A young girl,
a lovely lady, an inspired valiant woman
stood forth out of the 14th century who
seemed to say, ‘Siena shall be her name!’ In
Catherine of Siena, Mother Gerald envisioned the ideal graduate of a Catholic
college. While college responsibility
should further knowledge and public service, it should also build character,
inculcate leadership, and foster faith and
spirit.” (from the 1965 inaugural address
by M. Petronilla Francoeur, OP, Siena
Heights President from 1965-1969)
Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
was a remarkable woman for her time and a
fitting namesake for a Catholic women’s
college. Catherine promised her life to God
at age seven in a time and culture when
marriage was highly valued and women
were expected to be silent and passive. She
became known for the strength of her devotion to God, but Catherine, a woman of
insight and sound judgment, also played a
significant role in the politics of her time.
Far from being silent and passive, Catherine
was an activist who spoke her mind bluntly
to those in authority and worked tirelessly
for peace and justice.
The valiant woman, personified by
Catherine, was a familiar reference through-