JULY 2017 10 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM COVER STORY CONTINUED “It’s a great joy to see the children of former students, of mine in some cases, carrying on their family legacy and the Saint Mary’s family legacy in their own right,” Fessler said. These are the kinds of ties that bind generations of families to a school, to a faith, to a community. These same ties grow in strength and in length over the course of 100 years, making Saint Mary’s one of the true Phoenix pillars, the trunk of a century-old tree that has grown thousands of branches now stretching through the urban desert oasis. The words of its motto are etched on the original entryway to Saint Mary’s and were as true to its mission in 1917 as they are in 2017: Pro Deo, Domo, et Patria — For God, Home, and Country. “I consider it a great blessing to be a part of this family,” said Rev. Robert Bolding, the president-rector at Saint Mary’s. “Saint Mary’s is one of the bedrock institutions of Phoenix. There really are not many things in the Valley that are 100 years old. It’s a very rich tradition and a large family. It has always been a great source of joy for me to be able to be a part of it.” A hundred years of existence doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Part of Saint Mary’s fiber is the pride it takes in keeping alumni connected to the school. On campus and among former students, the saying goes: “Once a Knight, Always a Knight.” Graduates become part of a family — a giant one, with a century of Knights in Phoenix and scattered around the world. Herb Bool, Class of 1950, was once a Knight and still is. In fact, the Saint Mary’s gymnasium is named for him. Bool, who still lives in Phoenix, embodies both the Saint Mary’s mission and its “Always a Knight” spirit and has lived out each word of its motto. Saint Mary’s is one of the bedrock institutions of Phoenix. There really are not many things in the Valley that are 100 years old. It’s a very rich tradition and a large family. It has always been a great source of joy for me to be able to be a part of it. REV. ROBERT BOLDING

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